A bill has been introduced that would prohibit doctors from "self-prescribing" psychotropic medications. The bill also seeks to keep doctors from prescribing such drugs to their family members.

Rep. Suh Jung-sook of the People Power Party proposed the “Amendment to the Narcotics Control Act” on Monday.

The amendment prohibits doctors and other medical professionals who handle narcotics from prescribing narcotics or psychotropic drugs to themselves or family members as defined in the Civil Code. Family members under the Civil Code include spouses, immediate blood relatives, and siblings, as well as spouses’ direct blood relatives and siblings. They aresubject to prescription restrictions.

Current law prohibits those who are not doctors, dentists, and other healthcare providers from administering, providing, or writing prescriptions for narcotics or psychotropic drugs for medical or veterinary purposes.

However, there are no regulations concerning doctors and other medical professionals directly prescribing narcotics and psychotropic medications to themselves, although an increasing number of them are doing so.

According to the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety, the number of doctors who directly prescribed psychotropic drugs increased from 7,795 in 2020 to 8,237 in 2022. In other words, around 8,000 doctors self-prescribe psychotropic drugs every year.

"Canada and other countries prohibit doctors from prescribing psychotropic medicines to themselves or their family members because it may impair their objectivity when treating them," Rep. Suh said. "I hope to prevent the misuse of psychotropic medicines by proposing the amendment."