The Ministry of Food and Drug Safety (MFDS) will conduct on-site inspections of hospitals, clinics, and pharmacies to check for exaggerated advertisements, aiming to create an environment that promotes the safe use of growth hormone drugs.

The ministry said on Monday that it would continue to provide drug safety information and crack down on pufferies to ensure the proper use of growth hormone preparations, a product that has attracted social interest.

Growth hormone preparations are medications used to treat diseases, including pituitary growth hormone secretion disorders, growth failure in children due to Turner syndrome, and growth disorders in patients with idiopathic short stature. However, it is often misused as a “growth hormone injection”.

Even if growth hormone preparations are used normally, pain, bleeding, and bruising at the injection site may occur. In the case of long-term overdose in normal people, side effects, such as acromegaly and extremity hypertrophy, may occur, so it must be used carefully within the scope of the license and under the guidance of experts, according to experts.

The MGFD, in this regard, has continuously consulted with patients and consumer organizations to produce and distribute educational materials, including cards and videos, on how to use growth hormone drugs safely. This effort has involved providing patient-specific leaflets through hospitals, clinics, and health centers nationwide, and regularly checking for misinformation.

In addition, KFDA plans to conduct on-site inspections of hospitals, clinics, and pharmacies that deal with growth hormone preparations in collaboration with local governments to verify compliance. It will also monitor adverse events related to growth hormone preparations with the Korea Institute for Drug Safety and Risk Management (KIDS).

“We plan to actively provide information on the approved use of drugs and create a safe environment for the use of growth hormone drugs so that people can use them safely,” the ministry said.