Korea expands drug monitoring system to curb misuse of ADHD medications, zolpidem

The government has added attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) medications and zolpidem to the prescription monitoring system to strengthen the safety management of psychotropic drugs. This expands surveillance beyond fentanyl to include treatments for mental health conditions and sleep disorders.

To enhance the system’s effectiveness, the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety (MFDS) plans to increase the linkage rate between prescriptions and the monitoring software and expand technical support to ensure the smooth operation of the prescription history inquiry function.

Since June, the Korea Institute of Drug Safety and Risk Management (KIDS) has applied the medication history check system to ADHD drugs such as methylphenidate. The drug is prescribed over 4 million times annually at more than 6,700 hospitals and clinics nationwide.

However, given the large number of prescriptions for children and adolescents and the high proportion of patients on long-term medication, the system will initially operate as a voluntary, recommendation-based program to minimize confusion in the medical field.

KIDS is distributing automatic pop-up function guides to 192 prescription software companies used by medical institutions prescribing ADHD drugs and providing customized guidance to doctors via KakaoTalk and text messages.

Zolpidem to be monitored from 2026 to stop excessive use of sleep aid

Following the inclusion of ADHD medications, the sleeping pill zolpidem will also be subject to the medication history verification system starting in 2026. This move responds to a rapid increase in zolpidem prescriptions over the past five years and addresses the social problem of “sleeping pill shopping,” where patients obtain large quantities of the drug from multiple hospitals.

Zolpidem is one of the most commonly abused and dependency-forming sleeping medications. The medical community has long called for real-time access to patients’ medication histories to clarify prescribing responsibilities.

The MFDS expects that over 35,000 hospitals and clinics, along with 87,000 doctors, will adopt the new medication history inquiry system as zolpidem management is strengthened.