To strengthen the management of medical narcotics, the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety's special judicial police, which secured direct narcotics investigative authority this year, has launched a full-scale investigation targeting hospitals and clinics nationwide.
According to materials submitted by Kim Yun, a member of the National Assembly's Health and Welfare Committee from the Democratic Party of Korea, on the 28th, the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety's special judicial police narcotics investigation team was investigating a total of 12 cases related to medical narcotics as of the end of 4th. The investigation is focusing on eight hospitals and clinics suspected of propofol misuse and four where signs of appetite suppressant misuse were detected.
Crackdowns on lax management of narcotics within medical institutions had been led mainly by the police, but the situation changed after a revision to the Act on the Performance of Duties by Judicial Police Officers in March granted the ministry's special judicial police investigative authority over handlers under the Narcotics Control Act. Accordingly, the ministry reinforced dedicated personnel starting in May and is said to have begun full-scale field investigations last month.
Meanwhile, the number of patients prescribed medical narcotics last year exceeded 20 million, amounting to about 4 out of every 10 people. More than half of them (56.6%) were prescribed propofol, widely known as a sedative for sleep anesthesia. Prescriptions for appetite suppressants accounted for 11.4%, relatively lower, but interest has been growing alongside the rising popularity of glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) class drugs for obesity treatment.
Kim Yun said, "Misuse of narcotics is directly tied to public health," adding, "I hope management and oversight of medical institutions will be further strengthened through thorough investigations into violations of measures against medical narcotics misuse."