Comedian Park Na-rae is embroiled in controversy after former managers alleged she received illegal medical procedures from a so-called "injection aunt." "Injection aunt" is slang referring to a person who illegally injects pharmaceuticals. Person A, the injection aunt who allegedly supplied Park with antidepressants and other drugs, posted on her social media claiming unfair treatment, while the medical community is raising a number of concerns.
◇Did she get a proxy prescription for the psychotropic drug "clonazepam"
Entertainment outlet Dispatch reported on the 6th that "Park Na-rae received multiple medical procedures and drug prescriptions from an 'injection aunt' who does not have a medical license." The outlet claimed Park took depression medications, including antidepressants that require a prescription, which she received from the injection aunt without a prescription.
In a photo of a medicine packet carried in the report, there were the psychotropic drug "clonazepam (left in the photo)," prescribed for panic disorder, anxiety disorder, and certain seizures (convulsions), and the antidepressant "trazodone (right in the photo, capsule form)," widely used as a sleep aid.
Among them, clonazepam is a psychotropic drug for which neither proxy prescriptions nor telemedicine prescriptions are allowed. Psychotropic drugs act on the central nervous system and, if misused or abused, can cause physical or psychological dependence and serious harm to the body, so only in-person prescriptions are permitted.
Kim Taek-woo, president of the Korean Medical Association Organization (KMA), said in a phone interview with ChosunBiz on the evening of the 7th, "We need to determine whether the drug was actually prescribed by proxy or was handed over without a prescription," adding, "If a proxy prescription was made for a psychotropic drug, that is clearly illegal."
Health authorities strictly regulate psychotropic drugs by law. Kim said, "If prescription records and drug storage for psychotropic medications are neglected or if there are errors in dispensing records, that is subject to punishment," adding, "Given the stringent controls on pharmaceutical distribution and prescribing, it should not be difficult to establish the facts in this case." Because psychotropic drugs leave records at every point in the distribution chain—from pharmaceutical company → wholesaler → medical institution or pharmacy—health authorities can check the prescribing route if they choose.
◇Injection aunt says "graduated from a medical school in Inner Mongolia," but whether there is a domestic license is the crux
The Medical Service Act bans unlicensed medical practice.
Person A, the injection aunt at the center of the controversy, said on her social media on the 7th, "I studied hard while going back and forth to a place called Inner Mongolia 12 to 13 years ago, and I even served as the youngest professor and the first among both locals and foreigners at the Inner Mongolia Fokang Medical University Hospital." She said, "With the consideration of the hospital director and the Director of the plastic surgery department, and with active help from the Inner Mongolia party secretary, we were even able to bring in a Korean plastic surgery center," claiming unfairness.
However, within the medical community, there are calls to verify whether A holds a domestic medical license, along with suspicions that A may not be a physician. The group "Doctors for a Fair Society," composed of young doctors and medical students, argued that "there is no such medical school as Inner Mongolia Fokang Medical University."
Former KMA president Lim Hyun-taek referred to A's actual personal details on his social media and asked, "What is the medical license number on the physician's license issued by the Minister of Health and Welfare?" probing into the medical institution, medical school, and whether there was any residency training.
◇Controversy erupts right after telemedicine was codified, with concerns "drug misuse may increase"
The controversy broke out right after the "Medical Service Act amendment to institutionalize telemedicine" passed the National Assembly's plenary session on the 2nd. Some in the medical community warn that, as recent controversies over celebrities picking up sleeping pills by proxy and proxy prescriptions for prescription-only drugs show, telemedicine risks being distorted and abused as a simple conduit to obtain drugs easily. The amendment set the principle that telemedicine be conducted at clinics rather than hospitals and primarily for follow-up patients rather than first-time patients.
KMA president Kim Taek-woo said, "If telemedicine becomes more widespread, side effects like this case could occur more frequently." He noted, "As confirmed during the telemedicine pilot program, there is a growing tendency for demand to concentrate on non-reimbursable drugs or medications that are easy to prescribe, for reasons like 'I don't want to go to the hospital' or 'I'm busy and it's a hassle,' rather than purely for treatment purposes." Earlier, the KMA argued that telemedicine should be limited to areas with low access to medical care, such as remote islands and mountainous regions.
Although the telemedicine amendment bans prescriptions for narcotics and similar substances, specific criteria such as eligible patient standards, scope of regional restrictions, and lists of restricted drugs remain in subordinate regulations. Kim said, "Subordinate laws and the operation of the system must be strict." The point is that if detailed laws and systems are lax, various problems can arise as consumers or vendors exploit loopholes.
Kim said, "The KMA will soon create standard clinical guidelines on telemedicine." He added, "Regarding administrative penalties and disciplinary measures, we need to discuss with authorities such as the Ministry of Health and Welfare." Meanwhile, the KMA and the Korean Health and Medical Workers' Union are urging passage of a "ban on wholesale drug sales by telemedicine intermediary platforms."