In 2024, use of antidepressants among adolescents in Korea surged, while the share of older adults taking gastrointestinal drugs rose sharply. At the same time, the structure in which combination therapies for chronic diseases such as hyperlipidemia, hypertension, and diabetes lead the pharmacy sales market has further strengthened.
According to the 2024 drug consumption and sales statistics from the Ministry of Health and Welfare and the Health Insurance Review & Assessment Service (HIRA) released on the 12th, daily drug consumption per 1,000 people that year was 1,491.7 DID, up 4.2% from the previous year.
Converted using the World Health Organization (WHO) standard, this is the level at which each person takes an average of about 1.5 days' worth of medication every day.
Annual drug expenditure per person was tallied at 842,594 won. In dollar terms, it was $617.8, up 0.5% from the previous year.
Among all drugs, consumption was highest for those related to the digestive system and metabolism, a level above the average of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD).
◇ Antidepressant use among ages 5–19 surges; prescriptions led by "local clinics"
In particular, the increase in antidepressant use stood out. Over the past five years, total antidepressant use rose 51.0%.
The increase was steeper among adolescents by age group. Ages 5–9 rose 244.5%, 10–14 rose 157.5%, and 15–19 rose 128.3%.
The results are analyzed as reflecting improved social awareness of mental health treatment and expanded access to care. However, experts said further analysis is needed on the specific social background.
Including both sex and age, the group taking the most antidepressants was women 80 and older, at about 115 per 1,000 people per day.
Among older adults, increased use of gastrointestinal drugs was notable. Use of proton pump inhibitors, a representative gastric acid secretion inhibitor, rose 52.9% over the past five years.
In particular, more than 10% of people 65 and older were found to take the drugs daily. Women 80 and older were at 203.3 per 1,000 people per day, the highest of any age group.
This is analyzed as the effect of expanded prescribing for gastrointestinal protection due to increased polypharmacy in the treatment process for chronic diseases.
Both antidepressants and gastrointestinal drugs were found to be prescribed mainly at clinic-level facilities rather than large hospitals. For gastrointestinal drugs, clinic prescriptions were 26.5 per 1,000 people per day, higher than general hospitals (15.1) and tertiary general hospitals (8.9). Antidepressants were also highest at clinics, at 23.0 per 1,000 people per day.
◇ 68% of drug sales occur at pharmacies; diabetes drug sales up 392% from the previous year
On the supply structure side, a pharmacy-centered sales structure was evident.
Of last year's reimbursed prescription drug claims by type of medical institution, pharmacy sales totaled 18.4938 trillion won, accounting for 68.5% of the total. This far exceeded tertiary general hospitals (14.7%) and general hospitals (8.5%).
By the anatomical therapeutic chemical (ATC) classification for pharmacy sales, chronic disease treatments ranked near the top.
Hyperlipidemia combination therapies (C10B) ranked No. 1 in total sales, and major chronic disease treatments such as diabetes drugs (A10B) and hypertension combination therapies (C09D) were among the top ranks.
Drug classes with high use among older adults—such as antiulcer drugs (A02B), dementia treatments (N06D), and antithrombotics (B01A)—also showed high sales shares.
In particular, sales of other diabetes drugs (A10X) rose 392% compared with 2023. This is analyzed as an effect of expanded reimbursement criteria for combination diabetes therapies since Apr. 2023, followed by increased adoption of two- and three-drug combinations and new drugs in the DPP-4 inhibitor and SGLT-2 inhibitor classes.
HIRA noted that increased prescribing of nonreimbursed combination therapies and complication treatments is affecting changes in the drug market structure, adding that continuous monitoring is needed for therapy classes at the boundary between reimbursement and nonreimbursement.