The Ministery of Food and Drug Safety said on the 22nd that, after analyzing medical narcotics prescription data with the Korea Institute of Drug Satety & Risk Management, 3,923 doctors were found to have issued prescriptions that deviated from the "narcotics misuse and abuse prevention measures criteria."
The Ministery of Food and Drug Safety said it will notify these doctors in writing of the relevant details and track them for about three months from May to July to check whether their prescribing improves.
The prescription information analysis covered seven product groups: zolpidem, propofol, appetite suppressants, anti-anxiety drugs, painkillers, fentanyl patches, and methylphenidate.
By drug, methylphenidate, an ADHD treatment, had the most doctors deviating from the criteria at 1,967, followed by zolpidem at 781, appetite suppressants at 522, and anti-anxiety drugs at 273.
The main types of violations are ▲ exceeding the prescription period ▲ exceeding the approved dose ▲ violating age contraindications ▲ violating dosing intervals.
For example, appetite suppressants or anti-anxiety drugs generally cannot be prescribed for more than three months. Zolpidem is restricted from being prescribed for more than one month. In particular, deviations from the criteria were relatively more frequent for drugs with concerns about dependence when taken long term.
The Ministery of Food and Drug Safety said that if prescriptions that deviate from the criteria are repeated during the follow-up period, it plans to proceed with a "ban on the relevant prescribing and administration" after reviewing medical validity. If violated thereafter, the handling of narcotics may be suspended for up to one month.
Overall, the number of doctors violating the criteria is on a downward trend. Zolpidem fell from 2,400 in 2023 to 781 this year, and propofol and appetite suppressants also decreased by more than half. However, methylphenidate has remained around 2,000 even after being included in the management criteria, emerging as a new target for oversight.
The measure is focused on encouraging voluntary improvements in prescribing by medical staff through prior notice and follow-up observation rather than indiscriminate punishment.
The Ministery of Food and Drug Safety said, "We expect this information to help create an appropriate prescribing and administration environment for medical narcotics," adding, "We will continue to take the lead in preventing misuse and abuse through meticulous safety management of medical narcotics from multiple angles."