South Korea investigates propofol abuse and medical shopping

South Korea’s Ministry of Food and Drug Safety (MFDS) has requested investigations into 13 medical institutions and 13 individuals for the suspected abuse of propofol. The decision follows a planned inspection targeting 23 clinics and 26 patients who had received propofol 13 or more times within a single year.

An analysis of the 13 investigated patients revealed they visited an average of six different medical facilities and received approximately 29 propofol administrations over one year, primarily for skin treatments and plastic surgery. This pattern, referred to as ‘medical shopping,’ involves patients moving between multiple clinics to obtain excessive or duplicate prescriptions.

Additionally, 14 medical institutions have been referred for administrative action due to handling violations, including failure to report changes in drug handling, improper medical record entries, and inventory discrepancies.

To combat this issue, the MFDS will implement a ‘Propofol Administration History Verification System’ starting August 27. This system will allow doctors to review a patient’s propofol administration history from the previous year before issuing new prescriptions, aiming to prevent duplicate and excessive dosing.