MFDS Intensifies Crackdown on Propofol 'Medical Shopping'... Requests Investigations into 13 Medical Institutions

[Financial News] The Ministry of Food and Drug Safety (MFDS) will strengthen monitoring of so-called 'medical shopping,' where patients visit multiple medical institutions and repeatedly receive propofol injections. The agency said it will request investigations into medical institutions and patients suspected of misuse, and will introduce a medication history verification system from the 27th so doctors can check a patient's medication records for the past year before prescribing.
The MFDS said on the 26th that it had launched a special inspection last month targeting suspected cases of propofol misuse and requested investigations into 13 medical institutions and 13 patients.
The special monitoring team for medical narcotics conducted joint inspections with local governments on 23 medical institutions and 26 patients who had administered propofol to one person 13 times or more over the past year. After reviewing the number of administrations and the reasons for use, and following expert deliberation, the team requested investigations in cases judged to have been used for non-medical purposes.
An analysis of the 13 patients referred for investigation showed that they had visited an average of six medical institutions over the past year and received propofol an average of 29 times. The main reasons for administration were skin procedures and cosmetic surgery.
Separately, the agency asked local governments to impose administrative sanctions on 14 medical institutions that violated related rules, including reporting requirements for narcotics administration. Major violations included failure to report or delayed reporting of changes in handling, improper entries in medical records, and discrepancies in inventory levels.
The MFDS said the inspection not only found gaps in how medical institutions manage controlled substances, but also confirmed cases of patients moving from hospital to hospital to receive excessive and duplicate propofol injections. It added that it plans to expand related big data analysis and inspections.
Accordingly, the MFDS will implement the 'Propofol Medication History Verification System' from the 27th. The goal is to help doctors check a patient's propofol use over the previous year before prescribing, reducing duplicate prescriptions and excessive use across medical institutions.
Oh Yu-kyung, Minister of Food and Drug Safety, said, "We will analyze big data on narcotics administration from multiple angles to strengthen not only the management and supervision of medical institutions but also inspections of medical shopping behavior," adding, "We will continue to pursue policies that can prevent excessive and duplicate prescriptions of medical narcotics."
[email protected] Jung Sang-hee Reporter