"6 out of 10 Medical Institutions Engage in 'Proxy Prescriptions'... Illegal Medical Practices Persist Due to Doctor Shortage"

Results of the Health and Medical Workers' Union Survey
"Medical Associations Must Acknowledge Reality and Stop Collective Strikes"

The National Health and Medical Industry Labor Union announced on the 16th that the results of a survey on the medical field revealed that illegal medical practices such as proxy prescriptions are widespread due to a shortage of doctors.

The Health and Medical Labor Union disclosed the results of a survey conducted from April 24 to May 22 targeting 113 medical institutions nationwide on the same day.

Among the 93 medical institutions that responded to the survey, 58 (62.3%) shared doctors' IDs and passwords, allowing nurses and others to issue prescriptions on their behalf.

Photo by Yonhap News

There were 55 medical institutions (59.1%) where nurses and others obtained procedure and surgery consent forms from patients and guardians instead of doctors.

Many medical institutions also performed proxy procedures and treatments (45.1%) and proxy surgeries (24.7%).

The hospital employing the most physician assistants (PAs) such as PA nurses was Seoul A Private University Hospital (393 people), followed by Gyeonggi B Private University Hospital (388 people), Seoul C Private University Hospital (357 people), D National University Hospital (253 people), Busan E Private University Hospital (244 people), and F National University Hospital (225 people).

Since residents left hospitals in February, the hospitals that increased PA nurses the most were Seoul A Private University Hospital (164 people), F National University Hospital (115 people), G National University Hospital (92 people), D National University Hospital (84 people), and Chungnam H Private University Hospital (64 people), in that order.

The Health and Medical Labor Union pointed out, "The medical refusal crisis by doctors' organizations demanding the cancellation of medical school expansion has continued for four months, and starting from the 17th, medical school professors and private practitioners have announced a series of collective strikes, but these survey results show that the shortage of doctors in the medical field is severe."

They added, "Illegal medical practices are carried out by non-physician medical personnel who lack medical licenses, professional knowledge, skills, and experience, endangering patients' lives and safety. Physician organizations must acknowledge the reality of doctor shortages and stop the collective strikes," they asserted.