Suspended Sentence for Doctor with Spinal Disability Self-Prescribing Narcotic Painkillers, Taking 300 Pills Daily...

Mr. A Prescribed Oxycodone for Spinal Disability
Developed Drug Addiction, Taking an Average of 300 Pills Daily

A doctor in his 60s who self-prescribed 200,000 opioid painkillers and took 300 pills daily was sentenced to probation.

On the 24th, Judge Jeon Hee-sook of the Gwangju District Court Criminal Division 9 sentenced Dr. A (66), who was charged with violating the Narcotics Control Act, to two years in prison with a three-year probation. In addition, a fine of 83 million won and 40 hours of drug treatment lectures were ordered.

Dr. A was indicted for repeatedly prescribing and consuming about 200,000 pills of the opioid painkiller Oxycodone approximately 130 times while moving between several hospitals from 2021 to 2023. Dr. A, who was prescribed a small amount of Oxycodone for a spinal disorder, became addicted to the drug and was found to have taken an average of 300 pills daily.

When it became difficult to obtain prescriptions through normal channels, Dr. A secured the drugs by self-prescribing, a so-called "self-prescription." It was revealed that Dr. A continued the crime by changing workplaces even during the Food and Drug Safety Ministry’s crackdown and police investigation.

Judge Jeon stated, "While acknowledging that Dr. A has a spinal disorder, considering the addiction and dependency symptoms and the continuation of the crime during the investigation, strict punishment is necessary. However, the physical disability influenced the crime, and currently, the drug use has been stopped," explaining the sentencing rationale.