Police Refer Doctors for Rebates During Residency Period

Receiving Dinner Expenses from Pharmaceutical Company Employees

Doctors working as residents at a university hospital, suspected of receiving illegal rebates from pharmaceutical sales representatives, have been referred to the prosecution.

The Nowon Police Station in Seoul announced on the 1st that they have sent doctors who were former residents at a university hospital in Seoul and pharmaceutical company employees to prosecution without detention on charges including violation of the Medical Service Act.

[Image source=Yonhap News]

The doctors are suspected of receiving meal expenses from pharmaceutical company employees under the pretext of 'product briefings' since 2019.

The police have been investigating allegations that residents at the university hospital prescribed non-reimbursable vitamin injections to hundreds of patients in mixed prescriptions and received rebates such as meal and late-night snack expenses from pharmaceutical companies.

The Nowon Police Station had dismissed the case without charges in July last year but resumed the investigation following a directive for reinvestigation from the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency. It is reported that during the reinvestigation, they confirmed charges related to this case.