Hwaseong City to Strengthen Narcotics Monitoring... On-Site Inspections Through Year-End

Targeting Pharmacies, Wholesalers, Medical Institutions, and Animal Hospitals

Hwaseong City in Gyeonggi Province announced on May 27 that it will conduct inspections of pharmaceutical facilities and narcotics handlers starting next month in order to strengthen its monitoring of narcotics.

This inspection is being implemented in response to the recent rise in public awareness regarding narcotics, as well as the increase in cases of misuse, such as repeated requests from patients for prescriptions of medical narcotics and excessive prescribing by medical professionals.

During this inspection, the Hwaseong City Seobu, Dongtan, and Dongbu Public Health Centers plan to conduct on-site inspections of 334 pharmacies handling narcotics, 29 pharmaceutical wholesalers, 308 medical institutions handling narcotics, and 70 animal hospitals in the jurisdiction by the end of the year. The main focus will be on whether each business is complying with the requirements under the Pharmaceutical Affairs Act and the Narcotics Control Act, and whether the facilities meet the required standards.

The city will conduct regular inspections according to a quarterly schedule for each business type, and will also carry out unscheduled visits to facilities reported through phone calls or the National Petition Portal. For violations identified during inspections, minor infractions will be addressed through on-site guidance, while administrative measures will be taken if necessary.

Kwark Maeheon, head of Hwaseong City Seobu Public Health Center, stated, "The misuse of narcotics poses a direct threat to the health and safety of citizens," and added, "We will strengthen the management system in medical settings through thorough guidance and inspections."