Misuse of Zolpidem, Methylphenidate, and Phentermine Persists
Jin Jinsook: "Need to Inspect Integration Between Prescription and Management Systems"
Jin Jinsook, Democratic Party of Korea lawmaker.
There are growing calls for thorough oversight and management in the medical field as so-called "drug shopping"-where individuals obtain large quantities of psychotropic medications such as zolpidem (a sedative-hypnotic), methylphenidate (an ADHD medication), and phentermine (an appetite suppressant) by visiting multiple hospitals-remains rampant. Repeated misuse by patients is fueling social concern and increasing fears about health risks.
On October 8, Jin Jinsook, a member of the Democratic Party of Korea representing Buk-gu Eul in Gwangju, analyzed data submitted by the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety for the National Assembly audit, specifically the "Status of Narcotic Drug Prescriptions from July 2024 to June 2025." The analysis found that the top 20 recipients of each of the three major controlled substances received thousands of pills on average, with most of them visiting multiple medical institutions. This highlights ongoing loopholes in the management of controlled substances.
Among the three substances, zolpidem, a sleep-inducing drug, showed the most pronounced pattern of misuse. Of the top 20 patients prescribed zolpidem, five visited more than 10 medical institutions, and 13 visited at least three. Collectively, these individuals obtained 74,694 zolpidem tablets from 197 different medical institutions. Notably, one patient received 9,332 tablets by visiting 56 hospitals.
Methylphenidate, the ADHD medication, and phentermine, the appetite suppressant, also pose serious misuse problems. The top 20 recipients of methylphenidate obtained a total of 112,059 tablets from 32 medical institutions, while the top 20 recipients of phentermine and other appetite suppressants received 111,889 tablets from 60 institutions. For both substances, the average prescription per person exceeded 5,000 tablets, indicating a persistent and severe level of overprescribing.
In the case of appetite suppressants, at least one patient visited more than 10 medical institutions, suggesting that the issue is not limited to zolpidem alone. Reviewing the top five prescription records, four were for zolpidem and one for an appetite suppressant, with most patients repeatedly visiting various medical institutions to obtain their prescriptions.
Jin Jinsook stated, "Zolpidem, appetite suppressants, and ADHD medications are controlled substances with high dependency and side effects, so it is essential to closely examine whether repeated and excessive prescriptions go beyond legitimate treatment purposes." She added, "Since the revised Narcotics Control Act took effect in June this year, enabling integration with the Narcotics Integrated Management System for prescriptions at medical institutions and pharmacies, it is necessary to ensure that this system is being properly implemented in clinical practice."
Meanwhile, Jin Jinsook previously amended the Narcotics Control Act to establish administrative and technical support for linking the software used for prescriptions at medical institutions and pharmacies with the Narcotics Integrated Management System.
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