National Health Insurance Service Releases Study on Appropriateness of Benefits Based on Big Data Analysis
It has been found that the highest number of prescriptions for attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) medication are issued in areas belonging to the so-called "Gangnam 3 Districts," including Daechi-dong, Banpo-dong, Jamsil-dong, and Irwon-dong in Seoul. Concerns are growing that ADHD medications, which are mistakenly known as "study enhancement drugs," are being misused, especially in areas densely packed with private educational institutes.
The National Health Insurance Service announced on the 3rd that it had released an analysis of methylphenidate usage at the recent autumn academic conference of the Korean Health Economic and Policy Association, as part of a study titled "Analysis of Appropriateness of Health Insurance Benefits Based on Big Data and Policy Implications."
Methylphenidate is a primary treatment for ADHD and is a prescription-only medication that should be used under a doctor's supervision for therapeutic purposes. However, among many students preparing for exams and their parents, it is wrongly perceived as a "study enhancement drug" or "concentration booster," leading to widespread misuse.
According to the National Health Insurance Service, the number of methylphenidate prescriptions last year reached 2,587,920, a 5.3-fold increase compared to 488,372 in 2007. The number of patients prescribed the medication also quadrupled, rising from 82,221 in 2007 to 326,748 last year.
In particular, both the number of prescriptions and the number of individual patients were highest among teenagers by age group, and among those in the highest income quintile by income level.
The data also confirmed a tendency for prescriptions to be concentrated in regions known for high income and strong educational fervor. By city, county, and district, the top five areas for prescriptions last year were Gangnam in Seoul, Seocho in Seoul, Bundang in Seongnam, Songpa in Seoul, and Yongsan in Seoul. Among the top 20, the only area outside the greater Seoul metropolitan area was Suseong District in Daegu, ranked 18th.
Focusing solely on Seoul, since 2019, the Gangnam 3 Districts-Gangnam, Seocho, and Songpa-have consistently ranked first to third in the number of ADHD medication prescriptions within the city. Breaking it down further by neighborhood, Daechi-dong, Banpo-dong, Jamsil-dong, and Irwon-dong had the highest prescription rates per capita as of last year. According to the National Health Insurance Service, areas with concentrated prescriptions tended to coincide with those having high real estate prices and dense clusters of private educational institutes.
Noh Yeonsook, Head of the Big Data Convergence Research Division at the National Health Insurance Service, who led the study, stated, "There is a growing tendency to rely on medication for problem-solving related to social achievement, such as using so-called study enhancement or interview drugs, so there is a need for public discussion and countermeasures regarding the use of psychiatric medication." Noh also emphasized, "Recently, the use of methylphenidate has significantly increased not only among children and adolescents but also among adults. For adult patients, it is important to consider the presence of other coexisting psychiatric disorders when prescribing medication."
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