Concerns over misuse of appetite suppressants ahead of the holiday season...Medical Drug Overprescription Check
Jul 16, 2025
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According to the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety 'Standards for Safe Use of Medical Drug An appetite suppressants' (Guidelines), drug appetite suppressants are based on short-term prescriptions within 4 weeks for obesity treatment purposes only. Considering the side effects, the total prescription period should not exceed 3 months. Excessive use of appetite suppression drugs, which are designated and managed as drugs, may cause side effects such as heart abnormalities and schizophrenia as well as insomnia and hearing loss. It is also recommended not to use it for adolescents and children.
The Ministry of Food and Drug Safety will analyze the entire prescription of more than 200 million appetite suppressants as of 2024, extracted from big data on the integrated drug management system, to select medical institutions that are concerned about excessive prescription, and to check whether patients are overprescribed and whether medical drugs are handled and managed appropriately. In addition, it also examines whether excessive prescription of appetite suppressants for adolescents and foreigners is used to prevent adolescents from being exposed to addiction through medical drugs, and to block illegal distribution of medical drugs through foreigners. If the inspection confirms violations of the Narcotics Control Act, it plans to take measures such as requesting an investigation to the investigative agency and requesting administrative disposition to the local government.
The Ministry of Food and Drug Safety has been continuously inspecting medical institutions that are concerned about excessive prescription, such as medical institutions known as so-called appetite suppressants and 'prescription sites'.
In addition, as it has the right to investigate drugs this year, it plans to strengthen management and supervision of medical institutions by linking administrative investigations and investigations, while promoting various policies such as prevention and social rehabilitation.
Director of the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety Oh Yoo-kyung emphasized, `As a result of a close look at the prescription details across the country through the integrated drug management system and an intensive inspection of suspected misuse cases, the amount of appetite suppressant prescriptions has recently decreased, but as it is a medical drug that can easily be tempted by misuse, we will continue to closely monitor it, and we urge both doctors and patients to properly prescribe and use it.'
This article was translated by Naver AI translator.
