Four in 10 Korean received prescription narcotics in 2024, ADHD medication use skyrockets

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Four in 10 Korean received prescription narcotics in 2024, ADHD medication use skyrockets

Audio report: written by reporters, read by AI


The Ministry of Food and Drug Safety [NEWS1]

The Ministry of Food and Drug Safety [NEWS1]

 
A total of four in 10 Koreans received prescription narcotics in 2024, with the highest number of patients prescribed propofol, a common anesthetic. Prescriptions for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) medications also saw a sharp increase, particularly among teenagers.
 
The Ministry of Food and Drug Safety released the 2024 statistics on the use of medical narcotics on Tuesday. The number of patients who received prescription narcotics — excluding duplicates — rose steadily from 17.48 million in 2020 to 20.01 million last year. The total number of prescribed doses in 2024 reached 1.926 billion, averaging 96 doses per patient.
 

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Among the patients, 56.6 percent, or 11.32 million, were prescribed propofol, and 38.2 percent, or 7.64 million, received midazolam, a sedative-hypnotic. Both substances are widely used in sleep endoscopy procedures during health checkups.
 
By age group, people in their 50s with 20.8 percent, 60s with 19.7 percent and 40s with 19.1 percent accounted for the largest share of prescriptions. Together, individuals in their 40s to 60s made up nearly 60 percent, with 11.91 million, of all patients. The increasing incidence of various illnesses with age is cited as a primary factor. The ministry projected that prescription narcotics use will continue to rise due to Korea’s aging population and the advancement of medical services.
 
Notably, the number of patients aged 19 or younger receiving prescriptions rose 10.5 percent over four years, while the number of doses increased by 87.1 percent. This surge is attributed to a sharp rise in ADHD diagnoses among children and adolescents. In fact, the number of ADHD patients in this age group doubled from 59,197 in 2020 to 118,747 in 2023.
 
The door of a pharmacy in Jongno District, central Seoul, is covered with posters promoting various products related to weight loss product. [YOON SEUNG-JIN]

The door of a pharmacy in Jongno District, central Seoul, is covered with posters promoting various products related to weight loss product. [YOON SEUNG-JIN]

As a result, total prescriptions for ADHD medications reached 90.2 million in 2024, a 139.2 percent increase compared to 2020. Experts say the chronic nature of ADHD, which often requires ongoing treatment into adulthood, and improved access to psychiatric care contributed to the spike.
 
In contrast, prescriptions for appetite suppressants and fentanyl, both tablet and patch forms, declined significantly, dropping 13.6 percent and 20.6 percent, respectively, over four years. Tighter regulations requiring doctors to check patients’ prescription history before issuing fentanyl are believed to have curbed overuse and duplicate prescriptions.
 
The number of licensed physicians, dentists and veterinarians who issued narcotics prescriptions last year stood at 114,108, up by 95 from the previous year. “Based on approximately 130 million narcotics transactions reported annually, we will strengthen abuse prevention education, public awareness campaigns, and oversight of medical institutions,” a ministry official said.
 


Translated from the JoongAng Ilbo using generative AI and edited by Korea JoongAng Daily staff.
BY JUNG JONG-HOON [[email protected]]
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