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Investigation reveals excessive prescribing of narcotic appetite suppressants in Busan

Published: 06 Nov. 2025, 16:43 Updated: 06 Nov. 2025, 19:17

An investigator from the Busan Metropolitan Police Agency’s narcotics crime unit notifies a doctor at a hospital in Busan of a search and seizure warrant for allegedly overprescribing psychotropic appetite suppressants. [BUSAN METROPOLITAN POLICE AGENCY]

Multiple doctors in Busan have been caught prescribing psychotropic appetite suppressants, such as phentermine, far beyond recommended medical limits.

Despite being classified as narcotics, more than 1 billion pills of these drugs have been prescribed nationwide over the past five years, with reports of side effects also increasing.

Doctors face probe for ‘ask-nothing’ diet drug prescriptions

The narcotics crime unit of the Busan Metropolitan Police Agency said Thursday that it booked nine doctors from eight local hospitals without detention for allegedly prescribing medical narcotics like phentermine and phendimetrazine to patients seeking simple weight loss, without proper medical evaluation.

From January 2023 to October 2024, 26 patients who obtained these so-called “diet pills” after hearing about them through word of mouth were also caught during the investigation.

Psychotropic appetite suppressants are to be prescribed only for patients with a body mass index (BMI) of 27 or higher who have additional risk factors such as high cholesterol or diabetes, according to the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety’s guidelines.

The headquarters of the Busan Metropolitan Police Agency [BUSAN METROPOLITAN POLICE AGENCY]

Even then, use is limited to a short-term prescription of up to four weeks and a total period of no longer than three months due to potential side effects such as cardiovascular problems, insomnia and depression.

Police began investigating after receiving a report from the ministry that some hospitals in Busan were suspected of repeatedly issuing long-term prescriptions for such drugs. During the probe, investigators found that several doctors prescribed phendimetrazine and similar substances without recording proper diagnostic codes or medical grounds.

Police also secured statements from some doctors who admitted they “did not ask about patients’ body fat,” concluding that their repeated prescriptions without appropriate evaluation violated the Narcotics Control Act.

However, one of the doctors reportedly told police that they prescribed the drugs “based on normal medical judgment.”

Most of the patients were women in their 30s and 40s, police said. Investigators believe that continuing to prescribe the drugs helped clinics attract long-term patients through online word of mouth.

An online advertisement posted by a teenager in June 2022 promoting the illegal sale of appetite suppressants on social media. [GYEONGNAM PROVINCIAL POLICE AGENCY]

Over 1 billion pills prescribed in five years

Reckless prescriptions of appetite suppressants and related side effects are becoming a growing problem. The cumulative number of prescribed narcotic appetite suppressants reached around 1 billion pills between 2021 and the first half of this year, according to data submitted by minor liberal Rebuilding Korea Party Rep. Kim Sun-min to the National Assembly’s Health and Welfare Committee.

Reports of adverse reactions such as insomnia, heart palpitations and dizziness rose to 455 cases in 2024, the highest figure in the past five years. Authorities have also detected attempts by teenagers to illegally purchase such drugs through online diet communities and social media.

“Even if investigations confirm excessive prescriptions, there are legal limits to penalizing or restricting doctors’ medical discretion,” said Kim Dae-kyu, a special professor of police administration at Youngsan University.

“For adolescents, the side effects of such drugs can have particularly harmful impacts,” Kim said. “Education on the risks of these medications must be strengthened.”

This article was originally written in Korean and translated by a bilingual reporter with the help of generative AI tools. It was then edited by a native English-speaking editor. All AI-assisted translations are reviewed and refined by our newsroom.
BY KIM MIN-JU [[email protected]]