South Korea's Ministry of Food and Drug Safety urged students to avoid misusing propranolol, a drug known among test-takers as an anti-tremor pill, ahead of the college entrance exam for the 2027 academic year.
The ministry said it worked with the Korea Institute of Drug Safety and Risk Management to produce an infographic card series explaining how to use propranolol safely, and distributed the material on the 22nd. "We decided to provide this information so that students do not misuse medicines ahead of the exam," a ministry official said.
Propranolol is a beta blocker that blocks beta receptors in the sympathetic nervous system, and it is used to treat cardiovascular conditions such as arrhythmia, angina and high blood pressure. It is a prescription-only medicine that requires a doctor's order.
Patients should be cautious because the drug can cause side effects including drowsiness, fatigue, dizziness, orthostatic hypotension and bradycardia.
The ministry said that for people who have none of the related symptoms, taking the drug on their own in hopes of performing better could instead disrupt the exam through unexpected side effects.
"There is no drug that helps you do well on a test," the ministry official said. "Medicines should be used safely, following a doctor's prescription and a pharmacist's dispensing and counseling."