The government will launch an inspection of medical institutions nationwide over self-administered obesity injections, following a rise in cases where some providers sold large quantities of the drugs directly to patients.
The Ministry of Health and Welfare said on the 22nd that it will conduct on-site inspections with local governments at medical institutions suspected of illegally dispensing and selling the injections on their premises.
Self-administered obesity injections are prescription drugs developed for patients to inject themselves. Under the Pharmaceutical Affairs Act, they must be prescribed by a doctor and dispensed by a pharmacist. An exception to the separation of prescribing and dispensing applies when a medical institution administers the injection directly to teach the patient how to use it.
The ministry has advised that on-site dispensing and sales are permitted only when staff administer the injection themselves, such as for instructional purposes. Recently, however, concerns have been raised about a sharp increase in cases where providers sold substantial volumes of the injections without administering them to patients.
The ministry will therefore inspect institutions with high supply volumes of the injections that are suspected of illegal on-site dispensing and sales. It plans to verify compliance with the separation of prescribing and dispensing and to take action under relevant laws if violations are found.
Violations of the separation principle under the Pharmaceutical Affairs Act carry up to one year in prison or a fine of up to 10 million won ($7,000). Under the Medical Service Act, failure to issue a prescription can result in a 15-day suspension of a doctor's license on a first offense and a 30-day suspension if the violation recurs within two years.
The ministry said it will continue to monitor supply volumes of the injections at individual institutions after the inspection and strengthen oversight of illegal on-site dispensing and sales.
"Demand for self-administered obesity injections is rising, but that demand must not lead to illegal drug sales that depart from the separation of prescribing and dispensing," said Kwak Soon-hun, director general for health care policy at the ministry. "To protect public health and prevent drug misuse, we will strengthen management and supervision so that the principle is faithfully observed in the field."