The Seoul Metropolitan Government will conduct a comprehensive audit of 1,000 medical clinics that handle propofol, a powerful sedative, on average more than once a day. (Image courtesy of Yonhap)
SEOUL, Oct. 16 (Korea Bizwire) – The Seoul Metropolitan Government announced on October 15 that it will conduct a comprehensive audit of 1,000 medical clinics that handle propofol, a powerful sedative, on average more than once a day. The audits will run from November 17 through January of next year.
City officials cited the increasing misuse of propofol for non-essential medical purposes, such as cosmetic procedures, as the primary reason for the crackdown. The move comes amid growing concerns about the drug’s potential for abuse and addiction.
To carry out the audits, the city has assembled a task force of 600 narcotics inspectors in collaboration with local district offices. The campaign will kick off in Gangnam District, known for its high concentration of plastic surgery clinics, before expanding to cover medical facilities across the entire city.
The audits will focus on several key areas: adherence to propofol storage standards, consistency between actual inventory and records in the Narcotics Integrated Management System (NIMS), and potential use of expired narcotic medications.
Of particular concern to officials is the higher rate of propofol prescriptions by individual doctors in clinics compared to their counterparts in larger hospitals. As a result, the audits will primarily target smaller medical practices.
Kim Tae-hee, head of the Citizen Health Bureau, stated, “Through these comprehensive audits, we aim to proactively prevent illegal distribution and misuse of medical narcotics, ensuring that citizens can receive treatment in a safer medical environment.”
Violations uncovered during the audits will result in severe administrative actions, officials warned. Suspected cases of narcotic abuse will be referred to the police for further investigation.
The penalties for non-compliance are stringent. Violations of medical narcotic storage regulations can lead to a maximum one-month suspension of operations, up to one year in prison, or fines of up to 10 million won. Discrepancies in inventory can result in even harsher punishments: up to three months of suspended operations, two years in prison, or fines reaching 20 million won.
M. H. Lee (mhlee@koreabizwire.com)
