Food and drug safety ministry refers 13 propofol cases for investigation

The food and drug safety ministry said Wednesday it has referred 13 medical institutions and 13 individuals to prosecutors on suspicion of propofol abuse following a targeted inspection. The agency simultaneously requested administrative sanctions against 14 other clinics found violating narcotics handling regulations.

Investigators focused on facilities that administered the anesthetic more than 13 times to single patients during 2025. An analysis showed the referred individuals visited an average of six different medical centers over the past year to receive the drug roughly 29 times, primarily for skin treatments and plastic surgery procedures. The 14 clinics facing administrative action were cited for failures including delayed reporting of handling changes, improper maintenance of medical records, and discrepancies in inventory counts.

To curb such medical shopping, the ministry will implement a propofol administration history verification system starting Aug. 27. Under the new rule, physicians can review a patient's propofol usage records from the previous year.

Oh Yoo-kyung, head of the ministry, vowed to strengthen oversight using big data analytics on narcotics administration records. "We will enhance monitoring of medical institutions prescribing and administering medical narcotics as well as inspect medical shopping behaviors," she said. Oh added that the ministry will continue to establish and implement policies to prevent abuse.