20 Plaintiffs: Doctor Given Probation for Writing Prescriptions Without Examination

[Asia Economy Yeongnam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Ju Cheol-in] A doctor who issued prescriptions dozens of times without examining 20 inmates in prison was sentenced to probation in the appellate court, following the first trial.

On the 17th, the Changwon District Court Criminal Division 3-3 (Presiding Judges Kim Ki-pung, Jang Jae-yong, and Yoon Seong-yeol) dismissed the appeal of A (60), who was tried for violating the Medical Service Act, and sentenced him to 6 months in prison with 2 years of probation, the same as the original sentence.

A was the director of a hospital in Jinju, Gyeongnam, and around October 18, 2018, received a letter from an inmate at Jinju Prison requesting a prescription.

Without personally examining the inmate, A wrote the prescription and sent it by mail. Using this method, he issued prescriptions 91 times to a total of 20 inmates until June 2019.

The court stated, “It is a principle that a doctor must examine the patient before issuing a prescription,” and ruled, “The original sentence is not excessively harsh and does not exceed the reasonable scope of discretion.”

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