Ministry of Health and Welfare Establishes Legal Basis for Outpatient Treatment of Drug Addiction

'Partial Amendment to the Regulations on Treatment and Protection of Drug Addicts' Approved at the Cabinet Meeting on the 12th

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Young-won] Legal grounds for outpatient treatment, in addition to inpatient treatment for drug addicts, have been established.

The Ministry of Health and Welfare announced that the "Partial Amendment to the Regulations on Treatment and Protection of Drug Addicts," which includes this content, was approved at the Cabinet meeting on the 12th. Although treatment and protection under the law encompass both inpatient and outpatient treatment, the current enforcement decree mainly regulates inpatient treatment. This amendment clarifies the legal basis for outpatient treatment. The amended enforcement decree will take effect from the date of its promulgation.

Treatment and protection is a system where the Minister of Health and Welfare or the mayor/governor designates medical institutions capable of providing professional treatment for drug addicts and supports the costs when the subjects receive treatment and protection. Currently, 21 treatment and protection institutions nationwide, including five national psychiatric hospitals, are in operation.

Legal grounds have also been newly established for correctional facility heads to guide addicts released from correctional facilities to treatment and protection. This applies to facilities such as prisons, detention centers, juvenile prisons, reformatories, and juvenile training schools.

Subjects receiving treatment and protection can now undergo addiction assessment tests at treatment and protection institutions near their residence. Treatment and protection subjects are required to undergo tests to confirm drug addiction status for one year after discharge; previously, they were recommended to take these tests at the treatment and protection institution they had been attending.

Kim Seung-il, Director of the Mental Health Management Division at the Ministry of Health and Welfare, stated, “Through this amendment to the enforcement decree, the legal basis for supporting outpatient treatment has been established. We will continue to strive to facilitate the convenience of treatment and protection subjects in the future.”

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.