"Smart Drug?" ADHD Medication Prescriptions Up 2.3 Times in 4 Years... Propofol Prescriptions Also Soar

Number of Medical Narcotics Prescription Patients Reaches 20.19 Million
Four Consecutive Years of Increase
Rising Concerns Over Drug Misuse and Abuse

There has been a sharp increase in the number of patients prescribed methylphenidate, a treatment for Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), as well as those prescribed propofol over the past four years, raising concerns about the need to strengthen the management of medical narcotics.

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According to the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety on March 18, the number of patients prescribed medical narcotics last year reached 20,196,000, an increase of 186,000 people (0.9%) compared to the previous year. The number of patients prescribed medical narcotics, which stood at 18,844,000 in 2021, has increased every year, totaling a rise of 1,352,000 people (7.2%) over the past four years.

The volume of medical narcotic prescriptions has also grown. Last year, the number of prescribed medical narcotics reached 1,957,244,000, reflecting an increase of 1.6% (30,614,000 prescriptions) from the previous year and a 7.1% increase (129,365,000 prescriptions) compared to four years ago.

In particular, the number of patients prescribed propofol soared to 11,752,765 last year, marking a 20.2% increase (1,977,691 people) compared to four years ago. The year-on-year increase was 431,724 people (3.8%), which is 1.5 times greater than the increase of 293,218 people in 2024, indicating a steep rise.

Methylphenidate, an ADHD treatment that was once mistakenly believed to "improve academic performance," also saw a significant surge in prescriptions.

Last year, the number of patients prescribed methylphenidate reached 392,000, which is 2.3 times higher than the 170,530 patients four years ago. The year-on-year increase was 54,644 patients (16.2%), with the number of patients rising by more than 50,000 annually over the past four years.

By age group, the increase in propofol prescriptions was most pronounced among those in their 70s or older, with a rise of 40.4% among men and 36.3% among women. In contrast, methylphenidate prescriptions surged among those in their 30s, with a staggering 214.9% increase for men and 258.5% for women—overwhelmingly the highest among all age groups.

The sharp rise in patients prescribed medical narcotics over the past four years has heightened concerns about misuse and abuse. In response, the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety will conduct a two-month, government-wide joint crackdown on narcotics until May 15. The ministry plans to conduct an in-depth analysis of big data from the Narcotics Integrated Management System to identify healthcare institutions at risk of medical narcotics misuse and will jointly inspect for violations with relevant authorities.

An official from the medical community commented, "Hospitals need to separate the doctors prescribing medical narcotics from the staff responsible for managing them. If professional management staff are assigned, the authorities should also consider supporting management through appropriate reimbursement adjustments."

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