Investigation of the head of the hospital charged with habitual illegal prescription of propofol..."My wife died of addiction".

Hospital director in his 50s charged with violating drug control law and medical law

"The report from the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety does not match the hospital records. The cause of death of the wife of the hospital director who died at home is addicted to propofol."

Hospital director closes dermatology and plastic surgery clinic in Cheongdam-dong, Seoul

[Anchor]
Police are investigating a famous hospital director for prescribing and administering drugs such as propofol to patients without properly recording them in medical records.

As a result of the YTN report, it was confirmed that the hospital director's wife also died from propofol poisoning.

I'll connect you to a reporter for more information.

Reporter Yuh-hyun, the head of the hospital in his 50s is being investigated by the police?

[Reporter]
Yes, the Seongdong Police Station in Seoul is investigating a doctor in his 50s on charges of violating the Narcotics Control Act and the Medical Law.

Mr. A is accused of administering propofol to patients without recording it in the medical records at the dermatologist and plastic surgery clinic he was running.

According to the police investigation, A was found to have administered propofol hundreds of times to 30 patients from February last year to April.

A police official explained that the records of the integrated drug management system of the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety and the records of medication in the medical records of A's hospital did not match.

Mr. A was also charged with changing the posture of his wife, who was found dead at home in April, before the autopsy.

At that time, the police, who were dispatched after receiving a report of a death, requested an autopsy to the National Forensic Service and confirmed that the cause of death was propofol poisoning.

The police are also investigating two lawmakers on charges of prescribing drugs or falsely reporting medication records to the integrated drug management system of the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety when they are not medical personnel.

Mr. A closed the dermatology and plastic surgery clinic in Cheongdam-dong, Seoul, last June, which he has operated for nearly 20 years.

It is known that he is currently moving to another clinic in Gangnam for treatment.

The police plan to hand over three people, including A, to the prosecution within this week.

Attention is also focusing on whether the investigation will expand on those who administered propofol at A's clinic.

Amid repeated cases related to propofol prescription in hospitals, the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety is pushing to designate propofol as the so-called "no self-prescription" drug, which doctors and dentists cannot prescribe or administer on their own.

I'm YTN's Yoohyun from the Ministry of Social Affairs.