Amid the criticism of the misuse of fentanyl, a very dangerous narcotic painkiller among young people, it is shocking that about 130,000 fentanyl-based drugs have been prescribed to infants under the age of 2.
(Picture from Unsplash)
Fentanyl is a highly addictive opioid drug painkiller that has caused serious social problems in many countries, including the United States. Misuse of fentanyl has been continuously pointed out in Korea, especially among young people in 10.20. It is shocking that about 130,000 fentanyl have been prescribed even in infants under the age of 2. According to an analysis of data submitted by Seo Young-seok (Democratic Party of Korea) of the National Assembly's Health and Welfare Committee from the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety, a total of 87,701 fentanyl prescriptions were found to be outside the age limit for safe use over the past three years from 2019 to 2021. 143,010 (Jeong) were prescribed for 16,565 patients. The most prescribed formulation is injections, with 85,551 cases and 128,790 prescriptions for 15,020 people under the age of 2 over the past three years. It is warned that the effectiveness and safety of infants under the age of 2 years old are not established in the age-limiting permission for safe use of narcotic analgesics. Next is the prescription of fentanyl patches that have recently spread among young people and are socially controversial. Fentanyl patch agents stipulate a prohibition period for children and adolescents under the age of 18, but a total of 1,479 patients under the age of 18 have been prescribed fentanyl patch agents over the past three years. There were 6,693 prescriptions and 9,781 prescriptions. An average of 493 people were prescribed 2,231 cases and 3,260 cases per year. In the case of patching, the total number of patients, the number of prescriptions, and the amount of prescriptions have been decreasing over the past three years, but the number of prescriptions and the amount of prescriptions per patient have steadily increased over the past three years. The number of prescriptions per person increased from 4.42 in 2019 to 4.33 in 2020 and 4.93 in 2021, and the number of prescriptions increased from 6.6 to 6.22 and 7.15 during the same period. Considering the reality that it is distributed through illegal channels among young people, it is estimated that there will be more non-prescription doses. Comparing the status of prescriptions per patient over the past three years by formulation, the number of prescriptions per fentanyl was in the order of Park Kal-jeong, injection, and Seol Ha-jeong, and the number of prescriptions per person was in the order of Trocidase, Park Kal-jeong, and Seol Ha-jeong. According to the safe use standards, fentanyl patch drugs are prohibited for those under the age of 18, injection drugs are not established for effectiveness and safety for those under the age of 2, and the rest are not established for effectiveness and safety for those under the age of 18. In addition, oxycodone, an opioid drug painkiller such as fentanyl, was also indiscriminately prescribed to children and adolescents under the age of 18. Oxycodone is a drug that can cause physical and mental dependence, such as fentanyl, and is a painkiller used for moderate and severe pain relief. According to the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety's criteria for safe use of medical drug painkillers, it is not intended to be used for minor pain and is not used for patients under the age of 18. However, when analyzing the status of oxycodone prescriptions by age group in 2021, the number of prescribed patients in their teens and younger reached 944. According to data from the Health Insurance Review and Assessment Service, the top two columnar diseases prescribed oxycodone for cancer patients are cancer in their 30s or older due to other intervertebral disc disorders and pneumothorax. In addition, there was a difference in the prescription status of oxycodone in the integrated drug management system (dialogue system) of the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety and Health Insurance Review and Assessment Service (DUR). The number of prescribed oxycodone patients in the DUR of the Health Insurance System was only 82% of the DUR system, because only the number of patients prescribed as health insurance benefits is immediately collected, while the total prescription status of narcotic painkillers, including salaries and non-payment, is reported over a period. Therefore, if you are prescribed narcotic analgesics as non-payment, you can visit various medical institutions for a short period of time and receive a large amount of prescription. Accordingly, the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety has established and promoted a medical shopping prevention information network to prevent large amounts of drug painkillers, but it is pointed out that it is not effective, such as doctors are not obligated to use them and have to link them to each type of prescription software. Rep. Seo Young-seok criticized, "For years, we have pointed out the problem of misuse of drugs and drugs, and we always say that it is difficult for both the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety and the Board of Review and Assessment to link them," adding, "If fundamental integration or connection is difficult, we establish a system that can share even a minimum of information." "Zombieland, a drug street in the United States, should recognize that it began with the misuse of drug painkillers prescribed by medical institutions, and should be alert and come up with special measures," he stressed. Writer: Yeyoung Jeon
Comments