Severe Side Effects Ignored as Students Seek 'Study Drugs': Two-Month Prescription Issued in 57 Seconds

[Anchor]

Ahead of the college entrance exam, some students have been taking psychiatric drugs under the false belief that they improve study performance. While some suffer severe side effects, these medications have been easily prescribed through non-face-to-face medical services without proper guidance.

Morning Zoom-in with Reporter Han Sung-hee.

[Reporter]

High school senior Student A heard from a friend ahead of the CSAT (College Scholastic Ability Test) that antidepressants help with concentration while studying.

[Mother of Student A : When I asked, 'How did you find out about this?' she said, 'Kids who had depression got them through non-face-to-face treatment.' It seems some students were taking them.]

Student A lied to a doctor through a telemedicine app, claiming to have depression symptoms, and was prescribed antidepressants.

Severe side effects soon followed.

[Mother of Student A : (One day) I got a call. She said she felt like she was going crazy at the academy. One of the severe side effects of the medication was suicidal impulses. She said she experienced those feelings.]

Although the drug prescribed to Student A carried a warning from the manufacturer stating that it can increase suicidal thoughts and must be administered with caution in adolescents, no such mention was made at the time of the prescription.

[Lee Jung-seok / Professor, Department of Psychiatry, National Health Insurance Service Ilsan Hospital : When individuals without symptoms take psychiatric medications, it very often leads to numerous side effects.]

I will directly attempt to get an antidepressant prescription through a telemedicine app.

After requesting a consultation at an orthopedic clinic citing symptoms of lethargy, a phone call comes in immediately.

[Doctor at Orthopedic Clinic B : Shall I issue a two-month prescription? (Yes.)]

Without even re-checking the symptoms or providing any explanation regarding side effects, the same drug was easily prescribed, and the call lasted 57 seconds.

Unlike psychotropic drugs, for which telemedicine prescriptions are prohibited, antidepressants remain in a regulatory blind spot.

Therefore, the Ministry of Health and Welfare explained that starting December 24, when non-face-to-face medical treatment is fully implemented, antidepressants must be prescribed through video calls, and doctors will be required to verify parental consent for underage patients.

However, critics point out that this is still insufficient.

[Kim Hyo-won / Professor, Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Asan Medical Center : It means obtaining information about (the child's treatment) from the guardian, not just simple consent. Not just getting it from the child.]

The Ministry of Food and Drug Safety stated that there is no such thing as a "study drug" and emphasized that caution is also needed when prescribing ADHD medications and cardiovascular disease drugs.

(Video Journalist: Kim Se-kyung, Video Editor: Kim Yoon-sung)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.