Seoul, South Korea โ- Antipsychotic prescriptions forโ South Koreans aged 65 and older have surged overโข the past โdecade, increasing by approximately 1.7 times, accordingโฃ to a recent analysis by theโ Ministry of Health and Welfare based on the OECD’s ‘Health atโ a Glance 2025’ report.
The prescription rate climbed from 29.7 per 1,000 people in 2013 to 45.9 per 1,000 in 2023. โฃThe rate surpassed 40 prescriptions โper 1,000 individuals in 2019, reaching 40.8, and continued its upward trend.
Despite the increase, South Korea’s โrate remains โbelow the OECD average of 54 prescriptions per 1,000 people aged 65 or โolder as of 2023.
‘Health โขat aโข Glance’ is a bi-annual โฃOECD publication comparing healthcare indicators across 38 member countries, plus candidate and partner nations including Brazil, China, and Russia. it began โขpublication in 2001.
Theโฃ Ministry’s analysis also revealedโข other trends in medicationโ use: Korea’s outpatient antibiotic prescriptions averaged 25DDD โ(Defined Dailyโ Dose) per 1,000 people per dayโ in 2022, exceeding the โคOECD โฃaverage of 16DDD.While the long-term prescription โrateโฃ of benzodiazepines among those over 65 was lower than the OECD average โ(11.5 vs.โ 27 per 1,000), theโ prescription โคrate for long-acting benzodiazepinesโฃ was significantly higher โ(98.3 vs. 42 per 1,000).
The report also indicated thatโข 38.6% of deaths in South Korea โคoccurred in medical institutions in 2023, lowerโ than the OECD average of 49%, a metric used as an indirect measureโ of end-of-life care quality.