Doctor indicted for illegally administering 180,000ml of propofol to 32 people over five years

Prosecutors have indicted a doctor and several associates for illegally administering vast quantities of propofol, totaling 180,000 ml, to 32 individuals over a five-year period. The scheme involved using stolen identities to circumvent regulations and cater to propofol addiction.

The doctor, identified as a pediatrician who opened a dermatology clinic, allegedly operated from November 2020 to November 2023. During this time, the doctor administered propofol approximately 4,700 times to 32 individuals struggling with addiction. To facilitate repeated administrations beyond personal identification limits, the doctor reportedly proposed offering more propofol if patients provided identification details of family members or acquaintances.

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The addicts, unable to resist the temptation, provided the names of others to Dr. A, receiving propofol more than 10 times a day consecutively. During this process, six addicts were confirmed to have died by suicide due to worsening depression.

Six individuals who received propofol treatments reportedly died by suicide, their depression exacerbated by the substance abuse. The prosecution has opted for a deferred prosecution ('giuso-yuge') for 21 of the patients deemed capable of social reintegration, applying a specialized model that links judicial processes with treatment and rehabilitation.

In addition to the doctor, six clinic employees and five patients were indicted without detention. The doctor is also accused of allowing non-medical personnel, specifically a skin care therapist lacking medical qualifications, to administer propofol repeatedly. Prosecutors are investigating the doctor's lavish lifestyle, funded by the illicit activities, including the purchase of luxury goods and high-end foreign cars, to recover criminal proceeds.

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We will do our best to strictly punish illegal distribution crimes involving medical narcotics and support the normal social reintegration of those who misuse and overuse them.