Singer Psy under police probe over alleged medical law violation

SEOUL, Aug. 28 (Yonhap) -- Singer-rapper Psy has been under a police investigation for allegedly violating the medical law by receiving prescription psychotropic drugs through third parties without in-person hospital visits, police officials said Thursday.

The Seoul Seodaemun Police Station has been investigating Psy, whose real name is Park Jae-sang, and a university hospital doctor after booking them on charges of having illegally had third parties, including Psy's manager, pick up the prescription drugs without face-to-face treatment, the officials said.

Psy is accused of having received the prescriptions for the psychotropic drugs Xanax and Stilnox from a university hospital in Seoul without in-person visits from 2022 until recently and of having his manager and other third parties receive the medicines on his behalf.

The police have reportedly detected such suspicious circumstances through a tip-off and recently raided the university hospital to secure the relevant medical records. The current law outlaws proxy prescriptions.

Xanax and Stilnox are psychotropic drugs used to treat sleep disorders, anxiety disorders and depression. They are known to have a high risk of dependence and addiction, so face-to-face examinations and prescriptions are the rule.

But Psy's doctor has reportedly denied the charges, claiming that he was treated remotely.

Psy's agency, P Nation, issued a statement Thursday, saying it was a clear mistake and fault to receive prescription sleeping pills by proxy.

"Psy has been diagnosed with a chronic sleep disorder and is taking sleeping pills as prescribed by his doctor," the agency said. "But there was no proxy prescription, though third parties received the drugs on behalf of him in some cases."

ycm@yna.co.kr
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