PSY under police probe over Xanax and Stilnox prescriptions

South Korean pop star PSY was booked by Seoul police this week on suspicion of violating the country’s Medical Service Act after investigators alleged he obtained prescriptions for psychotropic drugs without required face-to-face medical examinations, authorities said. The Seodaemun Police Station has opened a probe into prescriptions for Xanax and Stilnox that investigators say were issued from a Seoul hospital beginning in 2022 and in some cases collected by third parties on the singer’s behalf.

Police said they were investigating whether prescriptions for the anxiety medication Xanax and the insomnia treatment Stilnox were issued without in-person consultations, in breach of rules that tightly regulate psychotropic substances. Officers carried out a search at the hospital and seized medical records as part of the inquiry, and both PSY, whose legal name is Park Jae-sang, and a university hospital physician have been booked for questioning, officials said.

The allegations center on claims that PSY asked staff members, including his manager, to retrieve the drugs for him rather than attending the requisite consultations. Reports said the practice began in 2022 and continued...