Trends in growth hormone utilization in Korea: a nationwide study from 2019 to 2023

Growth hormone (GH) therapy is indicated for growth hormone deficiency (GHD) and selected growth-related conditions. In South Korea, both the supply and prescription of GH have increased steadily, drawing increased attention to national utilization patterns, particularly among children and adolescents. This study aimed to examine nationwide trends in GH injection supply and prescriptions in South Korea from 2019 to 2023 using Health Insurance Review and Assessment Service (HIRA) data. A nationwide cross-sectional analysis was conducted using supply data for 36 GH injection products and HIRA prescription claims from 2019 to 2023. Trends in GH supply and prescriptions were analyzed and stratified by age, sex, year, region, medical institution type, and medical department. GH injection supply increased steadily over the study period, with the total supply volume rising from 2,457,275 units in 2019 to 4,939,945 units in 2023. The number of patients and prescriptions also increased markedly, with annual prescriptions rising from 95,262 to 267,330 during the same period. The proportion of male patients showed a slight upward trend, from 43.7% in 2019 to 46.1% in 2023. Seoul consistently accounted for the largest share of GH supply (38.6% in 2023). Although tertiary hospitals remained the largest contributors, their relative share declined from 41.7% to 25.8%, while primary care clinics showed the most pronounced increase, rising from 7.2% to 24.1%. GH utilization in South Korea increased across all medical institution types, with a notable shift toward primary care settings. These findings highlight the importance of ongoing monitoring of GH utilization patterns and system-level discussions to support the appropriate and evidence-based use of GH therapy.