Six Pharmacies and Clinics Caught Selling 'Wegovy' and 'Mounjaro' Without Prescription

Ministry of Food and Drug Safety and Local Governments Inspect Proper Distribution of GLP-1 Class Obesity Medications

Six pharmacies and clinics have been caught selling prescription-only glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) class obesity medications such as Wegovy and Mounjaro without a prescription.

The Ministry of Food and Drug Safety announced on May 13 that, in joint inspections with local governments, they checked 632 medical institutions and pharmacies, and identified violations of the Medical Service Act and the Pharmaceutical Affairs Act at six locations (about 1%).

GLP-1 obesity medications are drugs containing GLP-1 ingredients that increase insulin secretion, suppress glucagon secretion, delay hunger, and promote weight loss. Since their launch, indiscriminate prescriptions and sales for cosmetic purposes, as well as overseas direct purchases, have become social issues, prompting the Ministry to crack down on proper distribution and illegal sales and advertising activities online.

In this inspection, the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety cross-checked the drug supply records reported by wholesalers to the Health Insurance Review and Assessment Service with the actual inventory received, and verified whether any medical institutions or pharmacies dispensed or sold these drugs without a prescription, to ensure the propriety of pharmaceutical distribution. As a result, two clinics where the doctor-owner used the drugs personally without recording it in the medical records, and four pharmacies that sold prescription-only medicines without a prescription or supplied them to acquaintances, were found to be non-compliant.

The two medical institutions that violated Article 22, Paragraph 1 of the Medical Service Act are subject to administrative sanctions, including fines of up to 5 million won and suspension of qualifications for 15 days. The four pharmacies that violated Article 23, Paragraph 3 and Article 50, Paragraph 2 of the Pharmaceutical Affairs Act face up to one year in prison or fines of up to 10 million won, along with a 15-day suspension of qualifications. Each local government plans to implement follow-up measures such as prosecution and administrative sanctions for the offending institutions.

An official from the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety stated, "We will continue to monitor the proper distribution of GLP-1 class obesity medications, as well as crack down on illegal sales and advertising on online platforms and social networking services (SNS)."