Wegovy, a drug for obese patients sold in pharmacies (Image courtesy of Yonhap)
SEOUL, Oct. 28 (Korea Bizwire) — South Korea plans to tighten oversight of blockbuster obesity treatments such as Wegovy and Mounjaro, responding to a surge in prescriptions for cosmetic weight loss among people without medical need, the government said Monday.
The Ministry of Health and Welfare said it will work with the country’s drug regulator to classify the medications as “drugs of concern for misuse,” a designation that would allow stricter monitoring and enforcement. Officials warned that prescribing outside approved indications — such as diabetes care and severe obesity — has grown “seriously problematic.”
The medications, hailed by some users as “miracle injections,” can carry significant risks. While nausea and diarrhea are among the common side effects, more serious complications including pancreatitis and bowel obstruction have been reported.
The government is also cracking down on illegal in-clinic dispensing — known as “in-house compounding” — which circumvents the requirement that physicians prescribe and pharmacists dispense medications, including instructions on safe usage. Authorities say some medical providers have been selling the drugs directly to earn additional profit, skipping pharmacist oversight that is considered essential for self-injected treatments.
There are narrow exceptions for situations in which physicians administer or teach patients to use injections. But officials said they will intensify inspections with local governments to target cases that violate pharmacy law without legitimate cause.
At the same time, the ministry signaled caution about imposing blanket restrictions that would force all patients to rely solely on pharmacies. The priority, it said, is ensuring that the dual safeguards of physician training and pharmacist guidance remain firmly in place.
South Korea’s move follows similar debates abroad over how to responsibly manage the booming demand for new class weight-loss drugs, even as public health authorities warn that misuse could create new risks as fast as it promises results.
Lina Jang (linajang@koreabizwire.com)
