More than 900 online posts illegally selling, brokering or advertising GLP-1 class weight-loss drugs have been identified in South Korea this year.
The Ministry of Food and Drug Safety said on the 6th that it found 949 posts in violation of the Pharmaceutical Affairs Act during a review of illegal online sales, brokerage and advertising of GLP-1 class weight-loss drugs from January through September, and asked the Korea Communications Standards Commission and other bodies to block access to them.
Posts offering online sales or brokering sales accounted for 716 cases, or 75.4% of the total. Posts introducing sales websites numbered 129, or 13.6%, while accounts advertising one-on-one chats through social media and other channels accounted for 72 cases, or 7.6%. Secondhand transactions between individuals accounted for 32 cases, or 3.4%.
GLP-1 class weight-loss drugs are prescription-only medicines that can be misused for cosmetic purposes. Patients must visit a hospital and a pharmacy to obtain a doctor's prescription and follow the prescribed dosage and method under a pharmacist's guidance.
The ministry said products distributed through overseas direct purchases or person-to-person transactions have not been approved for sale in South Korea, meaning their safety and efficacy have not been sufficiently verified and their manufacturing and distribution channels are difficult to confirm. Such products may be counterfeit or substandard, and buyers are unlikely to receive legal protections such as recalls or compensation if harm occurs.
GLP-1 class weight-loss drugs in particular require refrigerated or frozen storage, so even products distributed properly abroad may not be kept at the appropriate temperature while being moved into the country.
An official at the ministry said the agency plans to continue monitoring illegal online sales, brokerage and advertising of GLP-1 class weight-loss drugs.
