Crackdown on illegal weight-loss drugs leaves patients stranded
Weight-loss patients may have to seek out other unregulated and potentially unsafe sources
Regulatory and legal measures against pharmacies illegally compounding GLP-1 weight-loss drugs have impacted an estimated 300,000 South Africans. Health management company Obiflex reports that patients now face a difficult decision: either seek unregulated and potentially unsafe sources or opt for a registered, doctor-prescribed alternative, which many cannot afford.
CEO Shaun Barns of Obiflex explains, "There are hundreds of thousands of South Africans, wanting to go on this weight-loss journey but they just simply can’t afford the R4000 to R6000." The CEO warns that purchasing illicit medicines can lead to severe consequences, stating, "One of the things that can happen when you buy these illicit medicines, is you literally get poisoned and end up in hospital."
The South African Health Products Regulatory Authority (SAHPRA) has cautioned consumers to exercise caution when buying weight-loss medicine online, suggesting purchases only from accredited pharmacies. Barns also highlights another significant issue: the discrepancies in dosages of these medicines. He notes that the dosages on the labels can be off by up to 40%, leading to varying doses when used, which is concerning for scheduled medicines.
Written by urgent.news from SABC News's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
