Six pharmacies and medical institutions were caught illegally distributing the obesity drug Mounjaro.
The Ministery of Food and Drug Safety said on the 13th it conducted joint inspections with local governments of 632 pharmacies and clinics that had records of receiving Mounjaro. Four pharmacies sold Mounjaro without a prescription or provided it to acquaintances. Two medical institutions had physicians use the obesity drug themselves without preparing medical records.
The Ministery of Food and Drug Safety plans to file complaints against the pharmacies and medical institutions for alleged violations of the Pharmaceutical Affairs Act and the Medical Service Act or impose administrative penalties. Violations of the Pharmaceutical Affairs Act are punishable by up to one year in prison or a fine of up to 10 million won and suspension of license for 15 days. Violations of the Medical Service Act are subject to a fine of up to 50 million won and suspension of license for 15 days.
Mounjaro is a drug that mimics the glucagon-like peptide (GLP)-1 hormone secreted from the small intestine after meals. It was originally developed as a diabetes treatment, but as its effect of inducing satiety and reducing weight was confirmed, it was developed into an obesity treatment.
Mounjaro was developed by U.S. drugmaker Eli Lilly and Company and entered the domestic market in Aug. last year. It should be administered to obese patients with a body mass index (BMI, weight divided by height squared) of 30 or higher. However, as indiscriminate prescriptions for cosmetic purposes spread and became a social issue, the Ministery of Food and Drug Safety has been inspecting illegal distribution. A Ministery of Food and Drug Safety official said, "We will crack down on illegal sales or advertisements of obesity drugs on social media (SNS)."