Government to designate Wegovy and Mounjaro as drugs of concern for misuse

The government plans to designate medications like Wegovy and Mounjaro as “drugs of concern for misuse,” citing widespread off-label use for cosmetic weight loss.

A notice about Wegovy is seen posted at a pharmacy in Jongno District, central Seoul on Dec. 2, 2024. [YONHAP]

The government plans to designate medications like Wegovy and Mounjaro as “drugs of concern for misuse,” citing widespread off-label use for cosmetic weight loss.

Authorities will also tighten enforcement against hospitals that violate Korea’s separation of prescribing and dispensing rules by selling medications directly on-site.

The Ministry of Health and Welfare said on Monday that it recognizes the severity of misuse involving these drugs and stressed that “prescriptions beyond approved indications are inappropriate.”

It added that, in coordination with the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety, it plans to officially classify the medications as high-risk for abuse and strengthen oversight.

Though praised for their weight loss effects and dubbed “miracle drugs,” Wegovy and Mounjaro are prescription only and carry risks. Common side effects include nausea, vomiting and diarrhea, while more serious complications such as inflammation of the pancreas and bowel obstruction have also been reported.

The surge in demand has also triggered concerns about hospitals bypassing the legal requirement to separate prescribing and dispensing.

Under Korea’s current system, patients must receive prescriptions from doctors and then visit a pharmacy, where licensed pharmacists explain how to use and store the drug, and inform patients of potential side effects. This step is especially critical for self-injectable medications.

But some clinics have reportedly sold these injectables directly on-site, citing profit margins from non-reimbursable services. This practice bypasses pharmacist oversight and could increase risks to patient safety.

The government said it will continue working with local governments to crack down on medical institutions that engage in illegal in-house dispensing without justified reasons such as structured patient education.

Still, the government said it would not immediately mandate that all self-injectable medications be dispensed exclusively at pharmacies. It stressed the need to maintain a balance between physician-led injection training and pharmacist-led medication guidance to ensure both safety protocols remain effective.

This article was originally written in Korean and translated by a bilingual reporter with the help of generative AI tools. It was then edited by a native English-speaking editor. All AI-assisted translations are reviewed and refined by our newsroom. BY KIM JI-HYE [paik.jihwan@joongang.co.kr]