October 28 2024
By Minseo Kim
The Medical Circles in South Korea has expressed worries about the newly introduced obesity drug Wegovy and advocated for a non-face-to-face formulation. Originally used as a diabetes treatment, the drug was developed to treat obesity after it was found to be effective not only in controlling blood sugar but also in weight loss. With the launch of Wegovy in Korea, the drug's controversial prescription and hype have warned of the need for a controversial drug.
On the 28th, the Korean Pharmaceutical Association accused a pharmacy of violating the Pharmacy Act by sending Wegovy to patients who were not eligible to receive it at home through a virtual consultation. “It should be prescribed only to patients who meet the criteria for use, such as obese patients with a body mass index of 30 kg/m2 or more,” the organization said, recommending the government to restrict the prescription of Wegovy for safe use in non-telemedicine on the same day.
On October 28, the Korean Medical Association also expressed concerns about Wegovy. “Specialty drugs such as the obesity drug Wegovy are being misused by allowing non-face-to-face medical treatment,” the association said, adding, ”The government should withdraw the full permission for non-face-to-face medical treatment.” The Korean Medical Association also filed a police complaint against a platform company that diagnosed patients and issued prescriptions through AI-based chat for violating the Medical Act.