![[국감] Overuse of prescriptions for non-face-to-face treatment and diet pills… Purchasing for beauty purposes such as WeGobee and Saxenda](https://i0.wp.com/img.newspim.com/news/2024/10/23/2410231106474071.jpg?fit=%2C&ssl=1 "[국감] Overuse of prescriptions for non-face-to-face treatment and diet pills… Purchasing for beauty purposes such as WeGobee and Saxenda")
[세종=뉴스핌] Reporter Jeong Seong-hoon = While interest in the diet drug ‘Wegobi‘, which is known to be used by global celebrities such as Elon Musk and Kim Kardashian for weight loss, is increasing, there are concerns about the overuse of diet drug prescriptions and safety issues through non-face-to-face treatment. It’s getting bigger.
Jang Jong-tae, a member of the Democratic Party of Korea (a member of the National Assembly Health and Welfare Committee), said in a government audit on the 23rd, “It is expected that cases of abuse of non-face-to-face treatment will continue to emerge as the popularity of Wigobi increases.” He added, “Can a fundamental solution be achieved with only short-term intensive monitoring and crackdowns? “He strongly criticized Minister of Health and Welfare Cho Gyu-hong and Minister of Food and Drug Safety Oh Yu-kyung.
For non-face-to-face treatment using the platform, you select the desired treatment subject, enter your resident registration number, desired treatment time, symptoms, etc. and submit it. Then, a consultation call will be made to the doctor at the selected time, so you can receive a prescription relatively easily.
However, as there have been cases where some consumers are prescribed and purchased diet medicines with concerns of side effects, such as Wegobi and Saxenda, for cosmetic purposes through a non-face-to-face treatment platform, the non-face-to-face treatment platform has made it possible for people who do not need treatment to also use diet drugs. It is used as an easy route to purchase.
In fact, in August of last year, a doctor was found guilty for taking advantage of a loophole in non-face-to-face medical treatment to prepare Saxenda, an injectable drug used to treat obesity, and sell it through courier.
Moreover, as soon as Wegobi was launched in Korea, pharmacies ran out of stock, and even illegal bundle shops such as overseas direct purchase appeared. In diet communities and cafes, it was easy to find shared information about ‘Seongji Pharmacy’ and direct purchase sites where you can purchase Wegobi.
Rep. Jang said, “When I accessed the site, not only different dosages of Wigobi but also diet medicines such as ‘Maunjaro‘, which had not yet been released in Korea, were being sold,” and “I contacted the actual seller via messenger to see if I could purchase it.” “When I asked about it, they said they were running four months worth of events and encouraged me to sign up as a member,” he explained. Also, to the question “Is it possible to purchase it without a prescription?” the answer was “It is possible because we prescribe it on your behalf and send it to you.”
Diet drugs, including Wegobi, are classified as non-reimbursed drugs and prescription data are not separately reported to the Health Insurance Review and Assessment Service, making it difficult to even determine their status. Last year, the Pharmaceutical Association surveyed 1,142 pharmacists and found that the proportion of prescriptions dispensed as non-covered drugs in non-face-to-face treatment reached 57.2%, accounting for more than half of the total.
Rep. Jang Jong-tae said, “Non-face-to-face treatment using platforms is highly unstable because the correct method of use and explanations of side effects are not sufficiently conveyed to users,” and added, “The general public can easily access and purchase diet drugs used to treat obesity.” “The current non-face-to-face medical treatment system is vulnerable to illegal activities,” he pointed out. Rep. Jang then emphasized, “There is an urgent need for institutional supplementation through close cooperation between the Ministry of Health and Welfare and the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety.”
Meanwhile, according to the National Assembly audit data submitted by Rep. Jong-tae Jang from the Ministry of Health and Welfare, the total number of cases detected in violation of the Health and Medical Services Act in relation to non-face-to-face treatment over the past five years, including the period when temporary non-face-to-face treatment was conducted due to the spread of COVID-19, is 22 cases were confirmed.
