The South African Health Products Regulatory Authority (SAHPRA) has said it is aware of fake Ozempic products being sold on the market and online, and warned the public to beware of these unauthorised Ozempic/semaglutide-containing products that are being disseminated through radio stations and social media platforms.
It said it has not authorised/registered Ozempic for weight-loss, so use in that regard would be off-label – and additionally, only a healthcare practitioner can make a Schedule 4 product available off-label.
Novo Nordisk SA has confirmed a national shortage of Ozempic stock, resulting in limited access to treatment for diabetic patients, which, said SAHPRA, might have created an opportunity for falsified/counterfeit products to flood the market.
Currently, no generic versions of this medicine are being lawfully manufactured.
See more from MedicalBrief archives:
Fake Ozempic sends users to hospitals
Warning about fake weight loss medication pens
Belgium wants temporary Ozempic ban
SA stocks of diabetes drug drained after global weight loss frenzy