Sell Saxenda directly after non-face-to-face treatment?

The MOHW, both face-to-face and non-face-to-face prescriptions of Saxenda arefor outpatient Rx

Some hospitals, direct sales to patients

Pharmacists concern over misuse

Can hospitals sell Saxenda, known as diet injections, directly to patients after non-face-to-face treatment?

 

It is an expensive drug worth more than 100,000 won per unit and there is a high demand for purchase, so it is not prescribed for outpatients.

 

The problem is that some hospitals sell and deliver directly to patients even in non-face-to-face treatment.

 

On blogs, people can find reviews of prescriptions that seem to have received Saxenda directly from the hospital.

 

Pharmacists have increased their outpatient prescriptions since the controversy over abuse of Saxenda in the past, and it is pointed out that it is inappropriate to use non-face-to-face treatment to administer inpatients Rx.

 

Pharmacist A in Seoul said, "After the controversy over misuse a few years ago, more doctors prescribed outpatient Rx.

 

Since it is a self-injection and the price is high, there may be some places that sell it directly, but that doesn't mean that it can be sold through non-face-to-face treatment, the pharmacist said.

 

He then expressed concern, saying, "There are many people who visit non-face-to-face treatment to get diet pills, but they will only repeat the problem of misuse again." The MOHW also says that the principle of self-injection, such as Saxenda, is to prescribe outpatient Rx.

 

It was stated that the temporary notice of non-face-to-face treatment only stipulated that drug delivery should be done through pharmacies.

 

An official from the MOHW said, "Whether it is face-to-face or non-face-to-face, self-injection should be prescribed outpatient Rx unless injected within a medical institution.

 

It cannot be seen as an exception to the division of medicine.

 

In addition, the official said, "There is no content on the delivery of drugs by medical institutions even in the announcement of temporary permission for non-face-to-face treatment.

 

We are making sure that medicine is delivered through pharmacies," he said.

 

He added that the related internal review is in the final stage as there have been questions recently received by the MOHW related to outpatient Rx of Saxenda.

 

Meanwhile, in 2020, Rep.

 

Nam In-soon of the Democratic Party of Korea also argued for mandatory outpatient Rx, saying that the frequency of non-reimbursed self-injection systems such as Saxenda is high.