Sahpra Warns Against Counterfeit Weight Loss Products

The South African Health Products Regulatory Authority SAHPRA has raised concerns over the increasing availability of counterfeit weight loss products, including those claiming to be Ozempic , on the South African market.

These products are being sold through websites, social media and other informal channels.

SAHPRA highlights that these products pose a health risk as their quality has not been verified.

Regulatory Compliance Manager Mokgadi Fafudi noted that while some medication compounding is permitted, "Compounding is allowed, but online sale of medicines is prohibited because this is a complex molecule. All medicines must be registered by SAHPRA, or authorised by SAHPRA to be in the market, so those that are being sold online. You dont know where the source is, you dont even know what they contain, and also when we say we allow compounding of medicine must be in an active pharmaceutical ingredient that is identical to that for example of Ozempic at the moment, SAHPRA has not approved, or verified any of those for them to be able to be available in the market."

SAHPRA adds that Ozempic is not registered in South Africa for weight management.