Namibian medicine regulator warns against unlicensed weight loss drug sales on social media
The Namibian Medicine Regulatory Council has issued a warning to the public regarding the importation, advertising, distribution, and prescription of unlicensed medicines, particularly on social media platforms. The council has noted a rise in the sale of unauthorized GLP-1 and peptide-containing medications, which are being marketed for weight loss and diabetes. Frieda Shigwedha, registrar of medicine, stated that medicines not registered with the council or lawfully authorized under the Medicines and Related Substances Control Act are prohibited from being imported, manufactured, distributed, sold, advertised, or supplied in Namibia. Healthcare establishments are also advised to cease procuring, importing, and prescribing unregistered medicines. The council recommends that the public only purchase medicines from licensed pharmacies and authorized healthcare facilities, and avoid buying through social media. Shigwedha emphasized the importance of consulting a health professional before using weight loss medication, citing documented serious adverse events, including dosing errors, contamination, and hospitalizations, associated with unregistered and counterfeit GLP-1 medicines by international regulators. She added that some GLP-1 and peptide-containing products promoted for weight loss may still be under clinical investigation, not yet authorized for their marketed indications, or intended solely for research, and should not be supplied or promoted outside the legal framewo
