Thailand makes weight-loss pens prescription-only to counter glut of illegal medicines

Thailand has moved to make weight-loss pens prescription-only, as a glut of the GLP-1 medicines – which mimic the hormones released once someone is full – floods the black market and influencers swarm TikTok to extol the quick wins of the simple injections.

The Southeast Asian nation, which is never far behind wellness or aesthetic trends and has a notorious black market in counterfeit drugs, has seen the uptake of GLP-1 medicines skyrocket, doctors say, including the market-leading Ozempic brand.

But doctors have warned that the US$240 to US$360 monthly cost of having the drugs prescribed by doctors has caused a black market to mushroom, including a tsunami of fake and potentially dangerous smuggled medicines.