PETALING JAYA: Pharmacists are seeing an unprecedented surge in requests for glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) medicines for weight management, says the Malaysian Pharmacists Society (MPS)
Its president Amrahi Buang said the growing interest in such medicines has been driven partly by social media trends and increased public awareness of their weight-loss effects
“Frontline data shows widespread public interest driven by social media and celebrity use, creating heavy retail traffic and periodic medication shortages
“But pharmacists are handling these requests by refusing unprescribed dispensing, educating patients on authorised indications and referring them to appropriate primary care providers,” he said
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Under the Malaysian Poisons Act, GLP-1 medicines are classified as prescription-only medicines and require a valid prescription from a registered doctor
Amrahi said selling them online or over the counter without proper authorisation was an offence, adding that some operators may bypass proper patient assessments for commercial gain
He also cautioned against purchasing the medicines through illegal online sellers or social media platforms, as users could receive counterfeit, contaminated or improperly stored products
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“Patients who obtain these medicines through unauthorised channels may not know whether the products are genuine or whether they have been stored properly,” he said
Amrahi added that the rising demand for GLP-1 medicines, particularly among people seeking rapid weight loss, could place additional pressure on supplies needed by patients who require them for diabetes management
He stressed that these medicines should be accessed through legitimate healthcare channels and used under proper medical supervision
