As demand increases, chemists' body reminds members to sell obesity, diabetic GLP-1 drugs only on valid prescription

Even as pharmaceutical companies are attempting to raise awareness about obesity and urging Indians to consult their doctors for appropriate treatment, All India Organisation of Chemists and Druggists (AIOCD) has asked its 12.4 lakh members – chemists, pharmacists, and distributors - to ensure that GLP-1 (glucagon-like peptide-1) class of obesity and diabetic medicines, including injectables, are sold strictly against valid prescription issued by a qualified medical practitioner.

What is AIOCD directive

AIOCD directive comes at a time when semaglutide, one of the global blockbuster GLP-1 drug sold by Danish drug major Novo Nordisk under brand names such as Ozempic and Wegovy, is going off patent in India later this month. A clutch of domestic generic drug makers including leading ones like Sun Pharma, Dr Reddy's Laboratories, Zydus Lifesciences, Lupin, and several others,  have lined up their own versions of generic semaglutide to be launched in the Indian market. US pharma major Eli Lilly is another company that has a global blockbuster GLP-1 patent protected drug Tirzepatide sold under the brand name Mounjaro as diabetes drug and as Zepbound for obesity treatment.

The awareness campaigns of pharmaceutical companies through mainstream and social media platforms are expected to increase the demand for obesity drugs further. The apex drug trade body’s directive turns significant in this context as it is aimed at minimising the chances of misuse and unauthorised sale of GLP-1, the fastest growing segment among the obesity and diabetic drugs in the country.

In a letter on March 4, AIOCD president J S Shinde and general secretary Rajiv Singhal warns that unsupervised use of GLP-1 medicines can lead to serious health complications and adverse effects. Urging the chemists to uphold ethical standards they wanted all chemists to not dispense GLP-1 drugs and injectables or any Scheduled Medicine without a valid and proper prescription. They also wanted the chemists to maintain proper records as required by law and not entertain telephonic, verbal or incomplete prescriptions. The letter warned that any deviation may invite strict regulatory action and damage the reputation of the pharmacy profession.

Drug safety advisory by USFDA

Incidentally, last month United States Food and Drug Administration had published a post-market drug safety advisory to healthcare professionals and patients over the use of GLP-1 drugs for weight loss in the that country. FDA raised concerns against compounded drugs that are not approved (which is not an issue in India) including semaglutide and tirzepatide, as an option for weight loss.

“This can be risky for patients, as unapproved versions do not undergo FDA’s review for safety, effectiveness and quality before they are marketed”, the agency had noted.  FDA also flagged the issue of drugs that are not properly stored during shipping and illegal online sale of drugs.