Tainan Xinhua Health Center was fined NT$100,000 for illegal group purchase of 775 "slimming injections" without a prescription

"Slimming needles" were being prepared, but unexpectedly they were purchased from a health center. The Xinhua District Health Center in Tainan City was found to have purchased 780 "slimming injections", and only 5 were left in the inventory. Another 775 were supplied without a doctor's prescription. Director Wu Zhengda admitted that he purchased the products for a group of relatives and friends and sold them at cost price without making any profit from it. His admission of mistake showed that he was not thoughtful enough. The Health Bureau has imposed a fine of NT$100,000 in accordance with the Pharmaceutical Affairs Act. The Food and Drug Administration also reminded that GLP-1 injections are prescription drugs and should not be purchased through informal channels.

Liu Jiaping, the Drug Group of the Food and Drug Administration, said that in order to strengthen the flow and use management of GLP-1 receptor agonist injections, the Food and Drug Administration will cooperate with local health bureaus to conduct special inspections starting in 2024, and from October 2025, such drugs will be included in drug traceability and tracking management items, requiring drug dealers to report drug flow information on a monthly basis in accordance with the law.

Liu Jiaping pointed out that this year the Food and Drug Administration further expanded the scope of inspections, proactively analyzed drug application materials, grasped abnormal flows, and provided relevant information to local health bureaus for review on March 3, including the Tainan City Xinhua District Health Center. We will continue to use the application materials to strengthen inspections in the future. If any violations are discovered, we will investigate and deal with them in accordance with the law.

After inspection by the Tainan City Government Health Bureau, the Xinhua District Health Center purchased a total of 780 relevant drugs, of which 775 were supplied without a doctor's prescription. This violated the provisions of Article 50, Item 1 and Article 92, Item 1 of the Pharmaceutical Affairs Act, and was fined NT$100,000.

Faced with doubts from the outside world, Wu Zhengda said in an earlier interview that these slimming injections were mainly purchased for relatives and friends. He did not profit from them, but he did not think carefully. He admitted his mistake and apologized, and he has accepted the relevant sanctions.

The Food and Drug Administration reminds that in recent years, GLP-1 receptor agonists have attracted public attention due to the topic of weight loss. However, these injections are prescribed by doctors and are not weight loss products that the general public can buy and use on their own. If the public needs to lose weight, they should first seek medical examination and professional evaluation before using the medicine according to the prescription and doctor's advice. They should not obtain it through relatives and friends, the Internet or other informal channels, and should not take it by themselves to avoid health risks caused by unknown sources of medicine or improper use.

The Food and Drug Administration also emphasized that it will continue to monitor the flow of GLP-1 receptor agonists through drug traceability and declaration information. If any non-compliant supply or use is found, it will be investigated and dealt with in accordance with the law to further ensure the safety of people's medication.