Pharmacies and Clinics Demand Advance Payment and Waiting Numbers Amid 'Mounjaro Shortage'
Patient Care Neglected as Obesity Drug Craze Intensifies
The obesity treatment drug Mounjaro has experienced a nationwide shortage in South Korea just three weeks after its domestic launch. Although originally developed as a diabetes treatment, its widely publicized weight loss effects have led to hospitals and pharmacies quickly running out of stock. In some pharmacies, it has become routine for patients to be asked for advance payment or to receive waiting numbers as part of a queue system to obtain the medication.
A notice saying 'Belly Fat Medicine In Stock' is posted at a pharmacy in Jongno-gu, Seoul. Photo by Kang Jinhyung aymsdream@
According to industry sources on September 5, Eli Lilly's diabetes and obesity treatment Mounjaro, which began sales in South Korea on August 18, remains difficult to obtain at hospitals and pharmacies even in its third week on the market. Although some supplies were distributed by wholesalers the previous day and a limited amount was sold, the high demand means stock is depleted almost immediately. A pharmacy representative commented, "We receive supplies about once a week through wholesalers, but the schedule and quantity are inconsistent, so even we (the pharmacy) cannot predict when or if we will get stock. Patients ask every day, but we simply do not know when it will arrive," expressing frustration.
As the shortage continues, some pharmacies have begun requiring patients to pay in advance. Patients have reported being told, "This week's stock is already reserved for those who prepaid, and you must pay in advance for next week's supply." Another pharmacy distributed waiting tickets, informing a patient, "You are fourth in line, and we will text you when it arrives." Such practices may violate the intent of the current Pharmaceutical Affairs Act, which stipulates that prescription drugs can only be dispensed with a doctor's prescription. Taking payment and promising to reserve medication before a prescription is provided is seen by some as being similar to "reserving sales without a prescription," and therefore potentially illegal.
Amid the supply frenzy, patient safety is also being neglected. Some hospitals and clinics have been issuing prescriptions at the patient's request without conducting body mass index (BMI) measurements or body composition tests. Pharmacies have also been criticized for focusing solely on dispensing the drug, without providing guidance on managing side effects or combining the treatment with dietary changes.
When the reporter personally sought a consultation, the doctor issued a prescription after only a basic medical interview, saying, "If you want it, I can prescribe it for you." There was no instruction on lifestyle modification or explanation of potential side effects. The same was true at the pharmacy. When asked about precautions during the dispensing process, the pharmacist simply replied, "Just follow the prescription instructions."
Korea Lilly, the supplier, stated that since the product's launch, it has been providing hospitals and clinics with kits containing information on dietary and exercise therapy and potential side effects. However, the company explained that it is difficult to closely monitor and correct the practices of every medical institution. A professor of endocrinology at a university hospital commented, "Obesity treatment drugs are not magic injections. Personalized treatment and lifestyle modification must be combined for each patient. Authorities need to improve the management system for prescribing and distribution and provide clear guidelines regarding practices that may violate the Pharmaceutical Affairs Act."
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