Semaglutide weight‑loss drugs face safety warnings amid misuse concerns

Demand for injectable GLP‑1 medicines such as semaglutide (marketed as Ozempic and Wegovy) has surged worldwide as they are used for diabetes, obesity and off‑label weight‑loss purposes. Health authorities in South Africa warned that unregistered products may lack proper quality control, sterility and dosing accuracy, putting patients at risk. In Argentina, prepaid‑health insurers have tightened coverage rules after discovering prescriptions without a diabetes diagnosis or issued by specialists not involved in its usual management. Chilean experts cautioned that unsupervised use can exacerbate eating‑disorder vulnerabilities and cause gastrointestinal, pancreatic and thyroid complications. In the United States, poison‑control centers recorded a dramatic rise in calls involving semaglutide after its 2021 FDA approval for chronic weight management, indicating frequent dosing errors and accidental exposure. Across the region, physicians stress that semaglutide must be prescribed and monitored by qualified clinicians, with regular clinical and laboratory checks, to avoid adverse effects such as nausea, vomiting, depression, suicidal thoughts and rebound weight gain. The consensus is that patients should obtain the drug through regulated channels, under medical supervision, and avoid self‑medication or acquisition via social‑media markets.