South Africa revises rules around customisation of weight — loss drugs

By Nqobile Dludla JOHANNESBURG, Oct 14 (Reuters) — South Africa is revising its rules governing the customisation of medicines, including sought-after GLP-1 treatments for diabetes and weight loss, health regulators said, warning pharmacies not to act as small-scale manufacturers. At a multi-stakeholder roundtable on counterfeit medicines on Wednesday, South African Pharmacy Council Registrar and CEO Vincent Tlala said the council was working with the South African Health Products Regulatory Authority (SAHPRA) on updated minimum standards and guidelines for compounding medicines. The revised standards are expected to go before the council in February, with publication targeted for March. Updated SAHPRA guidelines are expected to be released at the same time, Tlala said. The popularity of GLP-1 medicines such as Novo Nordisk's Ozempic and Wegovy and Eli Lilly's Mounjaro and Zepbound has fuelled growth in compounded versions, drawing scrutiny from regulators globally. Compounding refers to the preparation of customised medicines by pharmacists for patients needing a variation to a commercially available product. Tlala said the council was concerned pharmacies were compounding medicin