Advertisements for prescription-only medicines, such as weight loss medicines, are prohibited in all media: MOH

SINGAPORE – Advertisements for prescription-only drugs for weight loss and other treatments are not allowed in all media, health authorities told The Straits Times.

This comes after a wave of online advertisements appeared on social media promoting weight loss treatments available on telehealth platforms.

In response to ST’s inquiries in early August, the Ministry of Health (MOH) and the Health Sciences Authority (HSA) said on November 14 that they were reviewing ST-tagged advertisements for weight loss drugs and would take appropriate action in the event of any violations.

“These advertisements may not be distributed in any form of media, including digital media such as websites, social media platforms and telehealth platforms,” they said in a joint statement.

Since mid-July, ST has observed telehealth operators promoting their weight loss programs along with glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) medications on social media platforms such as Instagram and Facebook.

GLP-1 drugs, initially developed to treat diabetes, gained widespread attention after doctors found them effective in helping patients lose weight.

In Singapore, these medicines are only available on prescription from a registered doctor or pharmacist.

They can also be prescribed via telemedicine, with Saxenda being the most popular GLP-1 drug offered by telehealth platforms here. It is a daily injectable medicine administered using a pen.

Advertisements for such prescription-only medicines are not permitted under the Health Products (Advertising of Specified Health Products) Regulations 2016.

On November 7, HSA published a document for telemedicine providers regarding regulations regarding advertising of health products.

The authority stated that the publication of any information promoting the sale or use of a health product, directly or indirectly, is considered advertising.

A reference to or representation of any health products – whether by name, by image or implied in the description of a specific health product – may constitute advertising, it said.

In online advertisements viewed by ST, telehealth operators either featured a Saxenda pen with a covered label or used a blue pen resembling the product.

Some operators called it “skinny pen” or “slimming pen” or called it “Sxnda”.

The MOH and HSA said: “Publication of information promoting the sale or use of specific drug brands, directly or indirectly (for example, through the use of acronyms, misspellings, creative names, or images of products with masked identifiers), is also not permitted.”

Some telehealth providers offer GLP-1 medications as part of a weight loss program.

Their advertisements highlight the potential weight loss from using the drug, as well as health benefits in areas such as metabolism and energy levels.

Some also promote “buy now, pay later” drug purchasing services.

Health authorities have said that advertisements for licensed health care services must be factually accurate and substantiated.

However, they cannot persuade or encourage the use of such services.

“Advertisements cannot include information about discounts and installment payments,” the agencies said.

When asked why they were running GLP-1 weight loss ads despite the risk of violating the regulations, the operators approached said they were committed to complying with the rules.

Dr. Sue-Anne Toh, co-founder of Novi Health, said: “We are committed to fostering an open dialogue with regulators to ensure our practices are consistent with the best interests of society.”

A spokesman for Ora Group, which runs the andSons and Ova platforms, said the company “will work closely with (regulators) if new rules or clarifications are needed.”

Sean Low, founder of Ordinary Folk, which operates Noah and Zoey, said the company regularly reviews its policies and guidelines for creating content on social media and other platforms, and has appropriate staff training.

“If we find that any content unintentionally exceeds these guidelines, we welcome your comments and are committed to making immediate corrections and further improving our compliance oversight,” Low said.

Elevate’s co-chief executive, Mr. Rio Hoe, said the company has “understood” with the HSA on what advertising is and what type of content is allowed.

The company “carefully followed the received guidelines as well as industry standards,” he added.

In addition to the legal risks, the ads have raised concerns about their ability to encourage people who don’t need weight-loss drugs to seek them.

One such group is patients struggling with eating disorders such as anorexia, says Dr Tina Tan, senior consultant psychiatrist at Better Life Clinic.

“In the vast majority of cases, one of these patients’ primary desires is to lose weight, which means they may be tempted to take supplements or medications that they believe will help them achieve this goal quickly,” Dr. Tan said.

“However, such consumption does not address the underlying psychological problems these patients face and has the potential to cause harm to the person who consumes it inappropriately.”

While Dr. Tan acknowledged the role of marketing in promoting the potential benefits of GLP-1 drugs, especially to those who really need them, she said ads should include clear disclaimers about who can use the drugs and who should avoid them.