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Everyone’s doing it. It works. They got thinner — fast.
So why pay hefty consultation fees when a doctor can prescribe the medicine over a text? One transfer later, and the drug arrives at your doorstep.
SAYS’ months-long investigation found this not-so-secret shortcut is being fuelled by some alleged doctors and pharmacy practitioners who are willing to put profit ahead of patient safety.
Elfina (not her real name) was one of the patients.
Skipping proper checks and consultations, she bought the diabetes drug semaglutide, commonly known by its brand name, Ozempic, for weight loss.
The results were immediate. In just two weeks, she lost 3kg.
Then came the fallout, when she began noticing clumps of hair falling out.
Elfina, who bought the drug from an alleged doctor at a beauty clinic, admitted she planned her own dosage and meals.
She wasn’t alone.
A scan across social media found users openly admitting to buying the pen-like drug without proper health screening.
A user claimed that the “doctor” she consulted only mentioned Ozempic’s side effects, while another was promoting the online sale of the prescribed medication.
Image via SAYS
Some offered tips to bypass prescriptions, leveraging online teleconsultation platforms, while others exchanged contacts of their alleged doctors.
These alleged doctors are selling Ozempic and other diabetes medications such as Rybelsus and Mounjaro, for between RM700 and RM2,000.
Some users also claimed to source the drug from Saudi Arabia.
SAYS contacted several of these doctors through the contacts shared online, and most asked only a handful of questions.
“Do you have any medical illness, allergies, thyroid issues, or a family history of thyroid cancer?”
When the answer was no, prices were shared. Further explanations were offered via a call.
Two “doctors” the journalists spoke to asked only basic questions before discussing the medicine’s price and claiming that no medical examination was necessary.
Image via SAYS
Their service even came with free WhatsApp consultations, available at any time.
One doctor sent an image of what she claimed were Ozempic vials, complete with large and small needles and alcohol swabs.
Picture of the purported Ozempic sold by an alleged doctor approached by the journalist.
Image via SAYS
But Gleneagles Hospital endocrinologist and diabetes specialist Dr Saiful Kassim said something was clearly wrong with the picture.
“Ozempic only comes in a pre-filled pen. It does not come in vials.
“Semaglutide is sold exclusively in a multidose pen by its manufacturer, Novo Nordisk.
“If it’s in a vial, it’s either a generic version or something else entirely,” he explained.
Dr Saiful Kassim said in Malaysia, Ozempic only comes in a pre-filled pen.
Image via Dr Saiful Kassim (Provided to SAYS)
Another alleged doctor was even more upfront, selling Ozempic outright and offering delivery anywhere, without asking a single medical question.
“You can come weekly for injections or buy a pen and inject yourself at home. We can even post it to you,” read part of a templated message.
While these doctors avoided revealing full details, SAYS was able to verify at least one as a licensed practitioner through the Malaysian Medical Council’s Medical Register.
The consequences, Dr Saiful warns, are already showing up in hospitals
He said he has treated many patients suffering from injection-site reactions, severe nausea, vomiting, and dehydration, all linked to improper use that stemmed from online purchasing.
“They don’t know how to adjust the dose.
“They come in severely dehydrated, needing IV fluids and hospital admission. Dehydration affects the kidneys — it can lead to kidney impairment or even kidney failure.
“Some arrived with dangerously low blood sugar levels.
“We even had a patient with altered behaviour, not knowing where they were because of severe hypoglycaemia,” he shared.
And it’s not just fat being lost.
“These patients are losing muscle mass too,” Dr Saiful said, adding that many were never taught how to eat properly while on the drug, making the weight loss unsustainable.
“You can’t just give it to people and expect them to manage on their own. Supervision is critical,” he said.
Dr Saiful said such drugs should only be prescribed by specialists and general practitioners who have special interest in Obesity and Diabetes (Diabesity).
He stressed that obesity requires multidisciplinary management involving endocrinologists, nurses, diabetes educators and dietitians, covering everything from injections and dose adjustments to diet planning.
Even teleconsultations fall short
“You need to physically examine the patient.
“You have to check for insulin resistance, examine the neck and armpits, assess injection sites and look for fat tissue changes.
“All this has to be done face to face. Otherwise, you risk missing serious conditions,” he said.
In the most severe cases, doctors who skip physical examinations could unknowingly prescribe the drug to patients with thyroid conditions, increasing their risk of thyroid cancer.
The Health Ministry is not keeping silent.
In fact, they have issued a stern warning: medical professionals caught selling prescription drugs will face uncompromising prosecution.
The ministry’s Pharmaceutical Services Programme, in a statement to SAYS, said it takes all forms of unethical and unlawful conduct within the medical profession seriously, particularly those that compromise patient safety and the integrity of healthcare services.
Read more of the ministry’s response to SAYS’ exclusive reports here.