IN A significant crackdown on counterfeit medication, the government has announced it will ban compounding pharmacists from producing generic versions of drugs such as Ozempic and Mounjaro, effective from Oct.
The decision follows a series of alarming findings, including a Four Corners report uncovering an international drug racket led by a registered Australian pharmacist, who was manufacturing and illegally exporting replica Ozempic to the US.
Further investigations by the ABC exposed that patients using products from Total Compounding Pharmaceuticals (TCP) experienced side effects, including nerve damage, rashes, and vomiting blood.
Federal Health Minister Mark Butler emphasised the substantial safety risks due to lack of proper manufacturing oversight and quality control.
"The clearest possible advice from our safety regulators was that we need to shut down this market as it poses too much of a public safety risk," said Butler.
The crackdown was further justified by newly released footage from a TGA raid on TCP's facilities in Western Sydney, showcasing unsanitary conditions, with repurposed kitchen equipment and dirty surfaces used to make the drugs.
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