Thai DHSS orders clinic closure over unregistered weight-loss drug

Dr Phuwadech Surakhot, Director-General of the Department of Health Service Support (DHSS), said in an interview that after information was shared on social media about a female patient who received a weight-loss injection at a clinic and developed severe vomiting that required referral to the hospital, relatives said no doctor had examined her or taken her medical history during the visit.

They also said the injection was administered by a medical assistant, which he said posed a danger to the service recipient’s health.

He therefore ordered officials from DHSS’s Law Division and Sanatorium and Art of Healing Division to join officials from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and officers from the Consumer Protection Police Division (CPPD) in conducting an on-site fact-finding inspection at the clinic, located in the Ramintra area.

Statements recorded from those involved found that on Friday (May 29, 2026), the female patient had contacted the clinic for a weight-loss procedure using “Mounjaro”, telling clinic staff that she wanted to lose weight with fewer side effects.

Staff therefore recommended the drug “NOVOTRIMPLUS/VitaPeptix” to the patient, and the original drug was changed to the new drug. The patient then received a weight-loss pen injection from clinic staff.

After receiving the service, the patient was initially normal.

The patient initially appeared well after receiving the service, but informed the clinic on Saturday (May 30, 2026) that she had developed a fever.

The clinic said this could be a side effect of receiving the drug for the first time.

Her symptoms worsened on Sunday (May 31, 2026), and she said she had to be admitted to a private hospital in the Sai Mai area.

Further inspection of the premises and the clinic’s medical documents found acts that failed to meet standards under the Health Facility Act 1998, as follows:

1. The person who administered the weight-loss drug to the patient was not a doctor.
2. The premises had been altered without permission.
3. The outpatient record card (OPD Card) was incomplete and did not contain the signature of the professional who provided medical treatment.
4. Medicine envelopes did not show complete details, such as the clinic name, address, and drug expiry date. In addition, inspection by FDA officials and CPPD police found that “NOVOTRIMPLUS/VitaPeptix” was an unregistered drug. Action was therefore taken under the authorities’ powers, and an order was issued to close the clinic for 15 days immediately.

Dr Akom Praditsuwan, Deputy Director-General of DHSS, added that all medicines and medical supplies used on patients must be checked for quality and standards and registered with the FDA to confirm safety.

He said a medical facility using unregistered drugs would endanger patients’ health and bodies because of contaminants or hazardous substances that did not meet standards.

Apart from being unlawful, this also caused patients to lose treatment opportunities and allowed existing illnesses to worsen because they believed exaggerated claims, especially for weight-loss products.

“For safety, before receiving a service, people should always ask the service provider for the name of any medicine or product being used. If claims are made that it produces fast results within 3-7 days, or that it can be taken without having to control diet or exercise, they should suspect that the claims are exaggerated.”

People should also check product numbers through the FDA’s Oryor website.

If no record is found, they should avoid the product and report information to DHSS on 02 193 7000 so officials can investigate the facts.