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Since 15 September 2026, injectable Glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) drugs, commonly known as “weight-loss pens”, have been classified as specially controlled drugs under the Drug Act B.E. 2510 (1967). The change does not affect only pharmacies, which must now sell these drugs against a prescription. It affects the whole supply chain, from importers and wholesalers to the hospitals and clinics that purchase and dispense the drugs, and ultimately the patients who use them. This article summarizes what has changed, who is affected, and how to adapt.
What Has Changed
The Notification of the Ministry of Public Health Re: Specially Controlled Drugs (No. 58), dated 6 March 2026 and published in the Royal Gazette on 18 March 2026, adds “injectable Glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) drugs” as item (100) of Clause 3 of the Notification of the Ministry of Public Health Re: Specially Controlled Drugs dated 26 May 1978 (B.E. 2521). The Notification takes effect upon the expiry of 180 days from the day following its publication in the Royal Gazette, and has therefore been in force since 15 September 2026 (Notification No. 58, Clauses 1 and 2).
In its press statement of 14 September 2026, the Thai Food and Drug Administration (the “FDA”) cites Semaglutide and Liraglutide as examples of drugs in this group, and its release of 19 March 2026 also lists Dulaglutide, Lixisenatide and Tirzepatide. These drugs are indicated for the treatment of type 2 diabetes, and some products for weight management in people with obesity, under a doctor’s diagnosis and prescription. The Notification covers only “injectable” forms, so operators holding products in other dosage forms should check the classification of each product.
The FDA explains that the measure responds to the use of these drugs for weight loss without medical assessment and supervision, the illegal sale of counterfeit drugs and drugs of unknown origin, and sales through online channels. At the same time, the FDA stresses that patients with a medical indication who are under a doctor’s care can still access the drugs as usual.
Who Is Affected
Once a drug becomes a specially controlled drug, everyone in the supply chain is affected, in particular:
• Importers and wholesalers, at the start of the supply chain, should tighten control of distribution so that the drugs reach only buyers permitted by law. In the first phase, the FDA has also asked import and sale licensees for GLP-1 drugs to report their sales data to its Track & Trace distribution-tracking system; this is currently a request for cooperation, not a legal duty.
• Hospitals, clinics and pharmacies, as the points where the drugs reach patients, should strengthen supplier vetting and keep clear sourcing records.
Note: Social media sellers and agents without a drug-selling licence have never been permitted to sell GLP-1 drugs, because no one may sell modern drugs without a licence. Violators face imprisonment of up to five years and a fine of up to THB 10,000 (Drug Act B.E. 2510, Sections 12 and 101).
Legal Requirements
The key duties for GLP-1 drugs are set out in the Drug Act B.E. 2510 and the Ministerial Regulation on Applications for and Issuance of Licences to Sell Modern Drugs B.E. 2556 (2013) (the “Ministerial Regulation B.E. 2556”), as follows.
1. Who may buy GLP-1 drugs
Who: The first-class pharmacist on duty at pharmacies and wholesale premises. Importers selling the drugs they import should follow the same rule, because the law deems them to hold a wholesale licence for those drugs and their pharmacist must control sales under Section 39 (Drug Act B.E. 2510, Section 15 paragraph two and Section 44 (4)).
What the law requires: GLP-1 drugs may be sold only to holders of a retail or wholesale licence to sell modern drugs, medical practitioners, dental practitioners or first-class veterinary practitioners, or against a prescription issued by a medical, dental or first-class veterinary practitioner.
Exception: In an emergency where necessary to protect a patient’s life, the first-class pharmacist may sell without a prescription under the conditions prescribed by the Minister.
Legal basis: Ministerial Regulation B.E. 2556, Clause 10 (5)
2. A pharmacist must be on duty whenever GLP-1 drugs are sold
Who: All licensees that sell the drugs, including pharmacies and wholesalers
What the law requires: A licensee may not sell GLP-1 drugs while the pharmacist is not on duty; violations are punishable by a fine of THB 1,000 to 5,000. In a pharmacy, the first-class pharmacist supervises the delivery of specially controlled drugs, and a second-class pharmacist may not sell or deliver them.
Legal basis: Drug Act B.E. 2510, Sections 32, 39 (6), 40 and 107
3. Sellers should not supply shops licensed for ready-packed drugs only
Who: Importers, wholesalers and pharmacies
What the law requires: A licence to sell only ready-packed modern drugs that are not dangerous drugs or specially controlled drugs does not cover specially controlled drugs, so its holder may not keep GLP-1 drugs for sale or sell them. Although the law does not expressly prohibit sellers from supplying such shops, in the author’s view, reading these provisions together with the list of permitted buyers in Clause 10 (5), sellers should not do so.
Legal basis: Drug Act B.E. 2510, Section 4 (definition of “sell”), Sections 12 and 15 (4); Ministerial Regulation B.E. 2556, Clause 10 (5)
4. Labels must show the words “specially controlled drug” in red
Who: Importers (labelling); pharmacies and wholesalers (keeping labels intact)
What the law requires: Importers must provide the required label from the time of import and, before offering the drugs for sale, ensure the label is complete, including the Thai words “ยาควบคุมพิเศษ” (“specially controlled drug”) in clearly visible red lettering and the importer’s name and the province where its import premises are located. Pharmacies and wholesalers must keep the labels intact.
Legal basis: Drug Act B.E. 2510, Sections 25 (3) (h), 26 (5), 26 bis and 27 (2)–(3)
5. Specially controlled drugs must be stored separately
Who: Pharmacies and wholesalers
What the law requires: Specially controlled drugs must be stored separately in their own section, apart from dangerous drugs and other drugs.
Legal basis: Drug Act B.E. 2510, Sections 26 (3) and 26 bis
6. Purchase and sale records must be complete
What the law requires: Importers must keep records of drugs imported and sold, and retain samples of imported drugs. All sale licensees, including pharmacies and wholesalers, must record every purchase (Form Khor.Yor. 9) and every sale of a specially controlled drug (Form Khor.Yor. 10) and keep these records for at least three years. Sales against a prescription must be recorded on Form Khor.Yor. 12; the prescription must be kept for at least one year and the record for at least three years from the date of sale.
Legal basis: Drug Act B.E. 2510, Sections 26 (6), 26 bis and 27 (6); Ministerial Regulation B.E. 2556, Clause 8 (5), (6) and (8)
7. Restrictions on advertising specially controlled drugs
Who: Anyone advertising drugs to the public
What the law requires: Advertising of GLP-1 drugs must not present the properties of specially controlled drugs and must not contain any certification or endorsement of a drug’s properties by another person. Neither prohibition applies to advertising made directly to practitioners of the art of healing, medical practitioners or veterinary practitioners. Advertising by radio, loudspeaker, television, projection or film, or in print also requires prior approval of the text, sound or images by the licensing authority and compliance with its conditions. Violations are punishable by a fine of up to THB 100,000.
Legal basis: Drug Act B.E. 2510, Section 88 (6) and (7) and final paragraph, Section 88 bis and Section 124
How Doctors, Hospitals and Clinics Should Adapt ?
1. Buy from licensees and have the ordering doctor’s credentials ready
The seller’s pharmacist must ensure that GLP-1 drugs are sold only to the persons listed in the Ministerial Regulation B.E. 2556, which include medical practitioners (Clause 10 (5)). Sellers may therefore ask healthcare facilities more often for documents confirming the identity of the ordering doctor. Having the doctor’s medical licence details ready in advance will help avoid purchasing delays.
2. Check the serial number of every box on receipt
The FDA allows authorized GLP-1 products to be verified by entering the serial number on the package in the “Track & Trace – pilot serialization-level drug products” menu on the FDA website. If no record is found or the details do not match, the FDA advises against use and asks that it be reported to the FDA hotline 1556. Healthcare facilities should therefore make this check a routine step on receiving stock, and keep purchase documents available for traceability.
3. Issue complete prescriptions when the patient will collect the drug at a pharmacy
A pharmacy may sell GLP-1 drugs to a patient only against a prescription from a medical or dental practitioner, and delivery must be supervised by a pharmacist (Drug Act B.E. 2510, Section 39 (6); Ministerial Regulation B.E. 2556, Clause 10 (5)). This matches the FDA’s message that a doctor’s prescription is required and that the drug must be handed over by a pharmacist.
For each prescription sale, the pharmacy must record the patient’s name, age and address and the prescriber’s name and address or workplace (Ministerial Regulation B.E. 2556, Clause 8 (8)). Prescriptions should therefore carry these details and identify the doctor clearly, as they are a key document for both the doctor and the pharmacy when a sale must be traced back.
4. Review posts, promotions and marketing that mention GLP-1 drugs
Drug advertising must not present the properties of GLP-1 drugs and must not contain any certification or endorsement by another person (Drug Act B.E. 2510, Section 88 (6) and (7)). Healthcare facilities should therefore review posts, service packages, promotions and reviews that refer to the effects of injectable GLP-1 drugs, whether published by the facility itself or through social-media influencers.
5. Prepare receipt and dispensing data for the tracking system
The FDA designed its Track & Trace system to follow a drug’s path from import to dispensing, so sellers may ask healthcare facilities for more receipt data. Facilities that start recording batch numbers, quantities received and quantities dispensed now will be ready when the FDA issues its criteria on sale and distribution, which it states are still being prepared.
In Summary
Now that the Notification is in force, healthcare operators should align their daily purchasing, storage and dispensing practices with the stricter requirements. Clinics, pharmacies and wholesalers should review agreements with their trading partners, verify serial numbers on receipt, and ensure every GLP-1 prescription is based on a physician’s assessment and supported by a medical record. Reviewing social media promotions is equally urgent, as advertising that presents the properties of a specially controlled drug or features third-party endorsements is prohibited (Drug Act B.E. 2510, Section 88 (6) and (7)).
Sources
Notification of the Ministry of Public Health Re: Specially Controlled Drugs (No. 58), dated 6 March 2026 (Royal Gazette Vol. 143, Special Part 71 Ng, p. 1, 18 March 2026)
Drug Act B.E. 2510 (1967), consolidated text as amended up to the Drug Act (No. 6) B.E. 2562 (2019) (Office of the Council of State)
Ministerial Regulation on Applications for and Issuance of Licences to Sell Modern Drugs B.E. 2556 (2013) (Royal Gazette Vol. 130, Part 126 Kor, 27 December 2013), as amended by the Ministerial Regulation (No. 2) B.E. 2561 (2018) (Royal Gazette Vol. 135, Part 76 Kor, 26 September 2018)
Thai Food and Drug Administration, press statement of 14 September 2026 on the control of weight-loss pens from 15 September (in Thai)
Thai Food and Drug Administration, news release of 19 March 2026 on the upgrading of injectable GLP-1 drugs to specially controlled drugs (in Thai)
Medicines Regulation Division, Thai Food and Drug Administration, summary table of specially controlled drugs (in Thai)
This article reflects the law and information available as at 24 October 2026.
Disclaimer: This article provides general legal information only and does not constitute legal advice on any particular case. Readers should obtain advice on their own circumstances before acting.
Kasidit Chumsawat
Legal Advance Solution / LAS
