In a statement released today, IGAS announced that on March 26, 2025, an inquiry regarding the commercialization of the drug Mounjaro was initiated, concluding on May 23.
“Given the indications of non-compliance with general and special duties of the medical profession by the individual in question, as well as ethical precepts and requirements applicable to telemedicine practice affecting the quality of healthcare provided,” a decision was made to open an inspection process, IGAS stated in the announcement.
With this ongoing inspection, IGAS aims for a “complete investigation and assessment of the facts involved.”
The Inspectorate-General also reported that another inspection is underway, which began in April 2024, regarding the prescription of the drug Ozempic.
These injectable medications, used in the treatment of type 2 diabetes and obesity, have seen high demand in various countries, including Portugal.
In practice, they increase the amount of insulin released by the pancreas in response to food, helping control blood glucose levels, and also regulate appetite, enhancing the feeling of fullness.
The European Medicines Agency (EMA) has already warned that drugs like Mounjaro should not be used for weight loss for aesthetic reasons in individuals without obesity or weight-related health issues.
In January, the National Authority on Medications (Infarmed) launched a “broad process” of audits and inspections of the entire supply chain of certain diabetes medications, in view of their scarcity in the market.
In a statement released at the time, the national regulator explained the decision with the analysis of usage data available at the end of 2024, stating that the audits would focus on the entire medication circuit, from the manufacturer and marketing authorization holder, to distributors, pharmacies, and the healthcare system.
According to the latest Infarmed data on outpatient drug expenditure, antidiabetics were the therapeutic class with the highest costs for the National Health Service in 2024—over 417 million euros—a growth of almost 13% compared to the previous year.
