Dr Susan Burger

13/06/2026

Ethics. Evidence. Regulation. Patient Safety.

Join us for the AAMSSA Ethics Session & The Great Peptide Debate at AMCSA 2026, chaired by Dr Reza Mia, as leading experts discuss some of the most important and debated topics in aesthetic medicine today.

Featured presentations include:
✔️When Innovation Outpaces Evidence: Ethical Decision Making in Aesthetic Medicine - Dr Gerda Olmesdahl
✔️The Threat of Illegal Injectors in Our Industry – What Is Being Done and What More Can We Do? Dr Reza Mia
✔️Evidence Behind Peptides and Illegal Products: Implications for Healthcare Practitioners - Dr Susan Burger
✔️Peptides – A Growing Industry: The Good, the Bad and the Ugly? Dr Reza Mia
✔️Peptides in Clinical Practice - Dr Heidi Frere
✔️Regulatory Aspects Regarding Peptides - Lenerie du Toit

These thought-provoking discussions will explore the ethical, clinical and regulatory challenges shaping the future of aesthetic medicine.

📅 30 July – 1 August 2026
📍 CSIR International Convention Centre, Pretoria

Where Aesthetic Medicine Leaders Share What's Next.

🔗 Learn more and register here: Link in bio

10/06/2026

The most important step before any aesthetic treatment?

Not the product.
Not the procedure.
Not the price.

✔A proper medical consultation and evaluation.

Every patient is unique. Your facial anatomy, skin quality, treatment goals, and medical history all influence which treatment may be appropriate for you.

Aesthetic treatments are not a commodity. Safe, natural-looking outcomes start with an individual assessment and a personalised treatment plan.

Consultation first. Treatment second.

Ensure your journey is guided by a qualified professional.
🔗 Not sure where to start? Find an HPCSA-registered practitioner in the field of Aesthetic Medicine via AAMSSA : https://aestheticdoctors.co.za/find-a-doctor/

25/05/2026

24/05/2026

CRACK DOWN ON UNLAWFUL MANUFACTURING OF UNREGISTERED GLP-1/ GIP MEDICINES

MEDIA RELEASE
23 May 2026

The South African Health Products Regulatory Authority (SAHPRA), in collaboration with the South African Pharmacy Council (SAPC), has intensified enforcement action against the unlawful manufacturing and distribution of unregistered GLP-1 and GIP medicines containing either Semaglutide, Tirzepatide, or a combination product containing both Semaglutide and Tirzepatide promoted for weight loss. SAHPRA and SAPC conducted a joint investigation inspection at iDexis (Pty) Ltd trading as Sentra Pharmacy in Silverton, Pretoria, on 11 May 2026.

The inspection focused on Semaglutide, Tirzepatide, and combination formulations and discovered critical regulatory non-compliance, all GIP/GLP-1 injectable products found onsite were seized.

The investigation revealed that the company was producing and supplying medicines under
the pretext of “compounding”, but outside the legal framework permitted under South African
law. While compounding is strictly limited to the preparation of medicines for individual patients
based on a valid prescription, the facility was found to be manufacturing and marketing GIP/GLP-1-based products, including semaglutide, tirzepatide, and combination formulations, for broader commercial distribution, particularly for weight management purposes.

Further inspection findings revealed serious deficiencies in quality, safety, and regulatory compliance. These included the illegal importation of semaglutide and tirzepatide active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs), the absence of analytical testing to confirm identity, potency and purity, inadequate sterile manufacturing conditions, high risk of contamination, inadequate equipment for aseptic medical preparations and the lack of HVAC system, amongst others.

The room allocated for producing GLP-1/GIP products didn’t meet the requirements of aseptically prepared products. In addition, no pharmacovigilance system was
in place to monitor or respond to adverse drug reactions. SAHPRA has also noted reports of adverse events, including hospitalisations, linked to the use of these products, as well as concerns regarding possible illegal importation of APIs and promotional activities targeting healthcare providers and consumers.

As part of its enforcement action, SAHPRA has seized all finished products containing semaglutide, tirzepatide, and related combinations found on site. The company has been instructed to initiate a full Recall of affected products distributed through healthcare providers, pharmacies, and other channels.

According to the Medicines and Related Substances Act, 101 of 1965, as amended, compounding must remain strictly within the applicable parameters of the law and cannot be used as a mechanism for large-scale manufacture, advertising, or distribution of unregistered
medicines.

“SAHPRA will continue to take decisive regulatory and enforcement action against any entity that contravenes the Medicines and Related Substances Act. The unlawful manufacture, importation, advertising, and distribution of unregistered medicines pose a serious risk to public health. We will not hesitate to act to protect patients and safeguard the integrity of South Africa’s regulatory system,” said SAHPRA CEO, Dr Boitumelo Semete-Makokotlela.

The South African Pharmacy Council will be taking further action against pharmacy professional involved in illegal manufacturing practices. “Unlawful manufacturing, promotion and distribution of unregistered GLP-1 medicines for weight loss is a serious violation of the law and a direct threat to public safety. Following the inspection conducted at Sentra Pharmacy, the SAPC will pursue decisive regulatory action against those involved.

Pharmacists and pharmacy support personnel found selling, compounding or distributing these unregistered medicines risk severe disciplinary action. Including possible removal from the register. Council will not tolerate any conduct that compromises patient safety or the integrity of the pharmacy profession,” said Vincent Tlala, CEO of South African Pharmacy Council.

Members of the public are encouraged to consult healthcare professionals for guidance relating to weight management or diabetes treatment options, and to report any suspected adverse reactions or suspicious products to SAHPRA.

ENDS
Issued by:
Mr Vincent Tlala
Registrar/Chief Executive Officer
and Dr Boitumelo Semete-Makokotlela
Chief Executive Officer
South African Health Products Regulatory Authority
[email protected] [email protected]
South African Sahpra

For media enquiries contact:
Rodgers Baloyi
South African Health Products
Regulatory Authority
Cell: 072 432 6397
OR Glen Bvuma
South African Pharmacy Council
Cell: 064 501 3767
Email: [email protected] Email: [email protected]

https://www.sahpra.org.za/press-releases/sahpra-and-the-sapc-crack-down-on-unlawful-manufacturing-of-unregistered-glp-1-medicines/
SABC News SA Medical Research Council

23/05/2026

Join us at AMCSA 2026 for an essential session presented by Dr Susan Burger, where she breaks down the evidence behind peptides and illegal products. 💉

20/05/2026

The illegal sellers are only 20% cheaper than the registered medicine.
What you give up for that 20% is the entire safety system.
New video out today — 13 minutes on the unregistered semaglutide market in South Africa. What is actually in those vials, the three errors the online sellers keep making, and why Schedule 4 exists in the first place.
Honest answer to the "Big Pharma is suppressing peptides" framing. Patient-facing. No jargon. Watch on lunch or in the car.

https://youtu.be/wDVvWEes9AI

If you know someone currently using a compounded GLP-1, please share this with them. The video explains how to step off safely — do not stop your injections abruptly without speaking to a doctor.

The illegal sellers are only 20% cheaper than the registered medicine.What you give up for that 20% is the entire safety system.I'm Dr Susan Burger-Jacobs — ...

20/05/2026

Potent. Powerful. Risky.

Many peptide products sold through unregulated channels are not approved by SAHPRA or major global regulators.

Unverified peptides may lack sterility, quality control and correct dosing, increasing the risk of severe reactions, infection, dehydration and organ damage.

NOT WORTH THE RISK.
YOUR HEALTH IS IRREPLACEABLE.

Considering peptide treatment not prescribed by a medical doctor?
🔗 Listen to this on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ha1yuGcUNYA

👉 To find or verify a doctor, visit AAMSSA: 🔗 Link in bio 🔝

12/05/2026

Ozempic is not just a weight-loss drug.

It is also cardiovascular medicine.

That is not marketing. That is what the SELECT trial showed in 2023 — 17,604 patients, 20% fewer heart attacks, strokes, and cardiovascular deaths. And when the follow-up analysis was published in The Lancet in October 2025, it revealed something that changed how cardiologists think about this medicine.

About two-thirds of the cardiovascular benefit cannot be explained by weight loss.

I made a video about the five things almost no one is explaining about this medicine properly. Including:

→ Why it changes how food rewards you, not just appetite
→ The Nature 2026 study identifying genetic non-responders — and why about 1 in 4 patients don't respond
→ Why muscle loss on this medicine may be worse than on diet alone
→ The four obesity phenotypes — and why this medicine isn't the right tool for all of them

Watch the full video here: https://youtu.be/LrrIfHqKop8

This is general medical education, not personal medical advice. If you are considering one of these medicines — or already on one — please have this conversation with a registered medical doctor.

Ozempic is not what most people think it is. After 20 years of practice, here are five things about GLP-1 medications that almost no one is explaining proper...

06/05/2026

Considering “quick-fix” weight loss or injectable treatments? Hear this first.

Dr David Grieve (General Practitioner) joins Rozanne McKenzie on Good Morning South Africa to explore the realities behind the rise in injectable treatments.

💉 What are these products really?
💉 Who should be prescribing and administering them?
💉 What are the risks without proper medical care?

⚠️ As demand grows, so does concern around access, safety, and potential long-term effects.

These are biologically active treatments, not over-the-counter solutions.
They require proper clinical assessment, appropriate use, and follow-up.

This is not just a trend, it’s your health, your safety.
Informed decisions matter.

🔗 Watch here:
https://www.facebook.com/share/v/18RdDEDzto/

01/05/2026

Right now, somewhere in South Africa, a beauty therapist is injecting Botox into someone's forehead.

A somatologist is filling someone's lips.

An influencer who did a weekend course in Bangkok is "topping up" a friend's cheekbones in her kitchen.

All three are committing a crime.

Under the Health Professions Act, performing a medical procedure without HPCSA registration carries a penalty of up to ten years' imprisonment. Under South African common law, that injection can amount to assault — even if the patient consented. Your consent doesn't make it legal, because they were never legally allowed to do it.

In my new YouTube video, I break down exactly who CAN legally inject you in South Africa, what the law says, and how you can verify your injector in 30 seconds before you ever sit in their chair.

No hype. No sales pitch. Just the facts.

▶ Watch the full video here:
https://youtu.be/q0wsEgLGI10

If you've ever been injected — or you're thinking about it — please watch this. And share it with someone who needs to see it.

— Dr Susan Burger-Jacobs
Medical Aesthetics & Beauty Boutique
HPCSA MP0632376

From a doctor: Who Can Legally Inject Botox and Fillers in SA? What You Need to Know