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No more over-the-counter diet pills

Some appetite suppressants, such as Thinz and Eetless, are not available without a doctor's prescription anymore.

The department of health adjusted the scheduling of some medication containing ephedrine, pseudo ephedrine and d-Norpseudoephedrine.

Over-the-counter appetite suppressants containing d-Norpseudoephedrine used to be schedule 2 medication, but since last month they have been changed to schedule 6.

"It's about the safety of the public," Mandisa Hela from the South African Medicine Control Council (MCC) told Die Burger.

Criminals use ephedrine products to manufacture the drug Tik, and teenagers abuse appetite suppressants by using them as stimulants when they go to parties, or to stay awake when studying into the early hours of the morning.

Pseudo ephedrine products were rescheduled overseas years ago, Hela said. – (Die Burger)

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