Experts are cautioning people not to purchase weight loss jabs without a prescription after a new survey revealed that nearly half of the people obtaining the medication were sidestepping medical expertise.
Pharmacists told The Independent that without proper consultation with medical professionals that users are putting themselves in danger and risking their lives.
A survey of 2,000 people across the UK, conducted by Atomik Research, found that 41 per cent of people who were on weight loss jabs had sourced them online without a prescription, and 35 per cent obtained them through a family member or friend.
Clinical pharmacist Kiran Jones at Oxford online pharmacy said: “The bottom line is that if a jab wasn’t prescribed to you by a licensed professional and dispensed by a qualified pharmacy, you’re putting your health and potentially your life at risk.”
Professionals say there are several dangers that could come from buying the jabs without a prescription. The biggest concerns are that non-prescription medication could be fake or unapproved, the purchaser may not be of a weight at which it is acceptable to take, or they will not be aware of the correct dosages and safe ways to come off the medication.
Mrs Jones stresses that unapproved medication could have fatal consequences. She warns that by buying them from an unlicensed seller, you could be unintentionally obtaining illegal medication that hasn’t been approved for human use.
The rise in demand for weight loss jabs has given way to illicit weight loss jabs being sold online. Ms Jones said this could result in serious health problems. Earlier this month, The Independent exposed sellers purporting to sell illegal weight loss jabs on TikTok to the social media giant.
“Unapproved jabs can contain harmful chemicals and incorrect dosages that may interact poorly with other medications. This can make them ineffective, but also potentially life-threatening,” Ms Jones said.
Roz Gittins, chief pharmacy officer at the General Pharmaceutical Council, said: “Getting prescription-only medicines for weight management from unregulated sources, or friends and family, puts people at risk of potentially life-threatening side-effects.
“If the medicines aren’t supplied by a pharmacy that is registered with the General Pharmaceutical Council, then the medicines may be fake, and can make people very ill.”
Experts also stress that by purchasing weight loss jabs without any consultation, users will be unaware of the correct dosage, and the ways in which you should eventually come off the medication.
Professor Jane Ogden from the University of Surrey said: “This is worrying as there is no assessment of whether they meet the criteria for safety or effectiveness, and could well be taking them in appropriately.
“In addition, taking the medication and staying well requires some additional support in terms of how and what to eat, how long to take them for and how to stay well after you come off them. These people will end up taking them in isolation without any input from anyone which could put them at risk.”
Experts have also said there could be serious health consequences for those who obtain weight loss injections without a prescription, and are not at the weight threshold.
University of Glasgow professor Naveed Sattar, who has consulted companies that make or trial weight loss medicines, said the study re-emphasises how many people who wish to lose weight are fearful of discussing it with their doctor.
In several cases, buyers know they will not meet the weight threshold and will not get it prescribed to them through a doctor, he said. In other cases, people might be circumventing medical professionals because they are embarrassed.
“The concern is that some people are accessing compounded drugs which may be impure or not the correct substance or (they have) too low of a BMI to begin with,” he said.
The survey, commissioned by GP Nutrition, also found that 43 per cent of people felt more pressure to lose weight now than they did two years ago.
Professor Sattar said the study was indicative of a major public health intervention occurring in the UK in which many people were accessing drugs outside the NHS or reputable pharmacies.
Weight loss jabs like Mounjaro or Wegovy have grown hugely in popularity in the past few years. They were originally developed to treat type 2 diabetes, but is now commonly used to lose weight.
When injected, the medication mimics a hormone your body releases after eating called GLP-1, which slows down the body’s digestion, lowers the appetite, and makes you feel full.
The medication has continued to get more expensive. At the beginning of September, the cost of Mounjaro increased to up to £335 per dose, and this has led several people to seek alternatives.
To obtain weight loss injections on the NHS, a GP must refer you to a specialist weight management service, who will provide the medication
