People facing long waits for NHS weight loss services could be taking matters into their own hands by buying potentially unsafe jabs online, the nation’s top GP has warned.
Professor Kamila Hawthorne, chairwoman of the Royal College of GPs, warned some people are putting themselves at risk by purchasing drugs online from unregulated retailers, as well as potentially missing out on wraparound support needed alongside the medication.
She also raised concerns about the safety of cheaper alternatives to the pre-filled injection pens which involve people preparing part of the medicine at home.
It comes as the medicines regulator warned against buying weight loss medicines without a prescription on social media or through beauty salons.
The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) urged people to be aware of fake pharmacy websites and social media posts offering weight-loss medicines illegally without a prescription.
It warned criminals will go to “great lengths” to make their businesses appear “authentic” and the products they are selling could potentially contain “toxins and other ingredients that could cause real harm”.
Andy Morling, MHRA’s deputy director of criminal enforcement, said: “At this time of year, with many of us thinking about shedding a little excess weight, we see people offering weight loss medicines for sale as a quick fix, without a healthcare professional’s prescription, from beauty salons, websites and on social media.
“These are not cosmetic treatments; they are powerful medicines that can only be legally and safely dispensed against a prescription issued by a healthcare professional.
“Criminals go to great lengths to make their website storefronts look authentic and convincing, so before you buy any medicine online you should exercise caution. For online pharmacies based in Great Britain you can check on the General Pharmaceutical Council’s website that it is properly registered.
“Fake pharmacy websites and social media sellers illegally supply medicines that are not approved for use in the UK. These may contain toxins and other ingredients that could cause real harm, and you may even end up in hospital.”
Meanwhile, Prof Hawthorne said the population is “gradually getting bigger and bigger” and has called on the Government to improve existing weight reduction services by ensuring they are properly resourced and have enough staff to meet demand.
She urged people to reach out for help from their GPs before turning to the internet to buy drugs online.
In an interview with the PA news agency, Prof Hawthorne said: “I think quite a lot of people are buying weight loss drugs privately.
“We do have some serious concerns about that, because you don’t always know the provenance of the drugs that you’re buying unless it’s coming from an accredited company that’s properly regulated, and some of these places are not fully regulated.
“So I think I would definitely be counselling the public not to do that privately, if they can possibly help it, and go to their GP.”
Prof Hawthorne added that patients may not be getting appropriate wraparound care when they purchase the drugs online.
The vast public and political interest in new weight loss drugs has made urgent action to address longstanding issues across the entire range of treatment services an unavoidable priority.
We are pleased to see so much media interest in the reporthttps://t.co/ff1gHmHuZf
— Obesity Health Alliance (@OHA_updates) October 16, 2024
She continued: “The place where I’m working we are referring people to weight loss clinics, but there’s a very long wait.
“In the meantime, we’re talking about what else they can be doing to lose weight.”
Asked if the long wait for weight management services could be turning people to buying drugs online, she said: “Yes, I’m sure that they do.
“If you’re faced with a two-year waiting time and you want to lose weight now, and you know that there is a way that you can lose weight, you know that drug works because nobody’s denying that they don’t work, you might well decide that you’re going to just sort it out yourself.
“I would definitely suggest that you come and talk to your doctor or practice nurse about what you’re intending to do and let them help you – they may know ways of helping you that you haven’t thought about.
“So definitely come and talk about it. Please don’t go off and buy a (weight-loss injection) unless it is under the supervision of a medically qualified doctor.”
Prof Hawthorne went on: “We are as a population gradually getting bigger and bigger, and that brings with it a huge amount of chronic illness.
“We are calling on the Government to improve the services for weight reduction.”
A recent Obesity Health Alliance report highlighted how some patients are being asked to wait for up to five years for specialist weight management support.
Some overweight and obesity management services are so overstretched that they have closed their waiting lists entirely.
The alliance claimed the provision of services is “insufficient and unavailable to a significant number of people”.
Katharine Jenner, director of the Obesity Health Alliance, told PA: “Weight loss medications offer hope of tangible improvements in the lives of people with severe, chronic obesity.
“However, these drugs are only safe and effective for those for whom they are medically appropriate, as prescribed by a legitimate prescriber, and are not a long-term solution for the millions of people living with obesity.”
Today we are joining @OHA_updates in calling for an urgent review of how obesity is treated in @NHSEngland.
Their new report warns new pharmaceutical treatments have caused a wave of demand, adding enormous pressure to already over stretched services: https://t.co/5dP4mZMIVa pic.twitter.com/M2gurXIA2c
— The BMA (@TheBMA) October 16, 2024
Earlier this year, NHS England chief executive Amanda Pritchard said “weight loss drugs will be a game-changer”, but “without transforming pathways they could overwhelm already-stretched services”.
Obese people have been told they “will have to wait” for the so-called King Kong of weight-loss jabs, Mounjaro, amid a carefully managed NHS rollout, which spans 12 years.
In the initial three years of its rollout, an estimated 220,000 people could benefit from the drug, out of around 3.4 million people estimated to be eligible.
Those with the highest need will be front of the queue and NHS officials have pledged to review the rollout after the initial phase.
The latest Health Survey for England shows 64% of adults were overweight or obese in 2022.
A Department of Health and Social Care spokesperson said: “Obesity can be debilitating, costing lives, the economy and the NHS.
“The introduction of the weight loss drugs to the NHS will ensure that those with the most need will receive treatment first.
“Where appropriate, these obesity drugs can greatly benefit those in real need.
“However, we recognise these drugs are not a replacement for a good diet and exercise and as part of our 10 Year Health Plan we will shift the focus of healthcare from sickness to prevention.”
