People may be lured into buying potentially dangerous slimming jabs online in the face of long waits for NHS weight-loss treatment, the chair of the Royal College of GPs has warned.
Professor Kamila Hawthorne has sounded the alarm on risky online purchases of drugs such as Ozempic from unregulated retailers.
Her warning comes as many Britons traditionally look to lose weight as part of their New Year’s resolutions in January, including those who would not qualify for treatment on the NHS.
Hawthorne has cautioned that people tempted to buy the injections online from unofficial sources are risking their safety because they will not be overseen or supported by medical professionals while taking the weight-loss medication.
Her concerns also include that unregulated sellers often offer the expensive drugs at a cheaper cost, including selling cut-price alternatives which involve people preparing part of the medicine at home.
“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,” Hawthorne said.
“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.”
Adverts for Ozempic and Mounjaro are still easily found on some mainstream social media sites from unofficial sellers, The i Paper has found.
A woman appeals for advice and reassurance after buying and taking what she believes is semaglutide from an unofficial seller. The liquid was given to her in these syringes, rather than the regular penWhile it’s not clear if these adverts or the products are legitimate, it comes six months after previous analysis of online advertisements led to harsh criticism of social media giants for failing to crack down on the promotion and sale of fake semaglutide injections on their platforms, with health experts warning patients’ lives could be at risk.
Demand for injections that use the active ingredient – sold under the brand names Ozempic and Wegovy – has rocketed after it was hailed as a “game changer” for fighting obesity.
As well as dodgy sellers operating online, adverts from fake medical professionals have also become a problem.
It comes as the medicines regulator warned unofficial weight-loss jabs sold online can contain “toxins and other ingredients that could cause real harm”.
The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) has appealed for customers to be vigilant of fake pharmacy websites and social media posts offering these medicines illegally without a prescription.
Andy Morling, the MHRA’s deputy director of criminal enforcement, said criminals make their website storefronts look professional so would-be customers should check on the General Pharmaceutical Council’s website that the online pharmacy is registered.
He said: “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.”
The i Paper found adverts online from unregulated sellers offering Ozempic for £80 “if picked up from Cardiff” and others available in Doncaster for a discount.
Confusion among desperate customers is clear on weight loss and beauty Facebook forums, with one recent post appealing for opinions on whether the Ozempic their mother bought was legitimate.
Ozempic has been a medical breakthrough - but the online risks remain
Read More“When she collected from the practitioner it was drawn up in insulin syringes,” the person wrote, adding: “I can’t think why the practitioner would have done this unless they are using another version of Ozempic – but I wouldn’t know what that is.”
Another shared an image of two filled syringes and said she had been buying and taking what she understood to be semaglutide from a beauty professional for months. She queried if she was in danger, writing: “I’m freaking out. [I] saw a similar post but regarding Ozempic and these needles and loads of negative comments.”
Customers have fallen seriously ill after buying what they believed were slimming drugs online.
Michelle Sword, 46, from Oxfordshire, ordered the slimming drug from an online beauty company last year. It was not Ozempic as advertised but a fast-acting insulin, which sent her into a diabetic coma.
“A lot of people are quite desperate to get these medications because they are quite difficult to access from the NHS,” she told the BBC. “If you are going to do this, do it properly.”
Hawthorne told the Press Association that those looking for weight-loss help should in the first instance speak with their GP, adding: “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.”
A Department of Health and Social Care spokesperson said: “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.”
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