Pharmacists warn against weight-loss jab online sales.

The rise of online sales for weight-loss injections such as Wegovy and Mounjaro has prompted significant concern among pharmacy leaders regarding the safety and appropriateness of these practices. The National Pharmacy Association (NPA) has highlighted the risks associated with inadequate patient assessments conducted by online sellers, who may prioritize rapid service over thorough consultations. These shortcuts can lead to inappropriate prescriptions, particularly for vulnerable populations, including individuals with eating disorders or those already at low body weight. The NPA advocates for more stringent regulations that would mandate in-depth consultations lasting at least 20-30 minutes before dispensing these medications to ensure patient safety and well-being.

The National Pharmacy Association (NPA) has called for tougher rules in a letter to regulators, adding it was aware of people who previously had eating disorders or whose body weight was already low, being wrongly prescribed the drugs.

They argue a two-way consultation with the patient lasting at least 20 minutes is needed rather than relying on online questionnaires to access drugs such as Wegovy or Mounjaro.

"It is also important to ensure that clinical decisions regarding weight loss injections are not influenced by financial targets or incentives," NPA chairman Nick Kaye said.

The NPA has written to the General Pharmaceutical Council (GPhC) saying current rules leave the door open for medicines to be supplied without appropriate checks "and the risk to patient safety remains".

These ‘Ozempic influencers’ have built highly-engaged audiences who hang on their every word, from those already several months into their own journey with a GLP-1 medication to those who might be scrolling through wellness content and get randomly served the live via the algorithm. Similarly to the ‘Ozempic influencers’ they are following, these audiences possess varying levels of awareness of the medication, its risks and implications and crucially, a need for the drug (“I need to lose 4lbs before a holiday, would it be good for me?”).

Unsurprisingly, once I’d shown some form of interest in the topic, the algorithm began to serve me an increasing number of TikTok lives from Ozempic influencers. They all looked different, their advice was different, their understanding of the drug and their level of pushiness toward their audience to try it for themselves was wildly variable, but they all had one thing in common: they were all promoting money off your first order of a GLP-1 medication, most of them proudly displaying their discount code or personal link on the screen alongside drastic before and after photo collages.

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Sarah H

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