NHS delays could push patients to buy unsafe weight-loss drugs, says top GP
Long waits for NHS services could lead to people taking matters into their own hands by buying potentially unsafe slimming pills online, Britain’s top doctor has said.
Prof. Kamila Hawthorne, president of the Royal College of GPs, warned that buying medicines online from unregulated retailers could put people at risk and they could also miss out on the comprehensive support offered alongside the medication.
She also raised concerns about the safety of cheaper alternatives to the pre-filled injection pens, which require some of the drug to be prepared at home.
Her warning came as the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) warned against buying illegal weight loss drugs without a prescription through beauty salons, fake pharmacy websites or on social media, saying these products “could contain toxins and other ingredients that can cause real damage”.
Andy Morling, deputy director of criminal enforcement at the MHRA, said: “At this time of year, when many of us are thinking about losing some excess weight, we see people offering weight loss drugs for sale as a quick fix, without healthcare. recipe from a professional.”
He urged people to be careful, saying that “criminals do everything they can to make the storefronts of their websites look authentic and convincing.”
“These are not cosmetic treatments; they are powerful medications that can only be legally and safely provided with a prescription from a healthcare professional,” he added.
Hawthorne said the population was “gradually increasing,” leading to widespread chronic disease.
In an interview with news agency PA Media, she said she had “serious concerns” about “a lot of people” buying weight loss drugs privately because “some of these places are not fully regulated”.
The demand was partly driven by the very long wait for weight loss support, she added, calling on the government to adequately fund services.
“If you are faced with a two-year wait and you want to lose weight now, and you know there is a way to lose weight, then you know that medications work, because no one denies that they don’t work. you might well decide you’re just going to figure it out for yourself,” Hawthorne said.
‘I would definitely recommend that you come and talk to your doctor or practice nurse about what you are planning to do and let them help you,’ she said. “Please do not go out and buy a (weight loss injection) unless it is supervised by a medically qualified doctor.”
A recent report from the Obesity Health Alliance (OHA) found that some patients were waiting up to five years for specialist support, while some services are so overburdened that they have closed their waiting lists completely.
Katharine Jenner, director of the OHA, told PA Media that the drugs “offer hope for tangible improvements in the lives of people with severe, chronic obesity” but that they are “only safe and effective for those for whom they are medically appropriate, as prescribed by the OHA”. a legitimate prescriber, and are not a long-term solution for the millions of people living with obesity.”
An NHS rollout of the so-called “King Kong” of slimming jabs, Mounjaro, is expected to take 12 years. An estimated 220,000 people could benefit from the drug in the first three years, of the approximately 3.4 million people estimated to be eligible, with those with the highest needs being prioritized.
The latest health survey for England shows that 64% of adults were overweight or obese in 2022.