Key Points
SummaryCompaniesDespite curbs, people with means still buy diabetes drug for weight loss onlineLoophole allows clinicians to prescribe any drug they think will help their patientTotal costs run into thousands of pounds from regulated online outletsDiabetes, obesity both significant health problems in UKNovo and government say shortage to last until at least mid-2024..
But Reuters interviews with more than a dozen medical professionals and patients show people like John, who says he is obese and "well off," can still pay thousands of pounds online to stockpile it for weight loss, while diabetics who depend on the NHS struggle to get government-paid prescriptions filled...
A Department of Health and Social Care spokesperson did not comment on the regulatory loophole, but said guidance is clear.. "These medicines should only be prescribed for the treatment of type 2 diabetes, in order to protect supply for diabetes patients and should not be routinely prescribed for weight loss," the spokesperson said by email..
More than a dozen posts on social media site Reddit say how people bought drugs like Ozempic for weight-loss from private online providers, but only John responded to Reuters enquiries..
She declined to name the others, saying pharmacies usually work to rectify such problems.. Rightangled said it now requires people buying weight-loss drugs to send a full-body picture validating their weight; Juniper said it had made improvements which would be reflected in its GPhC records after the next inspection...
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