‘Urgent regulation needed for online weight loss drugs’ – SAM president-elect (14 June 2024)

Commenting on concerns around patients requiring acute and emergency treatment in hospital after purchasing weight loss injections from online pharmacies, Dr Vicky Price, president-elect of the Society for Acute Medicine, said: “I and many other colleagues in acute medicine across the UK are very concerned about the increasing numbers of patients we are seeing with complications from new weight loss drugs they have purchased online. 

“Sadly we are seeing serious, life-threatening complications including inflammation of the pancreas gland and alterations in blood salt levels in these patients who were not aware of the risk they were taking.

“We have raised concerns about this inappropriate use with the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency. There is a need for urgent regulation and control of access for weight loss drugs online to avoid more patients becoming unwell.”

https://www.theguardian.com/society/article/2024/jun/13/top-doctor-warns-against-using-anti-obesity-drugs-to-get-beach-body-ready

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c4nnj0wrl49o

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2024/06/13/thin-young-women-lie-to-have-weight-loss-jabs

https://www.chemistanddruggist.co.uk/CD138269/Wegovy-Online-weight-loss-drugs-need-urgent-regulation-doctor-leaders-warn

https://www.thetimes.com/uk/healthcare/article/young-women-buying-ozempic-beach-body-ready-end-up-a-and-e-9rjjrpghn

https://www.express.co.uk/life-style/health/1911013/nhs-weight-loss-jabs-drugs

https://news.sky.com/story/people-taking-weight-loss-drugs-to-get-beach-body-ready-risk-dangerous-consequences-senior-nhs-doctor-warns-13152885

https://www.birminghammail.co.uk/news/midlands-news/uk-tourists-warned-over-taking-29352176

https://www.thesun.co.uk/health/28481932/skinny-jabs-ozempic-online-beach-body-ready-nhs-warning