SAM president-elect “deeply concerned” about mortality figures in patients using weight loss drugs (25 February)
Dr Vicky Price, president-elect of the Society for Acute Medicine, has today (25 February) reiterated concerns regarding the increasing number of patients being seen in hospital following the use of weight loss medications.
She said: “We are deeply concerned about the latest figures published with respect to mortality in patients using these medicines, particularly as colleagues across the UK continue to report that increasing numbers of patients are attending hospitals with complications as a result of inappropriate use.
“There are two concerns here. One is that patients are taking these medications without properly understanding the potential risks involved or the importance of using these as part of supported weight loss programmes.
“Another concern is that patients are obtaining these drugs from non-reputable sources and they are not actually a weight loss drug. Patients could then be injecting anything into themselves, including life-threatening substances.
“We continue to call for tighter regulation and urge people to consider the risks when thinking about taking these medications.”
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