The increasing prevalence of obesity in the UK has led to a surge in demand for weight-loss drugs, particularly injectable medications like Wegovy and Mounjaro. However, recent scrutiny of online pharmacies has revealed significant concerns regarding the prescribing practices for these drugs. In response, the General Pharmaceutical Council has implemented stricter regulations that necessitate independent verification of patients' height, weight, and BMI, rather than relying solely on online questionnaires . This regulatory shift aims to ensure that only individuals who genuinely require these medications receive them while also enhancing communication between patients and prescribers.
They will no longer be able to dispense the medication, sold under brand names such as Wegovy and Mounjaro, to patients who have just completed online questionnaires or sent photos.
In-person or video consultations will be required, to verify patient body mass index (BMI), along with information from GP or medical records.
And pharmacists failing to follow this new guidance could face enforcement action, including fitness-to-practise investigations or inspections, and conditions such as improvement plans, the General Pharmaceutical Council says.
More detailed checks beyond a form and photo aim to prevent this and to protect people with eating disorders.
Pharmacies breaking the rules face fines, sanctions or being struck off.
The jabs mimic a hormone created when you are full, slowing digestion and preventing cravings. Side-effects include vomiting and diarrhoea.
Duncan Rudkin, chief of the GPhC, said: “We’ve seen too many cases of medicines being supplied inappropriately and putting people at risk.”
Duncan Rudkin, chief executive of the GPhC, said inspections and investigations had thrown up "too many cases of medicines being supplied inappropriately online and putting people at risk".
He added: "This updated guidance will support online pharmacies to protect their patients, and we expect them to act now to make sure these safeguards are in place."
The GPhC said it is working closely with the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency and the Advertising Standards Authority to tackle inappropriate advertising and promotions.
The General Pharmaceutical Council (GPhC), which regulates UK pharmacies and has the power to ban them from supplying medicines, said it has updated its overall guidance to online pharmacies for the first time in three years, mainly because of its concerns about how some dispense weight-loss drugs.
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