People fake weight to obtain skinny jabs, says GP

A GP says she has experienced patients putting “weights on their backs” to falsify readings in order to be prescribed weight-loss injections online.

Fiona Graham, who runs a private clinic in Chelmsford, Essex, said she regularly received requests for Wegovy and Mounjaro from people who did not meet the criteria for the drugs.

“People are using exercise weights, bottles of water under their arms, books – anything that makes them look heavier than they actually are,” she said.

Roz Gittins, from the General Pharmaceutical Council (GPC), said its guidance made clear a prescriber of weight-loss medication was expected to check the weight and height of patients before giving out the drugs.

Dr Graham, who also runs NHS clinics, said people could become “nutritionally deplete” if they use the drug without qualifying for it because they would not be sustaining their nutritional needs naturally.

“We could see people losing bone density and muscle mass and that’s where we may see some problems in the future,” she said.

Dr Graham has called for tighter checks to prevent the jabs being sold inappropriately online.

“How do we know what anyone’s weight is if it is just a photo taken of how much they weigh?,” she added.

“It leads itself to people who can bend the rules and get around the system.”

Weight-loss jabs have been available on the NHS in England since the end of June, but the drug is not available over the counter and patients must meet strict criteria in order to be eligible for a prescription.

It is estimated that about 1.5 million people are on weight-loss medication in the UK.

James, which is not his real name, said he used a weight-loss jab to maintain his athletic physique.

The 34-year-old, from Suffolk, explained he had never had a problem getting the drug online.

“Two minutes on Google and you can have them in a basket, purchased,” he said.

“I will continue taking it – if it hurts me, it isn’t hurting anyone else.”

The National Institute of Clinical Excellence states weight-loss injections should only be offered on the NHS to an adult who is obese with a body mass index (BMI) of at least 35 and has a pre-existing weight-related health condition.

The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) guidelines state that private online prescribers should only give Mounjaro to adult patients with a BMI of 30 or more.

Ms Gittins, the chief pharmacy officer at the GPC, said: “Earlier this year, we updated our guidance to make clear that when supplying medicines used for weight management, the prescriber is expected to independently check the information provided by the person, including their weight, height and/or body mass index.

“We inspect hundreds of pharmacies each month and have contact with many more in response to concerns that we receive.

“We will continue to take appropriate action to protect patient safety if a pharmacy is not meeting our standards.”

An MHRA spokesperson said: “Prescription weight loss medicines should only be obtained from a registered pharmacy against a prescription issued by a healthcare professional.

“Taking these medicines sourced in any other way carries serious risks to your health with no guarantees about what they contain.”

The BBC has contacted the Department of Health and Social Care.