United States: After recognizing the health dangers associated with medication for obesity, the British pharmacy regulator strengthened the requirements for online prescription of these drugs.
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The General Pharmaceutical Council (GPhC) released its first revision of complete online pharmacy guidelines in three years because various operators required better weight-loss drug management systems.
In its regulatory announcement, the “high-risk medicines” label was applied to the GLP-1 receptor agonist drug class, which includes weight-loss injectables such as Wegovy and Mounjaro, according to a Reuter report.
The second category incorporates two types of medications: opiates and sedatives that lead to misuse and antibiotics, as well as medications that treat prolonged conditions such as asthma and diabetes.
The market that exists online has witnessed an explosive growth of obesity drug sales throughout Britain.
The pharmacy regulator has warned #5News that people could die if weight loss drug regulations aren't strengthened.
— Channel 5 News (@5_News) November 7, 2024
The injections are sold illegally, but lots of people also buy them legitimately from UK registered online pharmacies.@catherine5news has this exclusive report. pic.twitter.com/qaDmp0xBzJ
Rising popularity of obesity drugs
Reputable online pharmacies operating in the United Kingdom estimated that drug use among private market recipients reached 500,000 individuals, while the state-run National Health Service provided its medicines to a much lower number of patients.
According to Louise Edwards, Chief Strategy Officer at the GPhC, “We have seen, through our inspections and concerns raised by the public, some concerning ways in which these drugs were being supplied online, and we have taken action as a result,” Reuters reported.
The regulator initiated enforcement activities against twelve or more internet pharmacies providing weight-loss drugs throughout the period of 2021, she stated.
Also, the guidance needs to have online pharmacies “independently verify the person’s weight, height, and/or body mass index” before having a prescription for weight-loss drugs to them.
According to the guidance, an online pharmacy must perform video consultations combined with patient medical record access and doctor communication for authentication purposes.
Online questionnaires, together with telephone verification, both fail to meet new guidelines for obesity drug prescription authorization.
Both medications come from pharmaceutical providers, where Novo Nordisk produces Wegovy, and Lilly creates Mounjaro.
Panel medical approval has become necessary to achieve the prescription of weight-loss medication from these pharmaceutical companies that lead the drug market through their initial drug releases.
The World Health Organization (WHO) declared in December that various health interventions combined with these medications could address worldwide obesity issues.
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