You may have seen the news yesterday regarding the future introduction of tougher regulations regarding the prescribing of weight loss medications in the UK...
Pharmacy leaders have issued a fresh warning over the online sale of weight-loss jabs, insisting there is still a risk to patient safety - and we couldn't agree more!
In recent years, there was a steady increase in pharmacies offering medications designed to aid weight loss in conjunction with diet and exercise... this has however imploded into a plethora of online pharmacies in the past 12 months who are offering the medications with limited checks, almost as easily as buying an everyday item from Amazon - with no regular check ins, no advice or support, and no real sense of a duty of care towards their patients.
The National Pharmacy Association (NPA) has called for tougher rules in a letter to regulators, adding it was aware of people who previously had eating disorders or whose body weight was already low, being wrongly prescribed the drugs.
In response, the General Pharmaceutical Council has issued fresh guidance to online pharmacies, informing them that they will now have to employ stricter checks to stop people who are already a healthy weight or have a history of eating disorders from buying weight-loss jabs.
Online pharmacies will no longer be able to dispense the medication, sold under brand names such as Wegovy and Mounjaro without due diligence or adequate aftercare. A person's medical history should also be rightfully fully examined before pharmacies decide whether or not to dispense a weight-loss injection, and regular reviews must take place, it added. This is something we have always strived to achieve with regular check-ins and unlimited aftercare / support via our customer care team.
This is already a general guide we follow as to the "Safe Selling of Weight Loss Medications", including;
1. Regulatory Compliance
Ensure all medications are approved by relevant health authorities (e.g., the MHRA in the UK).
Adhere to regulations regarding the sale, prescribing and dispensing of medications.
Maintain a roster of registered & regulated pharmacies
2. Quality Assurance
Source medications ONLY from reputable suppliers based & registered in the UK.
Conduct regular quality checks to ensure product integrity.
Implement a robust inventory management system to track expiration dates and storage conditions.
3. Educating Customers
Provide clear information about the medications, including usage and potential side effects.
Encourage customers to ask questions and find out as much as possible before starting any weight loss medication.
Offer other resources for healthy lifestyle changes to complement medication use, such as nutritional advice and exercise.
4. Ethical Marketing Practices
Avoid misleading claims about weight loss results - never guarantee a set amount of weight loss as it will work differently for every person
Use testimonials and endorsements that are truthful and verifiable via third party websites e.g. TrustPilot.
Never hard sell - allow people to make an informed decision based on the information available.
5. Patient Safety and Support
Implement a secure online purchasing system to protect customer information.
Provide customer support for enquiries, advice, support or concerns regarding using the medications.
6. Monitoring and Reporting
Keep records (aka notes) of patient experiences to monitor the effectiveness and safety of the medications.
Report any adverse reactions or issues to the appropriate health authorities e.g. the MHRA Yellow Card Scheme.
Regularly review and update practices based on new research and regulations - always reflect and adapt.
Safe selling of weight loss medications requires a commitment to compliance, quality, education, ethical marketing, customer safety, and ongoing monitoring. By adhering to these guidelines, sellers can ensure the well-being of their customers while promoting effective weight loss solutions.
That's why we promote providing as much information as possible before you choose to go ahead with treatment; offer regular check ins; unlimited aftercare support; support articles on our website; and contact details to get in touch with us. Our "business" revolves around you as the customer / patient - your success is our success, with your safety being of paramount importance.
Unfortunately, not all online pharmacies or sellers or these medications do this, leading to a surge in cowboy practices, poor advice, patients seeking advice from the likes of Facebook or TikTok, irresponsible dispensing of medications and a rise in fake medications becoming readily available via social media sites.
If you're ever unsure, always ask your provider what pharmacies they use and how they source their medications. As much as we all want to be in a place we feel happy & comfortable in, both physically and mentally, you have to ensure you're going down the right route and obtaining genuine products that are safe to use.
If you have any questions about the above information, please do get in touch.
Kind regards,
The AJ Hill Aesthetics Team
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