Long waiting lists for NHS weight loss services ‘driving unsafe buying of jabs’
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People facing long waits for NHS weight loss services could be taking matters into their own hands by buying potentially unsafe jabs online, the nation’s top GP has warned. Professor Kamila Hawthorne, chairwoman of the Royal College of GPs, warned some people are putting themselves at risk by purchasing drugs online from unregulated retailers, as well as potentially missing out on wraparound support needed alongside the medication.
She also raised concerns about the safety of cheaper alternatives to the pre-filled injection pens which involve people preparing part of the medicine at home. It comes as the medicines regulator warned against buying weight loss medicines without a prescription on social media or through beauty salons.
The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) urged people to be aware of fake pharmacy websites and social media posts offering weight-loss medicines illegally without a prescription. It warned criminals will go to “great lengths” to make their businesses appear “authentic” and the products they are selling could potentially contain “toxins and other ingredients that could cause real harm”.
Andy Morling, MHRA’s deputy director of criminal enforcement, said: “At this time of year, with many of us thinking about shedding a little excess weight, we see people offering weight loss medicines for sale as a quick fix, without a healthcare professional’s prescription, from beauty salons, websites and on social media.
