What is Mounjaro and how does the weight-loss jab work? Pharmacies to face stricter checks for popular drug
What is Mounjaro and how does the weight-loss jab work? Pharmacies to face stricter checks for popular drug
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Concern about unsafe prescribing of weight-loss jabs has led to stricter guidance for online pharmacies, thanks to the General Pharmaceutical Council (GPhC). Online pharmacies must now use in-person or video consultations to verify patients’ body mass index (BMI) and share information directly with GPs. This is to prevent people who are already a healthy weight or who have a history of eating disorders from buying weight-loss medication that they don’t need.
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The medication is sold as self-injectable products under brand names like Wegovy and Mounjaro. Prior to this guidance, patients could obtain the products by only submitting online questionnaires or photos. Pharmacists who fail to adhere to the new guidelines could face fitness-to-practice investigations and inspections. Under the latest guidance, such weight-loss drugs are now classed as "high-risk" medicines. While they can be obtained via online pharmacies and even on the NHS, these extra safeguards must fulfil some very strict criteria.
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So, what exactly is the Mounjaro weight-loss drug and how does it work?. Mounjaro is the brand name for a drug called tirzepatide, which is a glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) that helps to lower people’s blood sugar levels. The drug helps the body create insulin while also slowing down the amount of glucose produced in the liver and the rate of food digestion. As well as benefitting people who have Type 2 diabetes, the weekly injection can improve weight loss.
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