Great Britain online pharmacies are suspended stricter rules for the sale of weight loss jabs | Drugs

Access to weight losses by online pharmacies can be tightened against inappropriate recipes in the context of a procedure-more experts say that more must be done.

Weight loss injections such as Wegovy, which contains the pharmaceutical emigration maglutide, and Mounjaro, which contains the pharmaceutical tirepatide, have shown that they can help people lose significant weight quantities, and many people are looking for private prescriptions.

However, concerns have been expressed that the medication people who do not meet the criteria are inappropriately prescribed by online pharmacies.

An online pharmacies previously active in Great Britain showed that a Guardian examination of private recipes of punches of people with a healthy weight and to those who lied through their weight to meet criteria for a recipe, approved and approved private recipes of the JABS have sent.

Now General Pharmaceutical Council (GPHC), the pharmacist, pharmacy technician and pharmacies in England, Scotland and Wales, has regulated the rules.

The changes mean that pharmacies do not make decisions about the online prescription of weight loss jabs or other high-risk patients such as antimicrobias, laxatives and opioids about the information in an online questionnaire-more in an online questionnaire, as some online question Have previously done pharmacies. Instead, such information must be verified independently.

In the case of weight loss medication, the size and weight of the person, the body mass index (BMI) or all three metrics must be included in this process, whereby the instructions must be added that checking this information via a call with the person is checked not be appropriate.

It is proposed that such information could be checked personally from the person’s clinical records or by contacting another health service provider such as the person’s family doctor.

Among other things, the new guidelines also emphasize all online bonds with a means with which person and prescriber can have timely two-way communication.

Duncan Rudkin, the managing director of the GPHC, said the news of the updated manual was clear.

“Online pharmacies should only deliver one drug if the prescriber had an appropriate consultation with the person and has ensured that all the necessary information is checked whether the medication is safe and suitable for you,” he said. He added that the GPHC had “seen too many cases of medication that were delivered inappropriately online and endangered people”.

“Our inspectors will continue to inspect online pharmacies and look for evidence that pharmacies correspond to our standards,” said Rudkin. “We will continue to work closely with other supervisory authorities to react to concerns and problems and take measures if necessary to protect the public.”

The Guardian understands that the guidelines represent the expectations of how pharmacies correspond to the GPHC standards that are legal requirements.

If the guidelines are violated, a spokesman said that the pharmacy’s GPOKE would generally give an improvement plan as the first step. However, stronger measures or enforcement measures could be taken, e.g. B. the mediation of prerequisites for pharmacies – for example the restriction of the medication that you can deliver, can suspend a pharmacy or take measures against pharmacy owners and pharmacists themselves.

The changes also emphasize online pharmacies must follow the law and the instructions for advertising and promoting medicinal products, which indicates guidelines of the regulatory authority Medicines and Healthcare Products (MHRA) and Advertising Standards Authority (ASA). The GPHC said it was working closely with both bodies to tackle inappropriate activities in the region.

The problem is growing because a Guardian examination shows a growing number of MHRA complaints against online advertisements for weight loss drugs. The examination also showed that online pharmacies used gaps in the rules to offer discount offers for “services” for weight loss that include the JABs and contain prominently.

Dr. Piotr Ozieranski from the University of Bath said that adding weight loss medications to the list of medication with high risk is an urgently needed step that was long overdue.

“In the updated pharmacy guidelines, specific requirements regarding consultations with patients and better coordination between different regulatory authorities are informed,” he said.

Ozieranski, however, said it was not entirely clear how a pharmacist could practically check the weight and size of a person needed to calculate a BMI via a video call, and help with third parties could ensure that the security could be secured.

“And if such information cannot be obtained through advice with the patient, how will the pharmacies check the GP recordings quickly and reliably, especially if both the demand for these medication and the pressure on GPS are at an all-time high?” he said.

Ozieranski said that the guidelines would not have adequately deal with how patients should be supported as soon as they started with the medication or were looked after in the long run if unknown side effects could become visible.

“A blatant omission are detailed standards about financial conflicts of interest,” he added, found that individual pharmacists, pharmacies and related commercial actors were accepted – often essential – – Payments from pharmaceutical companies, whereby the situation in the area of ​​weight loss is particularly acute.

“A serious reform would prevent the ban on pharmacists or pharmacies from accepting payments as a whole – to ensure that patient care is not impaired by the commercial pressure,” he said.

Nick Kaye, chairman of the National Pharmacy Association, which previously requested a harder regulation of the online sale of weight loss jabs, welcomed the new guidelines.

“We are pleased that the GPHC concerns, which the NPA expressed about a small number of patients, access to higher risk, such as: He said.

“It is important to note that the vast majority of pharmacies, including online sellers, already comply with a good practice in this area and do everything to support patients in order to achieve and maintain healthy weight in a carefully managed treatment program.

“It is also important patients who avoid non -regulated medication sellers such as beauty salons who could serve a serious risk of their health.”