A community pharmacist raised the alarm on a diabetes patient who sold excess tirzepatide “mistakenly prescribed” by their GP “to associates for weight loss purposes”, CPW yesterday (January 2) revealed.
“We have been informed of an incident in Powys that has been referred to NHS Wales counter fraud involving the inappropriate supply of tirzepatide – Mounjaro – KwikPens”, the Welsh negotiator said in its weekly update to contractors.
Read more: ‘New front line’: MHRA removes 150 social media posts selling fake weight loss drugs
“Mounjaro is currently available as KwikPens and contains four doses per pen for weekly administration, with each pen lasting 28 days,” it added.
“In this case, a GP mistakenly prescribed four pens per month for a diabetes patient, who then sold the excess pens to associates for weight loss purposes,” it said.
“Review prescriptions”
The negotiator stressed that pharmacists must be vigilant regarding the “inappropriate supply of Mounjaro”.
“We are highlighting [this] to urge community pharmacies to review prescriptions for tirzepatide and semaglutide for appropriateness,” CPW said.
Read more: ‘Stay safe this New Year’: MHRA warning over weight loss medication
“Semaglutide – Ozempic – shares similar dosing requirements and diversion risks, given its popularity for weight loss,” it added.
“Both are approved for diabetes management in general practice but are often accessed privately for weight loss,” CPW warned.
Weight loss warnings
In an exclusive interview with C+D last month, Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) deputy director of criminal enforcement Andy Morling revealed that the regulator took down 150 social media posts “actively” selling counterfeit weight loss drugs in 2024.
It came as he this week warned patients against buying weight loss medication without a prescription from “beauty salons, websites and on social media”.
Read more: Wegovy: Ten deaths linked to weight loss injections, says MHRA
Meanwhile, a former social media influencer last month revealed that he took three trips to A&E in a 48-hour period after taking Mounjaro purchased from Lloydspharmacy Online Doctor.
And the same month, an online pharmacy came under fire for “treating injectable medications like grocery items at a Lidl checkout” as pharmacists took to social media to share their concerns over targets for independent prescribers (IPs) to complete 28 prescriptions within an hour.
In November, C+D revealed that some ten deaths had been linked to weight loss injections.
