More than half of Brits using or considering a weight management drug said they would feel “comfortable disregarding clinical guidance on how to use it”, a recent survey by Pharmacy2U has revealed.
The online pharmacy said today that 55% of the 2,000 people surveyed said they would be happy to use a weight loss medicine “differently from how it is prescribed”.
Some 30% admitted they would “take a break from their medication without consulting their doctor”, it added.
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The survey also found that over one in four respondents (27%) said they “would be willing to share” oral weight loss medicines with friends or family.
The percentage was higher among those under 35, with 41% in this category willing to share their treatment.
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Men were more likely to share medication than women, with one in three men prepared to do so, compared to one in five women.
And 22% of those surveyed would increase their dose during the summer, while 21% would increase it “ahead of an event such as a holiday or wedding”.
Not a “quick fix”
Pharmacy2U chief medical officer Dr Kieran Seyan urged patients not to see weight management medication as a “quick fix” or “assume it can be used more flexibly than prescribed”.
“Prescription-only weight management treatments are powerful medications that should only be prescribed for a specific individual following a thorough clinical assessment,” he said.
He added that sharing weight loss drugs or changing how they are taken without medical advice “can carry genuine health risks”.
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It comes after Oxford Online Pharmacy revealed earlier this month that one in five UK adults have bought prescription-only medicines illegally, including those for weight loss.
And it follows the Independent Pharmacy Contractors Network launching a campaign earlier this week to support pharmacies challenging “disputed clawback demands” made under Eli Lilly’s Mounjaro rebate scheme.
