The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) has today (October 24) urged healthcare professionals to “report cases of misuse” and “inform patients about the common and serious side effects associated with GLP-1RAs”.
The announcement came as the regulator also today revealed worrying statistics about side effects connected with the drugs, which are used to treat type 2 diabetes and obesity, in a drug safety update.
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“As of August 16 2024, the MHRA has received 5,073 reports of common gastrointestinal reactions - including nausea, vomiting and diarrhoea - in association with GLP-1RAs indicated for weight management,” it said.
“Of these reports, 46 reported hospitalisation of the individual,” it added.
“Aesthetic weight loss”
The update warned healthcare professionals to “be aware there have been reports of potential misuse of GLP-1RAs for unauthorised indications such as aesthetic weight loss”.
The regulator said that “healthcare professionals should…be alert for signs of misuse of these medicines in their patients, warn these patients that they are at risk of side effects and report any adverse reactions”.
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It added that “patients should also be warned of the risk of falsified GLP-1RA medicines for weight loss if not prescribed by a registered healthcare professional and be aware that some falsified medicines have been found to contain insulin”.
MHRA chief safety officer Dr Alison Cave said that “all medicines carry a risk of potential side effects and GLP-1RAs are no exception”.
“Please report cases of misuse especially if harm occurs,” she urged.
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And health secretary Wes Streeting stressed that “these are not cosmetic drugs that should be taken to help get a body beautiful picture for Instagram”.
“They’re not a quick fix to lose a few pounds and buying them online without appropriate assessment can put people’s health at risk,” he added.
“At some point, we’re going to have a death”
It comes after C+D exclusively reported in June that a “young girl” was rushed to A&E for urgent treatment after presenting with life threatening symptoms after taking weight loss GLP-1RA drug Wegovy that she had obtained through Boots Online Doctor.
At the time, an anonymous A&E doctor warned that the incident was part of a growing pattern, adding that “in the last month or two, every time [they had] done a shift pretty much [they] had some patient who, to a lesser or greater degree, is having a complication from getting these weight loss drugs”.
“At some point, we’re going to have a death, aren’t we?” they added.
That month, Streeting revealed plans for “much closer clinical oversight and regulation” around accessing weight loss drugs from online pharmacies.
Meanwhile, the General Pharmaceutical Council (GPhC) last month announced plans to consult on a raft of “additional safeguards” that online pharmacies offering weight loss drugs must provide, including verifying information provided by patients.
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The proposed “extra safeguards” would require pharmacies prescribing or supplying medicines “associated with greater risks including those used for weight loss” to “independently verify the person’s weight, height and/or body mass index (BMI)”.
They also proposed making the superintendent pharmacists responsible for meeting the guidance.
