Weight loss jab industry 'a ticking time bomb'

More people than ever are using weight loss jabs, with some GPs describing them as a "gamechanger" in tackling obesity and type 2 diabetes. But some practitioners in Shropshire say they have concerns.

Like many aesthetic clinic owners, David Kelly offers clients injections to lose weight alongside treatments like Botox and dermal fillers.

A registered nurse working at Tinkable in Bridgnorth has even had her own weight loss experience, sharing her personal journey face-to-face with those wanting to shed the stones to help inform their decision.

Increasingly, however, people are obtaining the jabs online. Mr Kelly, who runs Tinkable in Bridgnorth, says he has been told horror stories of how easily Mounjaro, Wegovy and Ozempic self-injectable pens are being dispensed.

"We've heard of people putting a carrier bag on their back, filling it full of exercise weights and then taking a photograph of their weighing machine and sending that off to an online pharmacy and getting as many pens as they want," he said.

"I've heard of people who have got a friend to do the picture side of things for them and then being able to get a pen even though they didn't meet the requirement of being a certain BMI."

He said he believed that people were able to get the drugs from online pharmacies without many hurdles.

Weight-loss jabs have been available through NHS Shropshire, Telford and Wrekin, since the end of June, but patients must meet strict criteria in order to be eligible.

**Mounjaro is a type of medicine called a GLP-1.** It works by copying a natural hormone that helps people feel full after eating, which can help with weight loss.

The **UK’s Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency (MHRA)** says Mounjaro should only be used if a doctor gives you a prescription. You should only get it from real pharmacies, including online ones that follow the rules.

The MHRA says this medicine is **only for people who are overweight or have diabetes**. It should **not be used just to look slimmer**.

They also warned that they haven't checked if this drug is safe or works well when people use it **for things it’s not officially approved for**—like people who are not overweight using it just to lose a little weight.

In June, the **BBC found it was possible to buy weight-loss drugs online** by lying about a person’s weight and sending fake photos.

A study is now looking into **serious side effects** after many people reported problems with their pancreas.

Still, some users say Mounjaro has helped them. For example, **Teresa, 50, from Telford**, said she started using the drug in November after getting a private prescription online. She didn’t research much and just copied what her friends did. She’s lost nearly three stone (about 42 pounds) and feels better, but she’s unsure about how to stop taking the injections safely.

There’s also concern that **many people are getting these drugs from unregulated sellers**, so no one really knows how many are using them.

Health experts admit the drugs could help reduce obesity, but they can cause side effects like **nausea, constipation, and diarrhoea**.

**Pharmacist Nigel Dugmore** warned that the online sale of these jabs is risky and called it a "ticking time bomb." He says **stronger rules are needed**, because these are **powerful drugs that affect the whole body**, and **untrained people are selling them from their homes**, which is dangerous.