People are faking their weight to get skinny injections, says Chelsmford GP

A general practitioner says she saw patients put “weights on their backs” to falsify the results in order to be prescribed weight-loss injections online.

Fiona Graham, who runs a private clinic in Chelmsford, Essex, said she regularly received requests for Wegovy and Mounjaro from people who did not meet the criteria for using the drugs.

“People use exercise weights, water bottles under their arms, books — anything that makes them appear heavier than they really are,” she said.

Roz Gittins, of the General Pharmaceutical Council (GPC), said its guidelines made it clear that a prescriber of weight-loss drugs should check patients’ weight and height before giving the drugs.

Dr Graham, who also runs NHS clinics, said people could become “nutritionally depleted” if they used the drug without being entitled to it, as they would not be able to meet their nutritional needs naturally.

“We might see people losing bone density and muscle mass and that’s where we might see problems in the future,” she said.

Dr Graham called for tighter controls to prevent vaccines being inappropriately sold online.

“How can we know what someone’s weight is if it’s just a photo taken of their weight?” she added.

“This leads to people being able to bend the rules and circumvent the system.”

Weight-loss vaccines have been available on the NHS in England since the end of June, but the drug is not available over the counter and patients must meet strict criteria to be eligible for a prescription.

It is estimated that around 1.5 million people take weight loss drugs in the UK.

James, not his real name, said he used a weight loss regimen to maintain his athletic physique.

The 34-year-old, from Suffolk, said he had never had a problem obtaining the drug online.

“Two minutes on Google and you can have them in a cart, purchased,” he said.

“I’m going to keep taking it – if it hurts me, it won’t hurt anyone else.”

The National Institute for Clinical Excellence states that weight loss injections should only be offered on the NHS to an obese adult with a body mass index (BMI) of at least 35 and a pre-existing weight-related health problem.

Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) guidance states that private online prescribers should only administer Mounjaro to adult patients with a BMI of 30 or more.

Ms Gittins, GPC pharmacy director, said: “Earlier this year we updated our guidance to clarify that when providing medicines used for weight management, the prescriber is expected to independently verify the information provided by the person, including their weight, height and/or body mass index.

“We inspect hundreds of pharmacies each month and are in contact with many more in response to concerns we receive.

“We will continue to take appropriate action to protect patient safety if a pharmacy does not meet our standards.”

An MHRA spokesperson said: “Prescription weight loss medicines should only be obtained from a registered pharmacy with a prescription issued by a healthcare professional.

“Taking these medications from any other source carries serious risks to your health, with no guarantee of what they contain.”

The BBC has contacted the Department of Health and Social Care.