Getting started & finding deals

[FawnFrenchieMum]

My DH & I are thinking of starting the injections, both hugely overweight and struggled to lose any other way. Now too heavy to successfully exercise as everything hurts!

From brief investigations, it looks like you need to be approved by the supplier to order the injections and they let your GP know - is this correct? If so roughly how long does this take?

If you are then swapping suppliers each month to get the best price, do you have to do this each time? How do they track that your not ordering from two supplies at the same time and getting double the amount etc?

Any other useful need to know on setting up / ordering?

Personally, for the first few pens at least, I've chosen a supplier who's permanent prices are not too bad and who I trust. That way, I don't have the stress of swtching around while I am getting used to the drug. Switching may come later on when I am more confident with it.

It took about 5 days from my first applying for a pen to it being delivered. My supplier wrote to my GP at the same time to inform them, but didn't need a response back to proceed.

I think the big thing to keep in mind is HOW the pen may help. It's not going to just take away the weight and so you still need to eat less, eat healthily and start to exercise (in time). The drug makes it so you get fuller more quickly, get hungrier more slowly and reduces some of the psychological rewards of snacks etc.

I would plan now what you are going to eat. You will know what based on your previous attempts to lose weight. Lean proteins, vegetables, wholegrain carbs. Plan for small, simple meals to start with. If you've got the foods in then it will help.

Look at what you have coming up in your life to try to work out what day in the week it might suit you to take the drug. Not many people have serious side effects but some do feel sick etc for a few days after taking it, and you won't want to inject on a Friday and then go out for a celebratory meal on Sat (for eg). Or inject on a Sun if you have a job that is physically hard on the Mon. But so much is individual and you can tweak the day along the way if you need to.

Have a think about storage of the pen. You'll want to be in when it is delivered so you can get it into the fridge where is stays at least until your first injection. From that point on you have 30 days to use the pen up and it can be kept at room temps.

I ordered on a Thursday and it arrived on Saturday from Medexpress.
There is a website where you can check cheapest deals but I can remember what it’s called.
I’m about to order my second pen and am sticking to the same supplier but will look around for deals as I continue.

As there are two of you ordering, the second person to order could use the referral code of the first one, if you wait until the first person is approved.

The online prescribing puts the onus on you as the patient to follow the rules, there is no one person overseeing your requests and so you could try and order multiple pens from multiple sources. Most prescribers will notify your GP, and so potentially your GP might notice the multiple prescriptions. Presumably, you are not actually wanting to do that though?

The prescriber should ask for current photos, showing your physique, and many ask for ID as well to check that the photos match the person who is applying. I would not purchase from a supplier that doesn't do sufficient checks.

The cheaper suppliers that offer large discounts can get swamped with requests which can delay approval and delivery.

I picked a mid-range priced company and have stuck with them for 4 orders so far. I may change depending on which dosage level I'm likely to need over the next few months - the higher doses are more expensive.

Think of this long term rather than just price wise. As your BMI gets lower, some pharmacies stop supplying to you and it's harder to get approved by a new pharmacy. Some pharmacies are better with deliveries or support so I would consider this too. Price is important but it's not the only thing to consider. I use Oushk, they are mid range, not the cheapest or the most expensive. Support and delivery is excellent and they offer maintenance plans too.

Thank you! All very helpful.

@SilenceInside , no absolutely not planning on ordering double or anything, I just wondered how it worked with people seeming to swap companies often.

BMI is around 48 at the minute so a long time away from maintenance doses.