New pharmacy rules announced

[CoverMeInMarmalade]

Pharmacies require stricter weight-loss jab checks www.bbc.com/news/articles/c5yeklrer39o

We knew it was on the cards but really frustrating if this now causes problems for those of us who are genuinely obese and need this drug to help save our health/lives.

@CoverMeInMarmalade You’d likely pay for an initial consultation, then you’d be issued with a repeat prescription. Then you’d have a review every X months.

That’s how they prescribe other medicines normally - such as contraception for example.

If the checks are "visual" (i.e video calls with the pharmacy), anyone trying to do maintenance will surely be ruled out?

I can’t see why maintenance would change, for those who have been on it for some time and lost weight to hit an healthy BMI (other than video check ins perhaps). Apart from anything else the big-pharma profit angle will want to keep as many people on it as possible. The regulations are one thing - the power of the £/$ another.

I notice that the new guidance is also aimed at cracking down on the illegal practice of offering discounts on the medication -- a practice that MN currently fully supports with a dedicated topic for discount codes.

From The Guardian:

The changes also stress online pharmacies must follow the law and guidance on the advertising and promotion of medicines ...
online pharmacies have been using loopholes in the rules to offer discount deals for weight loss “services” that include – and prominently feature – the jabs.

I hope this means that MN will now stop hosting these crowdsourced illegal adverts.

Wonder if it'll become even more expensive?!

I can't see that these guidelines will change much other than perhaps a very small price increase to process new applications.

We are still hugely fortunate to live in a country where the price point and accessibility of GLP-1s is vastly better than it is in many other countries.

Couldn't agree more. Still find it shocking that MN encourages this practice.

You'll still fall within prescribing guidelines if you've lost weight from obese on the drug.

Is this just for new customers or existing customers? I am obese still so not worried just would prefer not to delay my next delivery.

Cost is going to go up, going to push a few people who were just about able to afford this off the meds, it's going to lead to delays in prescribing, and, let's be honest here,e've seen the skinny police who come in this forum gleefully to make sure we're all being fat in an appropriate manner, not enjoying the weight loss journey and to remind us of our moral failings and how we're "cheating"... and a large part of the public outcry that's been drummed up about these jabs is that moral element of fatties being able to lose weight consistently without being in the depths of utter total misery continually (which is how weight loss and maintenance IS for those of us who have wonky hormonal levels in our brains).

I'm not 100% sure I'm going to be able to consistently afford these if the costs increase prohibitively - and believe me, I more than fit the prescribing criteria - starting BMI over 50, down 3 stone now and my mobility is increasing as the weight drops, which increases my activity levels so it's all falling into place over time - however I very rarely have GP involvement because I don't have health conditions, and GPs are so intolerant of obesity I once went with a perforated eardrum due to an ear infection and had the weight loss talk!

Society as a whole hates fat people, but secretly needs us to exist to have someone to hate. These offered a fighting chance for people who had struggled for decades and there's a huge chunk of society that have completely resented that - and a hell of a lot of that's been drummed up and made it into the media. Yes, we had the piss takers, and the referral codes had gone mad - but that was also an indication of how desperate a lot of people are for something that is actually going to help them, but is financially still at a level that some find prohibitive... this is going to drive people to the dodgy vials of shite that Sharon at the nail bar is flogging (although it's usually counterfeit handbags at my nail tech to be fair!) and then there's going to be more media stories about "weight loss jab put me in hospital" when in reality fuck knows what they were injecting.

I also usually get at least a couple of fact verifying emails before my prescriptions get issued anyway - so pharmacies are already applying a lot of due dilligence over this, but that doesn't make good media outrage.

No doubt the self-appointed fatty police will be along soon to crack down on any voices of dissent.

I agree with everything you just said @TorturedParentsDepartment. Human nature is so depressing sometimes.

Not if your prescribing record evidences that you've been on the drug from an obese BMI. They have already licensed the drug for maintenance, why would this change that?

I imagine this may make more people just buy it from unregistered back street companies.

However I do understand the need for more thorough checks.

Thanks. But my obesity was never independently verified so technically I could have lied and now wanting to continue the medication. Although I still have the date stamped photos from then with my face showing and they could weigh me now and then compare visually to the pictures and it should be obvious. I’m probably over thinking it 😂 Also I haven’t weighed this week yet so I’m probably still obese but hopefully not for much longer!

My understanding from the announcement is that people starting on WLI privately will have to have video consultations with the prescriber rather than just sending photos. And that your GP will be informed that you are on the medication.

I think that is a good thing. It will hopefully prevent people who aren't eligible from accessing a powerful medication.

I get my prescription through the NHS. I had an initial consultation with my GP which was quite long, about 30 minutes I think, then I had to see my diabetic nurse twice before getting the medication. All the risks and benefits were discussed with me in depth, I was weighed and measured.

I'm overweight but not obese (my BMI is 27). If I didn't have diabetes then obviously I wouldn't qualify but could easily take a photo of me on the scales where I could ensure my weight was greater than it really is. I'm sure lots of people do that.

MJ and similar drugs are an amazing tool to tackle diabetes and obesity, but need to be closely regulated. I shudder when I read about people who don't want their GP to know they are on WLI. Why on earth would you want them not to?

GPs are so intolerant of obesity I once went with a perforated eardrum due to an ear infection and had the weight loss talk!

Yeah - a ton of studies show routine discrimination against obese patients by healthcare practioners - in a variety of countries and settings. It's actually pretty depressing how far behind the science medical treatment is.

https://scholar.google.co.uk/scholar?q=GPs+discriminate+obese+patients&hl=en&as_sdt=0&as_vis=1&oi=scholart

I just read the guidelines - it says weight independently verified so I don’t think necessarily any GP involvement.

It sounds like a good thing on the whole but as everyone has said will it lead to price rises, delays and more black market?

My BMI is now below 30 but can I prove that it used to be above 30 to the new guidelines satisfaction? It is worrying as an existing user that everthing will go wrong. Hopefully it will just be a video consultation with our providers and on we go.

I think certain companies have been on questionable ground with this for a while. Even though they are operating inside the current rules it's still iffy to give discounts for recruiting others (and, full disclosure, I say that as someone who has benefitted from the referrals in the past).

I will probably switch to a private GP personally. Monthly appointments to chat and get weighed and walk out with a prescription.

No there is no suggestion the prescribing regulations on the drugs will change , mounjaro is approved for life and can be used for maintenance, this is purely about being prescribed in the first place via chemists, to make sure you meet the criteria, it isn’t about the mhra changing their approval of the drug.

the mhra , is medical health regulatory authority is the one who approves the drug and decides the criteria.

the chemists then prescribe, this is about the chemists prescribing within the criteria the mhra set. And as said, mounjaro is approved for life time usage,

it’s basically trying to stop people not eligible getting the drug.

I’m worried as someone who is now a healthy BMI and maintaining weight from being obese that my prescription will be stopped completely. Its very concerning.

I popped my re-order in a little bit early this morning (I was going to order end of this week anyway once I'd got down to one "active" pen and none in reserve). IQ Doctor usually come back with at least a couple of checks they want to do when I order - because for some reason their ID checks never ever work for me and I always end up having to email in my drivers licence photo again, so I'm waiting to see what comes when their approval team get to mine in the queue this time.

I also have a strange body frame where I've been able to carry a couple of stone over what it looks like I weigh - so verifying BMI visually when I get closer to "acceptable" size might be a struggle point for me.

I'm just depressed at society's witch hunt against something which actually works for obesity to be honest. They claim they don't want fat people to exist but in reality, stay where you are and suffer fatties (and don't dare want to buy nice clothes that aren't cold shoulder tops with fecking butterflies on - when I am BMI OK I will never buy anything with butterflies on again).

Why? There is no suggestion the mhra regulation will change, did you decline to let your doctor know? Did your doctor know you were obese?

I think that prices will definitely rise, which is not good for me, as I've been scrimping and saving afford these life changing meds.