“Skinny jabs” documentary- any thoughts?

[Finallydoingit24]

I haven’t watched it all yet but I have some initial thoughts:

They showed one clip where an under 18 girl bought the medication online, lied about date of birth and then went to Boots to pick it up. The person working there asked for name and dob (she gave the fake one) but didn’t ask for ID. Apparently this was very negligent. I have never been asked for ID for any medication I’ve been prescribed. They also decline to show the girls face but she was apparently 16 and from the bit they did show, she looked tall and well developed so likely did look like she was 18 (not like she lied and said she was 30). This could be tightened up of course and I have zero issue with being asked for a scan of ID (I have ordered other medications online though and never been asked for ID).

Another was a man who nearly died from them due to low blood sugar. He was already a diabetic on insulin. He lied and said his GP was on board and it seems did not disclose the insulin medication which is idiotic. He since told his GP who reduced the insulin for him and he’s fine and doing well.

Another was an undercover reporter who went to a nurse prescriber’s house to pick up pre ordered medication. We were told that she had a BMI of 24.2 and the insinuation was that she was so obviously not overweight that it would be negligent to hand it over. First of all, the meeting took place when it was pitch black outside. Second, I am not disputing the girls BMI but she had a very full face and could easily have had a significantly higher BMI. She was also dressed in lots of layers so if I looked at her I’d probably not have questioned her eligibility. Why did they deliberately pick someone who looked overweight in the face and make them dress in layers? Why not get someone who is very obviously slim (like the presenter who I think was also pregnant) and get her to try to pick them up? Seemed engineered to me.

Lots about how people are circumventing the NHS - they don’t even prescribe it for weight loss and won’t unless you are very morbidly obese.

Apparently the cheapest jabs are £180 per month. So totally false.

I will carry on watching but not convinced so far…

Channel 4 jumping on the bandwagon? Surely not?

yeah shocking isn’t it?
Okay so have watched a bit more and there is another undercover reporter who is obviously not overweight but the nurse prescriber gives it to her anyway. Which is not good. But surely if you were eligible you’d go with a reputable provider, not some nurse on Facebook charging £200 for it? So it’s not hugely surprising really.

Apparently there are “whole areas of Britain where you can’t get skinny jabs on the NHS”. Wow shocking, do these people do even the basics of research ffs.

At least they do balance it with a GP who says that they are helpful for obese people and that obesity is bad for you.

I thought it was ok. I hope it highlights why NHS are not prescribing it, it’s not to be difficult but because it is so difficult!

I think some of their outrage is a bit ott. For people with diabetes or an eating disorder it’s risky but for others the medication is pretty safe overall.

It also didn’t make clear that the nurses are prescribers, they have an additional qualification to allow them to prescribe and this is not something all nurses can do. It is unfortunately a market ripe for abuse.

Agree regarding the 24.2 BMI girl.

It was a very frustrating watch. Just one woman at the end as a token 'this medication could actually really help this person who meets all of the prescribing criteria' after an hour of 'people who lie to get prescription medication shouldn't really get that prescription medication'.
Calling obesity medication skinny jabs made the agenda very clear though. It's a shame there wasn't more editorial balance.

I can’t believe someone hasn’t furiously started a thread in AIBU… yet.

Completely agree, the reporting was very slanted.

Maybe they wore themselves out with the 'expensive death jabs' one!

Was pretty boring and lacking in substance. Do investigative reporters get paid much nowadays? They don't deserve it going by that program.

Short version (from what I could remember as it was so captivating I didn't pay attention through all of it) is a couple of people who it has worked for, Boots giving it to someone under 18 (because they lied online and pharmacy assumed the checks were done online) and NHS prescribing nurses doing it as a wee sideline (and should be sacked). A couple of experts saying it shouldn't happen.

Both shouldn't happen, hopefully new guidelines once fully implemented will reduce those kind of incidents.

To be fair as someone who doesn't take any of the injections / not trying to lose weight, I agree with many of the above.

I don't think that show covers the point that on line pharmacies and consultations save the nhs loads of time and money.

I think the on line ability to purchase and illegal market will be abused by people who shouldn't take it- but this is the same as many other prescribed drugs.