Ozempic-like fat jabs to be available on NHS at high street pharmacies WITHOUT having to see a GP
BRITS will be able to get Ozempic-style fat jabs from high street pharmacies, according to reports.
Drugs like Mounjaro and Wegovy could be available over the counter after a short consultation at the cost of an NHS prescription, they claim.
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Right now, only a few can get their hands on the powerful jabs – and only after speaking to a doctor and trying other weight-loss methods first.
Ministers are planning to massively widen access to the jabs through "creative" routes – including high street chemists, health centres and apps, according to the Daily Mail.
The shake-up could slash wait times, making it far easier for eligible Brits to get the drug, with some currently stuck in a two-year queue.
Once the deal is signed, Brits could walk into a pharmacy, have a quick check-up, and walk out with a month's supply - all for just £9.90, the same as an NHS prescription.
This is substantially less than the £150-a-month cost of getting these injections privately.
But the reports have been described as "speculative", with health experts warning obesity drugs must only be used under medical supervision by those who are eligible.
A government spokesperson told Sky News: "As the government shifts the NHS from sickness to prevention, we will be looking across the board at how these drugs can be made available to more people who can benefit from them.
"The NHS is already tackling obesity in innovative ways, including through community care models and digital technologies, to help deliver these drugs as part of a rounded package of care."
Previous estimates from the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) have suggested that 3.4 million people in England could benefit from weight loss injections.
But last December, NICE said these jabs would only be available to 220,000 patients on the NHS in the first three years - meaning millions of others could end up waiting up to 12 years for treatment.
In clinical trials, people lost 15 per cent to 20 per cent of their body weight, depending on the drug.
They've also been shown to cut the risk of heart attacks and strokes.
It comes as the World Health Organisation (WHO) prepares to officially endorse weight-loss drugs to tackle obesity in adults for the first time.
Everything you need to know about fat jabs
Weight loss jabs are a hot media topic at the moment, with hundreds of success stories from people who shed the pounds.
In March 2023, the NHS announced it would make Wegovy, a drug made by Danish firm Novo Nordisk, available on prescription to thousands of obese Brits.
It contains the drug semaglutide, which is said to have helped reality star Kim Kardashian and Twitter boss Elon Musk lose weight.
Wegovy, which helped a third of people reduce their weight by 20 per cent in trials, is now available from pharmacies like Boots.
How do they work?
The jabs work by suppressing your appetite, making you eat less and therefore lose weight.
To do this, semaglutide mimics the role of a natural hormone, called GLP-1.
GLP-1 is part of the signalling pathway that tells your body you have eaten, and prepares it to use the energy that comes from your food.
London GP and founder of wellgoodwellbeing.com, Dr Zoe Watson, said: 'Your body naturally produces an appetite regulating hormone called glucagon-like peptide-1.
'These jabs work by regulating your appetite, which can lead to eating fewer calories and losing weight.'
Aren't they diabetes drugs?
Semaglutide, the active drug in Wegovy, was originally sold under the name Ozempic specifically for diabetes patients.
But people started noticing it helped suppress their appetites, stopping them eating as much and helping them shed the pounds.
Novo Nordisk then developed Wegovy, which contains the same chemical but at higher doses specifically to aid weight loss.
Wegovy is not prescribed for diabetes patients.
Can I get them?
Wegovy is offered on prescription to obese adults given specialist weight loss treatment.
The NHS currently also offers a similar drug called Saxenda, or liraglutide.
Both are only available throught specialist weight management services, which means you have to be referred to clinics led by experts.
GPs can't prescribe them on their own, Dr Watson said.
The jabs have to be taken as part of an overall programme to help with lifestyle changes and psychological support to get the best effect from the medication prescribed.
Are there any risks?
Like all medicines, the jabs do not come without side effects.
Around half of people taking the drug experience gut issues, including sickness, bloating, acid reflux, constipation and diarrhoea.
Dr Sarah Jarvis, GP and clinical consultant at patient.info, said: 'One of the more uncommon side effects is severe acute pancreatitis, which is extremely painful and happens to one in 500 people.'
Other uncommon side effects include altered taste, kidney problems, allergic reactions, gallbladder problems and hypoglycemia.
What other options are there?
Mounjaro (brand name for tirzepatide) also came onto the market in early 2024.
Like Wegovy, tirzepatide stems from a drug originally designed to treat diabetes.
The weekly injection helped overweight people drop more than two stone in 18 months.
It is available with to order with a prescription online from pharmacies including Superdrug and LloydsPharmacy Online Doctor.
It works in a similar way to Wegovy and Saxenda, but is more effective.
Dr Mitra Dutt from LloydsPharmacy says: 'Based on clinical trials, 96 per cent of people were able to lose more than five per cent of their body fat using Mounjaro. In similar trials, 84 per cent of people lost more than five per cent of their body weight on Wegovy, and 60 per cent on Saxenda.
'Mounjaro works by activating two hormonal receptors (GIP and GLP-1), which enhance insulin production, improve insulin sensitivity, and work to decrease food intake."
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