The Bodyline team were incredibly saddened to hear about the passing of Susan McGown, following the news that her tragic death was reported to be linked to being prescribed Mounjaro.
Here at our clinics, we have supportive relationships with all of our patients, and have felt the anxiety and reactions to this terrible news. However, we also want to ease the minds of those patients and those looking to begin a supported medical weight loss journey.
That’s why we have written a statement offering our reassurance as a gold-standard medical wellness clinic and provide the best advice to those feeling anxious about the future of Mounjaro and tirzepatide.
Bodyline Reaction: Our clinics
The case of Susan McGown, a nurse from South Lanarkshire, has saddened all of us at Bodyline.
As stated by Sally-Ann Turner, Bodyline Founder and Managing Director ,“Since we are not privy to the personal medical details and medical history in this case, it is extremely difficult to comment on the circumstances surrounding this tragic case. We also do not know any more than what was published, which was that she had been prescribed Mounjaro by a pharmacy”.
Sally-Ann Turner continued, “Bodyline not a pharmacy; we are a medical wellness clinic that provides supportive holistic treatment programmes depending on the needs of our patients. Bodyline is regulated and governed by the Care Quality Commission (CQC) which is the same regulatory body as GP surgeries, hospitals, dentists, and care homes”.
The CQC’s aims are to make sure this country’s health services provide people with safe, effective, compassionate, high-quality care. To ensure this is the case, they monitor services, inspect locations, and regulate the practices of every service provider under its governance.
Therefore, to gain and maintain CQC regulation, Bodyline is audited to a very high level. Responsible, safe, effective, and supported prescribing has been undertaken by Bodyline for over 16 years. Bodyline actually has a good CQC rating across all
Pharmacies on the other hand are regulated by The General Pharmaceutical Council.
Unfortunately, it has been recorded that there is a regulatory gap with on-line prescribing, particularly regarding medical weight loss drugs like Mounjaro or WeGovy.
Online pharmacy prescribing is a healthcare service that allows patients to request, via a digital health questionnaire, a prescription without visiting a physical office and in many instances having any form of face-to-face consultation.
The risks of online pharmacy prescribing for weight loss have been identified and there is an initial plan that CQC will absorb responsibility for pharmacists who are not working from General Pharmaceutical Council regulated premises.
We do not have details of the type of pharmacy that Susan obtained the weight loss medications, however currently whichever pharmacy type, it would not be CQC regulated.
Now, we’d like to look at the medicine that we prescribe at Bodyline and offer reassurance to those who are using it or looking to use it in the future.
Mounjaro: a prescription weight loss drug
At Bodyline, we only prescribe Mounjaro (or any other weight loss medication) as part of an individual supported clinical weight health programme. As with any prescription medications, we must check the eligibility of patients in taking the medicine, looking at weight health identifiers such as waist circumference, BMI, and blood pressure, as well as ensuring there are no contraindications in your medical history or current prescriptions.
We have a true holistic approach to weight health. That’s why we don’t just offer the medication and leave you there. We provide ongoing support and continuous advice and guidance throughout the weight loss journey and beyond on a weight health maintainence programme.
We realise the dangers of people being prescribed Mounjaro, or any other weight loss medication, without a robust onboarding process and the observation and support of experienced clinicians.
There are many cases each week where we must decline patients starting a weight health journey with Bodyline and their desired weight loss medications, because these are people that are not safe to be prescribed.
However, to offer further reassurances, we recommend you view the statement from Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA), regarding this case and the continued prescribing of Mounjaro (tirzepatide):
Dr Alison Cave, MHRA chief safety officer:
“New medicines, such as tirzepatide, are more intensively monitored to ensure any new safety issues are identified promptly. Our sincere sympathies are with the family of individual concerned. Patient safety is our top priority and no medicine would be approved unless it met our expected standards of safety, quality and effectiveness.
We have robust, safety monitoring and surveillance systems in place for all healthcare products. On the basis of the current evidence the benefits of GLP-1 RAs outweigh the potential risks when used for the licensed indications.”
As with any prescription medication, unfortunately cases of negative reactions can unfortunately occur. However, the benefits of tirzepatide on the general health of the country and the health of many people struggling with obesity, outweighs the potential for harm.
What is Mounjaro?
Mounjaro is a weight loss injection that is self-administered once a week and contains dual-acting incretin hormones GIP (glucose-dependent insulinotropic polypeptide) and GLP-1 (glucagon-like peptide-1).
It mimics the effects of these natural hormones in the body, which are generally released following mealtimes, to promote feelings of fullness and satiety.
Mounjaro is proven to help regulate blood sugar levels, reduce appetite, promote weight loss through reduced caloric intake. It also resets your metabolism for long term weight loss and improved overall weight health.
Its continued approval from the MHRA and the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE), should reassure you that the regulated medication has gone through the checks and balances required to be on the UK market.
Bodyline works, Bodyline cares
Our Bodyline staff have been providing regulated services within the medical weight health industry for 17 years. We have a wealth of experience with safe prescribing practices, medical history analysis, and weight loss support.
Our holistic approach means our patients are supported every single step of the way. If you would like to find out more about Bodyline’s safe and effective weight loss injection programmes, contact Bodyline today at 0800 995 6036 or fill in an online contact form for a call back.
