The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) have announced that of the 3.4million people eligible for the “King Kong of weight loss drugs”, Mounjaro, under 10% of them will be able to access it on the NHS over the next three years.
As part of their 12 year roll out plan to tackle the impact of obesity on the country, the first cohort of eligible patients who will be receiving the NHS treatment equates to just 220,000 people across the country who need it most.
In the war against obesity and its multitude of subsequent health risks, this is a positive step for the NHS, and a cost-effective way to bring down the economic price of obesity in the UK. It is estimated the roll out will cost NHS England about £317.2million a year by the third year – a fraction of the £11.4billion currently spent on obesity-related conditions.
However, as this news trickles down across the population, there is a concern that those who are not eligible may try to access this treatment through unregulated, unsafe sources, putting themselves in danger and placing further pressure on the NHS.
That’s why the team at Bodyline want to ensure that those who are seeking GLP-1weight loss medications like Mounjaro or WeGovy are taking necessary precautions and ensuring they remain safe from potential harm. This is particularly vital as we see an increase in hospitalisations due to misuse of the weight loss drugs, where it is being taken by those who are not eligible.
We’ve put together a handy guide on how to spot illegal black-market sellers and identify safe providers of medical weight loss treatments.
Here are the things you should look out for to ensure safety, security, and support throughout a weight loss journey.
Contact Bodyline today to find out more about our safe and effective weight loss programmes and range of treatment options.
Safe Prescribing Practices
Only those patients under the care of specialist weight-management services will be offered it initially – matching the approach taken with a similar weight-loss drug, Wegovy.
Specialist weight-management services and programmes like ours here at Bodyline keep track of side effects, monitor efficacy, and can alter prescriptions and dosages as needed.
Cath Frankland is one of Bodyline’s most experienced nurse prescribers and practitioners and has helped thousands of people achieve their weight loss goals and change their lives for the better.
“Regulated support is really important because when people buy medications from sources that aren’t proven to be safe, secure, and trusted – probably on the internet -they don’t know what they are, or they’re made of. It’s vital when prescribing to remember that our goal is to help our clients, give them the correct advice and support them through the weight health journey.
“We’ve seen that without nurse support alongside these injectables, there’s a temptation for people to begin at too high a dose. The guidance to help prevent severe side effects is to begin at a low dose titrate up, gradually. Going in at a higher dose can result in users ending up ill or with intolerable side effects, which means they just stop taking them and don’t get the result the want, or what they paid for.”
For Bodyline, we aren’t motivated by churning out as many medications and prescriptions as possible – we work incredibly hard to change our patients’ lives and habits.
We offer holistic care and guidance to individuals seeking to achieve their goals through medicated weight loss, meaning we look at the whole person when providing care. Bodyline’s experienced healthcare professionals assess everyone’s unique needs and evaluate their eligibility for weight loss medications.
Beware of online sellers
The NHS are only allowed to prescribe Mounjaro or WeGovy alongside a specialist weight loss programme. Why do you think that might be?
Weight management is about total lifestyle changes. If someone is promising dramatic weight loss with one magic injection they simply cannot be trusted.
If you are struggling to manage your weight and considering weight loss injections, look for clinical providers who are experienced in weight health and haven’t popped up out of nowhere with no previous work in the slimming industry.
Medications like these do not work overnight – and their results do not last unless the user has made a total lifestyle change, with habits formed over time and with the support and guidance of specialist experts.
At Bodyline Medical Wellness Clinics, our patient journey prioritises the support in our weight management services every step of the way:
- Our weight loss specialist customer services team discuss your weight loss goals and understand your medical history before taking you through the medical options we provide.
- If you are eligible for medical weight loss treatment, they will arrange a medical consultation with one of our weight health nurses.
- We offer the choice of face-to-face specialist nurse consultants at one of our clinics or via an on-line consultation at home depending on your lifestyle and location.
- You will then have a consultation with a specialist weight loss nurse to decide the best treatment plan to achieve your weight loss goals, but we will take you through a full medical assessment before even considering offering a personalised treatment plan.
- Our nurses and clinicians are qualified to prescribe, but they will contact your GP where necessary to confirm your eligibility and medical history.
- You will have continued monitoring and support when on a Bodyline weight health programme.
How to ensure quality care
Health and safety are of the utmost importance when prescribing any medication.
When the medication involves a self-administered needle, then it’s also about whether you can trust the needle, not just the ingredients.
That’s why it’s crucial to ensure the place you are getting the medications from is kept in check by someone who can check the processes, health and safety, as well as verifying the medication and the healthcare practices. Without this reassurance, you may find it difficult to identify legitimate providers compared to black market, illegal slimming jabs.
One regulatory body that is important in UK healthcare is the Care Quality Commission, also known as the CQC. They inspect healthcare facilities in the UK, including NHS hospitals, GP practices, and care homes, to ensure companies provide people with “safe, effective, compassionate, high-quality care”.
Bodyline Medical Wellness Clinics is proud to be regulated by the CQC, with all our in-person clinics in the Northwest being rated as ‘good’.
We know how important it is to be certified and regulated so we can assure you we offer the highest quality of care when providing prescriptions to lifechanging medications like so-called skinny jabs.
How to get Mounjaro when the NHS won’t prescribe it to you?
That’s the question everyone is asking.
If you don’t qualify for this primary round of NHS Mounjaro prescriptions over the first three years of roll out, why not look towards regulated healthcare providers that can offer the same – and probably better – supported specialist weight loss programmes.
This is not a journey to take alone, and it’s not a journey you want to take with shortcuts. To rely on medical weight loss injections to lose weight, you must put the work in. So, if you struggle to put that work in, you need the prescribed support and guidance to ensure you actually change your life.
Bodyline has been providing medical weight loss solutions for the best part of two decades, offering oral medications as well as semaglutide and now tirzepatide (Mounjaro).To find out more about safe and effective weight loss programmes with injectable medication prescriptions such as Wegovy and Mounjaro contact Bodyline by completing an online form for a call back or calling 0800 995 6036.
