Pharmacies braced for surge in demand as Wegovy pill becomes available

Pharmacies are “bracing themselves” for a surge in patients starting weight loss drugs as the Wegovy pill becomes available.

Pharmacists also warned the new form of semaglutide could lead to a rise in fake or unlicensed weight loss pills being sold on the black market.

The Wegovy tablet, made by Novo Nordisk, became the first GLP-1 pill for weight loss to be approved by the UK’s medicines regulator last month.

The starting dose is 1.5mg, rising to 4mg, 9mg and 25mg – with patients required to be on each dose level for at least a month before going up.

From Monday, the lowest doses – 1.5 mg and 4mg – will be available as part of weight management programmes in some pharmacies to eligible patients.

However, a survey of 310 pharmacies by the National Pharmacy Association (NPA) found 76% expect to start a significant number of new eligible patients on the pill in the coming months.

Around half (49%) told the poll they had experienced a surged in queries from people hoping to start treatment following Medicines Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) approval in June.

Olivier Picard, chairman of the NPA, said: “This is a significant day and pharmacies are bracing themselves for a surge in demand for this new form of weight loss treatment.

“This is particularly significant for patients who cannot or do not want to take an injectable medicine.

“The NHS rollout remains extremely slow and community pharmacy is ready to support a wider rollout, which will help eligible patients access treatment safely and help mitigate the impact of obesity on the NHS.”

Meanwhile, some 97% of the pharmacies who responded said they are concerned the pill form of Wegovy could lead to an increase in fake pills being sold.

The NPA urged patients to only access the drug through regulated pharmacies after a thorough consultation.

Mr Picard said: “As this survey shows, pharmacies are concerned about a dangerous and growing black market for weight loss medicines, with tablet form of medication likely to be easier for criminals to counterfeit.

“Patients should be wary of sites offering medicines at a cost that is too good to be true or providers who are not offering consultations before prescribing.

“If anyone is concerned by a medicine they have bought online, they should speak to their local pharmacist for advice.

“Weight loss medication is not a silver bullet and won’t be suitable for all patients but it can help those who are eligible achieve a healthy weight, along with sustained changes to diet and lifestyle.”