A fat-busting jab that is popular among celebrities is set to be made available at UK High Street chemists.
Wegovy, also known as semaglutide, can help patients suppress appetite and was recently approved for use. Chemists will now be able to provide a full service for patients, including both the prescribing and dispensing of the drug.
Superdrug and Lloyds Pharmacy already have pages on their websites that allow people in the UK to register their interest in Wegovy.
The drug has been used by the likes of Elon Musk, according to a tweet posted by the Tesla and Twitter CEO last year.
While Wegovy can help with appetite in some instances, it is not a guaranteed quick-fix and the website lists nausea, diarrhoea and bloating among potential side effects. Additionally, a 2022 study found that users can regain most of the weight that they lost after coming off of the drug.
Patients inject themselves with Wegovy, which suppresses the appetite through mimicking a hormone that is released after eating. People on the drug inject themselves once a week with pre-filled pens.
The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (Nice) released guidance, recommending the drug for adults with at least one weight-related condition and a body mass index of at least 35. In some cases, those with a BMI of 30 may be able to access the drug.
The weight-related conditions that make obese people eligible include high blood pressure, dyslipidaemia, obstructive sleep apnoea and heart disease. People will only be given Wegovy for a maximum of two years.
A Boots representative told Diabetes.co.uk: "Wegovy is a prescription-only weight-loss medicine that can help to regulate appetite and reduce cravings. It can be an effective medicine to achieve sustained weight loss when used alongside a reduced calorie diet, increased physical activity and healthy lifestyle choices."
According to the BBC, Boots Online Doctor expects to launch a prescribing and dispensing service for patients in spring 2023. Superdrug has confirmed that patients in Scotland will be able to access a prescribing and dispensing service for Wegovy through the Superdrug Online Doctor.
Helen Knight, programme director in the centre for health technology evaluation at Nice, said: "We know that management of overweight and obesity is one of the biggest challenges our health service is facing, with nearly two-thirds of adults either overweight or obese.
"It is a lifelong condition that needs medical intervention, has psychological and physical effects, and can affect quality of life."
The Daily Record has approached Boots for comment.
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