The Dangers of Buying GLP-1 Medications Online Without Seeing a Doctor
As demand grows for GLP-1 weight loss medications, so does the number of people seeking shortcuts for obtaining them. Because most people are used to shopping online, consumers expect to be able to order anything directly from a business’s website. After all, the reasoning goes, “I want to lose weight, and I know that GLP-1 medications will let me do that. So I should be able to buy them without seeing a doctor. Besides, I can get them much cheaper online!”
However, there is a dangerous trade-off involved: Valuing convenience and what seems to be a bargain over safety. Dealing directly with websites selling semaglutide (which belongs to the GLP-1 RAs class of drugs) puts consumers at serious risk of health complications and even death resulting from counterfeit products. Consumer fraud is another risk, as such companies may take your money, but not deliver the medication.
Most of these online “pharmacies” are illegal, flying under the radar of understaffed, overwhelmed regulatory agencies. Anyone who buys from this type of shady operation might pay the ultimate price – their own life!
Mother Almost Dies From Counterfeit Semaglutide Bought Online
Michelle Sword, a 45-year-old woman in Oxfordshire, England, ordered a weight-loss pen online that was advertised as containing semaglutide. About 15 minutes after injecting herself, Sword began feeling confused and disoriented, then lost consciousness. Fortunately, her daughter was with her at the time. Had she not been there and called 999 (the UK’s equivalent of 911), Sword would have died. Instead of semaglutide, the injection pen contained pure insulin. Emergency room doctors who treated her said they had never before seen a patient with such a low blood sugar level survive.
There is much more to Sword’s harrowing experience, as the effort to save her life was prolonged and touch-and-go at times. After making a complete recovery, she has gone public with her near-death experience to warn the public against purchasing weight-loss medications online. If interested, you can read her full story by clicking here. If you are considering buying semaglutide online, we strongly recommend you take the time to read the details of Sword’s ordeal – then reconsider.
A Formal Study Reveals Counterfeit Ingredients and Fraud in Online Semaglutide Purchases
An extensive study focusing on illegal online pharmacies published its findings in JAMA Network in August, 2024. The issue the study set out to address was summarized as follows:
“The popularity of branded semaglutide is surging, with widespread media coverage, viral social media exposure, and celebrity endorsements. Although Wegovy (Novo Nordisk) is approved for long-term weight management, Ozempic (Novo Nordisk) (only approved for type 2 diabetes) is often used off-label for this purpose. Global regulatory agencies, including the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA), European Medicines Agency, and World Health Organization (WHO), have warned about fake versions driven by patient demand, high cost, and shortages. Illegal online pharmacies, which operate without valid licenses and sell medicines like semaglutide without prescription, represent a consumer risk for ineffective and dangerous products.”
This study is written in academic language, which can be dry and off-putting. We’ll break it down in plain language, so you’ll quickly get the message.
How they did it – The study group searched Google and Bing to find websites advertising semaglutide without a prescription. Two prefilled pens were then ordered. Upon delivery, the products were tested for quality – including sterility and microbiological contamination. The group used guidelines set by official US and European pharmacology standards to determine the quality of products received.
What they found – Out of the online pharmacies the group found via Google and Bing, almost one-half were illegal. “Upon quality testing, one sample had elevated presence of endotoxin … indicating possible contamination, although no viable microorganisms were detected. [Another type of test] revealed the presence of semaglutide in all samples, but with considerably lower purity levels [than advertised]. The measured semaglutide content substantially exceeded the labeled amount in each sample by 29% to 39%, meaning that users could receive up to 39% more semaglutide per injection. These risk factors indicate likely falsification that does not meet legitimate product quality standards.”
According to the FDA, overdosing on semaglutide can cause severe nausea and vomiting, as well as dangerous drops in blood sugar levels.
Other products were found to have “clear discrepancies in regulatory registration information, accurate labeling, and evidence products were likely unregistered or unlicensed.”
Moreover, of six products purchased, only three were received. “Three vendors selling Ozempic injections engaged in nondelivery scams requesting extra payments … to purportedly clear customs, [which was] confirmed as fraudulent by customs agencies.”
Conclusion – The study found that “semaglutide products are actively being sold without prescription by illegal online pharmacies, with vendors shipping unregistered and falsified products. Two websites evaluated were sent FDA warning letters for unlawful sale of unapproved and misbranded semaglutide.”
Unfortunately, as the study also revealed, the “business” of these illegal online pharmacies has real-life consequences.
“US poison centers have reported a 1500% increase in calls related to semaglutide, highlighting the need for enhanced pharmacovigilance including for online sourcing harms.”
Put in even plainer language, buyer beware!
Why You Need a Doctor Specializing in Medical Weight Loss to Prescribe GLP-1 Medications
Medical weight loss is not a DIY project that starts with a purchase from an online “pharmacy” that ships GLP-1 medications of sketchy origins and uncertain purity – assuming it sends you anything at all for your money. Considering what you might receive, it would be better if you were only out the amount you paid. At least your life wouldn’t be in danger!
Keep in mind that GLP-1 medications require a doctor’s prescription to be dispensed legally. They are not the same as over-the-counter (OTC) drugs, which are sold on store shelves. A prescription drug is prescribed for and intended for use by only one person. The safety of a prescription drug bought from any source without a prescription cannot be guaranteed.
Direct-to-consumer (DTC) telehealth companies that provide prescriptions for GLP-1 weight loss medications without requiring an in-person appointment with a physician occupy a sketchy middle ground. These companies are heavily advertised on TV and online, giving them high name recognition – and giving consumers the impression that they follow ethical standards.
As we covered in our blog post – “Why You Shouldn’t Order GLP-1 Medications Online” – such companies may offer an online consultation with a doctor, but the doctor is affiliated with the company. If you can choose the doctor for your video conference, you’ll only be able to choose from those within its network. Some companies let you skip even this step, allowing you to order GLP-1 medications (as well as any other medications the company offers) simply by answering a brief questionnaire and/or filling out a form.
Although DTC telehealth companies promote themselves as being consumer-friendly, an eye-opening report by Natasha Singer and Katie Thomas in The New York Times – Drug Sites Upend Doctor-Patient Relations: ‘It’s Restaurant-Menu Medicine’ – reveals otherwise.
“The sites invert the usual practice of medicine by turning the act of prescribing drugs into a service. Instead of doctors making diagnoses and then suggesting treatments, patients request drugs and physicians serve largely as gatekeepers.
“Some of these companies operate in a regulatory vacuum that could increase public health risks … And federal and state health laws, written to ensure competent medical care and drug safety, have not kept pace with online services …”
To this point, most people don’t know that there is no single federal or state agency in charge of overseeing DTC services. These companies describe themselves as tech platforms, not health providers – giving them a legal excuse to avoid responsibility should you experience an adverse reaction or bad outcome. Protection for consumers is minimal or non-existent.
Medical weight loss treatment is, after all, medical treatment that needs to be in the hands of an experienced, licensed physician. William E. Newsome, M.D., is Medical Director and co-owner of Solutions Weight Loss. Instead of filling out an online form, you’ll have an in-person consultation with Dr. Newsome. During your first appointment, he will measure your body mass index (BMI), take your vital signs (body temperature, pulse rate, respiratory rate and blood pressure) and talk with you about your medical history to learn about any health conditions you’ve had or currently have.
During this appointment, Dr. Newsome will also have an in-depth conversation with you about your weight loss goals. If you feel frustrated by the lack of results and setbacks from previous weight loss programs you’ve tried, Dr. Newsome has been where you are – and knows that losing excess weight is a difficult and emotional process.
Based upon your consultation, Dr. Newsome will evaluate and prescribe for you the best GLP-1 medication treatment plan to achieve your goals. We offer high-quality, safe and affordable, compounded GLP-1 medications like semaglutide and tirzepatide – which you probably know under brand names like Wegovy®, Ozempic®, Zepbound®, or Mounjaro®. Research shows that when combined with one-on-one physician coaching, low-calorie diet and lifestyle changes, they are the safest and most effective approach to achieve sustainable weight loss.
Because we prescribe, compound and dispense these medications, shortages of the brand-name drugs that often occur will never affect your access. In fact, you can leave our office with your medication the same day – offering you both confidence in the quality of your GLP-1 medication AND convenience! Moreover, we understand that people have busy schedules that may not allow them to visit our office on a weekly basis. That’s why we can dispense up to 12 weeks of your weight loss medication at a time.
We know that the doctor-patient relationship is essential to successful, sustainable weight loss. Dr. Newsome and our entire Solutions Weight Loss team are with you on every step of your medical weight loss journey! You’ll never feel that you’re on your own. You will know us, and we will know you – which allows us to give you the individual help and advice you need!
Our Proven Track Record in Getting Results for Our Patients
Solutions Weight Loss internal results prove our medically supervised program is effective at driving long-term improvements to metabolic health and weight loss, with an average of 21% weight loss at 12 months; 19.1% at 18 months, and 18.9% at 24 months. Our members have also decreased their waist circumference by 7 inches, on average. These results are superior to the weight loss seen in clinical trials for GLP-1 medications. Regardless of which medication they take, our members have demonstrated significant and sustained results!
Your weight loss goals – and your health – are too important to be left to a DTC telehealth company. A medical weight loss treatment plan provided and supervised by Dr. Newsome can help you achieve success in a safe, proven way, making sure you have all the support you need.
See what makes Solutions Weight Loss the #1 weight loss clinic in Florida! Schedule your consultation with Dr. Newsome here, or call 407-413-5503, and experience the benefits of today’s metabolic approach to sustainable weight loss! Don’t wait another day to start living your best life!