Senior healthcare professionals have expressed concerns about the significant disparities in access to weight loss medications across London, indicating that patients are enduring a postcode lottery in their attempts to obtain these treatments.

These weight loss medications are delivered through weekly injections, which help patients feel satiated for extended periods, leading to a decrease in appetite and overall consumption of food.

Dorottya Norton, an expert in NHS weight management, addressed a committee of the London Assembly, stating, “Patients can clearly see the inequity – some individuals can initiate treatment while others are left waiting.”

As reported by the Local Democracy Reporting Service, this unequal access is exacerbating as many patients resort to purchasing weight loss products online, which are often counterfeit or intended solely for research purposes.

Tirzepatide, marketed as Mounjaro, has been made available for severely obese patients in the UK since June, with plans to assist approximately 220,000 individuals deemed to have the “greatest need” over the next three years.

The NHS views this medication as an essential addition to combat the escalating obesity crisis and to alleviate the strain on healthcare services.

Nonetheless, senior doctors and pharmacists have cautioned that disparities in access to these weight loss drugs are pronounced throughout London.

Norton further elaborated before the health committee, “There is inconsistency throughout London, as well as in England and the UK overall – patients are experiencing a postcode lottery in weight management services.”

She noted a substantial rise in patient referrals, emphasizing the necessity for uniformity in access across London to help eliminate the postcode lottery.

“The clinical environment is becoming increasingly challenging due to the vast divide between patient knowledge, their desires, and the available options,” she remarked. “A significant number of patients are also funding their treatments out-of-pocket, which is contributing to the growing inequality.”

An imbalance between the demand for and supply of these medications has led some individuals who can afford it to seek out unregulated sources on the black market, as reported to the committee.

Sokratis Papafloratos, the founder of Numan, an online weight loss drug provider, remarked, “When it comes to unauthorized access, I believe we significantly underestimate the magnitude of the issue and its misinterpretation.”

He explained, “People can acquire active ingredients under the guise of conducting research. Unfortunately, many are locating these suppliers and importing ingredients meant for clinical studies, resorting to self-injections, which is astonishing to me.”

Sukhi Basra, vice chair of the National Pharmacy Association, shared with the London Assembly members that her patients have shown her images of boxes filled with “counterfeit medicines.”

“They are marketed as generic drugs, and that terrifies me,” she added.