Key Summary
- Experts warn that bulk ordering could impact supply
- Some online pharmacies are reporting a surge in interest in Wegovy
- MHRA has warned against switching brands without consulting a healthcare professional
- The users have also been warned against taking Mounjaro in small quantities
With Eli Lilly slated to increase the price of Mounjaro by 170 percent starting in September, users of this weight loss medication have been warned against bulk buying or switching to counterfeit versions sold on the black market.
The US pharmaceutical giant made this announcement following pressure from US President Donald Trump to lower medication prices for Americans.
Eli Lilly has assured that the NHS will be shielded from the price rise, but most users in the UK purchase Mounjaro privately.
National Pharmacy Association (NPA) chief executive Henry Gregg said the rising cost of Mounjaro had caused concern to patients and pharmacies alike.
He warned that bulk ordering could impact supply and pose a risk to the regular users.
He also urged the patients to avoid unlicensed sellers, as the medication may be fake or of poor quality.
Gregg suggested that patients should talk to their prescribers and find a way out.
The impending Mounjaro price rise has led to some online pharmacies reporting a surge in interest in Wegovy, another weight-loss jab produced by Novo Nordisk.
However, the Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) had warned against switching brands without consulting a healthcare professional.
The regulatory body said in its guidance that the drugs may vary in strength, how they are used, and the types of conditions they can be used for.
"Switching without medical advice may increase the risk of experiencing side effects or make the treatment less effective," it said.
Graham Thoms, the chief executive of Pharmadoctor, a provider of clinical service packages to pharmacists, told The Guardian that Mounjaro accounted for 98 percent of all weight loss treatments provided by its nationwide network of partner pharmacies.
He claimed that Pharmadoctor has been inundated with queries from both pharmacists and patients regarding the pending price increases.
Thoms felt the Mounjaro price rise might not be as drastic as the latest announcement suggested, and his company’s partner pharmacists had been invited by their wholesalers or Lilly to participate in a rebate scheme.
On social media sites, some are calling for taking Mounjaro in small quantities or microdosing. But online pharmacy, Chemist4U, has warned that it can undermine treatment and raise the risk of infections.
