A leading A&E doctor has warned about the dangers of weight loss jabs after an investigation found a major high street pharmacist was selling them to underage teenagers
An A&E doctor has sounded the alarm over the harrowing side effects of weight loss drugs, with people suffering several different complications.
Dr Vicky Price, a senior A&E doctor at the University of Liverpool, says that nearly every shift involves treating someone with complications from these medications. Patients often present with erratic heart rates and dangerously high acid levels in their blood, some cases even being life-threatening.
Her comments come as part of a Channel 4 Dispatches investigation which found a prominent high street pharmacy has been selling weight loss injections to underage teens. Speaking on the programme, Dr Price disclosed: “It felt like every shift I would be aware of somebody in the department that would come in with a complication of a weight loss drug.
“Some of the things myself and my colleagues have seen is descriptions of the heart rate going erratically… we’ve had people with acidosis, meaning a high level of acid in their blood. In worst case scenarios we’ve had pancreatitis, which is an inflammation of the pancreas that can be life threatening. There are patients who have to go to intensive care because of that complication.”
The investigative documentary also exposed how a 16-year-old undercover reporter was able to buy weight-loss jabs from Boots on two occasions without any checks for age, despite the company’s policy against prescribing to those under 18. It reported the chain did not insist on photo ID, settling merely for a date of birth in the online application, an easily manipulated detail.
When collecting the pills, the only confirmation sought was her date of birth, shared verbally, after which she received the drugs without further identity verification, despite Boots’ policy against prescribing weight-loss medication to under-18s.
Alima Batchelor, head of policy at the Pharmacists’ Defence Association, said: “You expect there should be verification of the details given… It’s disappointing.”
Rules tightened around mid-February 2025, with the pharmacy overseer, the General Pharmaceutical Council, demanding sterner measures for access to weight-loss injections. New regulations mandate that pharmacies cannot just depend on patients completing an online questionnaire and submitting photographic evidence of their weight. Instead, they must either arrange in-person or video consultations or directly procure medical records from the patient’s GP.
A week after new guidance was issued, the same undercover reporter tested if Boots had altered its protocols by returning to collect a second dose of weight loss medication from another branch. Again, she provided a fake date of birth, was not required to show photo ID, and was sold the medication with no further questions.
Reacting to the probe’s findings, Health Secretary Wes Streeting said: “These findings are deeply concerning. These are licensed medicines with potentially serious side effects, so it is totally unacceptable for any retailer to prescribe them without the correct medical supervision and ID and age verification.”
He added regulatory bodies like the GPC have the mandate to investigate and discipline unethical prescribers, saying, “Healthcare regulatory bodies such as the GPC have the powers to investigate and act against rogue prescribers. We expect them to do so and have sought urgent assurances that action is being taken in this case.”
While acknowledging the treatments can have significant health benefits when used correctly, Streeting stressed the importance of responsible prescription: “There can be real health benefits if these treatments are provided safely to the right patients, but they are not for getting beach body ready, and retailers must act responsibly in prescribing them.”
Boots, upon learning of the Dispatches investigation results, said: “Patient safety is our number one priority. We always strive to provide a high quality of care to patients including those whose weight is impacting their health. Although Wegovy is licensed for patients aged 12 and over, our policy is not to prescribe to under 18s.
“Following publication of the updated General Pharmaceutical Council guidance, we have strengthened our ID policy to only accept official photographic ID. We will further review our processes in consultation with GPhC and Care Quality Commission. We urge people not to falsify their health information to obtain any prescription medicine.”
