Dodgy Melbourne doctors under fire for prescribing Ozempic to patients with eating disorders
Dodgy doctors are putting Victorian lives at risk by unnecessarily prescribing Ozempic to vulnerable patients, with one user describing it as an “eating disorder in an injection”.
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Dodgy doctors are putting Victorian lives at risk, unnecessarily prescribing controversial diabetes-turned-weight loss drug Ozempic to vulnerable patients.
Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency has revealed it is probing several Melbourne general practitioners over inappropriate prescriptions of the drug.
The nation’s watchdog said complaints about Ozempic and similar medications have nearly doubled, from six to 11, in the past two years.
In Australia, Ozempic is only approved to treat type 2 diabetes.
Its use for weight loss is considered “off label”, meaning doctors prescribing the medication for a purpose outside of what it is approved for.
In one shocking incident, a patient with a history of eating disorders was rushed to hospital after they were prescribed the drug through telehealth appointments.
The patient, who had a body mass index in the underweight range, was able to obtain the drug by providing false weight and height information in automated online questions.
Over a period of time, multiple doctors and nurses with prescribing rights gave the medication to the patient with no further consultation.
An Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency spokesman said the organisation was “deeply concerned” that practitioners weren’t considering the individual needs of their patients.
“The practitioner completed additional education regarding ethics, telehealth and eating disorders and reflected on their practice and intended changes for the future,” they said.
“The telehealth provider also updated their practices to improve patient assessment processes.”
Meanwhile, the Sunday Herald Sun has uncovered several Melbourne-based sellers advertising Ozempic prescriptions on popular classifieds websites, with some ads posted in the past month.
“1.5g four repeats remaining, diabetic prescription = priority access to all chemists. Wonder weight loss drug from Hollywood to Melbourne,” one seller wrote.
Another said: “Make an offer for the best weight loss drug. Delivery is fast.”
It comes as dozens of black market merchants have been exposed peddling Ozempic and other similar medications on encrypted apps.
Some dealers – also selling lethal drugs such as heroin and ketamine – have been busted advertising a smorgasbord of counterfeit goods including Ozempic, Mounjaro and Saxenda.
Images of drug boxes were displayed beside kilograms of methamphetamine, with sellers boasting about “fast shipping and delivery worldwide”.
Some dealers also claimed they were Melbourne-based and offered Uber-style same-day delivery.
The merchants showed price lists for bulk Ozempic orders, with three pens for $225 and 10 pens for $800.
The sellers are so brazen that they feature video and testimonials from customers who are purchasing the goods illegally.
Reservoir business owner Robert Bekhazi, who uses Ozempic to treat his type 2 diabetes, said he was “extremely concerned” about the illegal online sales of the drug.
“This is extremely dangerous for those buying Ozempic illegally because if they are counterfeit products, it can have serious side effects,” he said.
“It’s not something that anyone should be experimenting with, they may have good intentions to take it but it could lead to them experiencing a lot of harm.”
A Therapeutic Goods Administration spokesman said the authority was aware of weight loss medications being illegally promoted for sale through different online forums.
“The TGA urges consumers to exercise extreme caution when purchasing medicines from unknown websites, social media or other digital platforms.,” they said.
“We strongly advise consumers not to use prescription medications offered or issued without a prescription from a health practitioner.”
“Eating disorder in an injection”
28-year-old Alice* said she became addicted to the drug when she began taking it for weight loss in September last year.
Alice said she sourced the medication from her doctor in Melbourne’s east.
“I had seen stuff online about it and I thought there’s no chance he will give it to me because I have a history of eating disorders,” she said.
“But my cousin had been given it and I was like ‘maybe it’s easier to get then they say’.
“My doctor said ‘we can try it’ and I have been on it ever since.”
Alice claimed her doctor urged her to keep her usage a secret.
“Even when I was getting my script from the chemist, they told me they don’t normally give it out for weight loss but they were willing to give it to me,” she said.
Alice said the side effects were “brutal”, suffering from severe constipation, diarrhoea, dizziness, nausea and vomiting.
Despite this, she said she was “terrified” her doctor was going to stop giving it to her.
“I took a break from it because I was losing hair which is pretty messed up that I would rather be a healthy weight but lose hair,” Alice said.
“It’s definitely made me obsess more about my appearance and really focus on the scales.”
Alice said doctors must be held accountable on who they administer the drug too.
“I think it’s really dangerous to give someone with a history of eating disorders because it has actually been quite a spiral for me,” she said.
“I’m sure other people will say how great it is but it’s great in a really toxic way.”
Like Alice, Samantha* also became addicted to the medication.
The 34-year-old from Melbourne’s southeast, said she began using Ozempic in March last year as she wanted to lose weight for her wedding in November.
Samantha said her doctor refused to prescribe the drug to her after three months of taking it, which led her to “doctor shop” to obtain a prescription.
“It really stressed me out so I began calling a range of super clinics and made telehealth appointments, I ended up finding one doctor that prescribed it to me.
“They didn’t request any of my medical history and in hindsight I do find this concerning because the doctor didn’t check any of my prior medical conditions.”
Australia’s national eating disorder support service Butterfly Foundation called for tighter restrictions to be put in place.
Head of communications and engagement Melissa Wilton said it was concerning how easy people could access the medication.
“There should be improvements made and more comprehensive medical assessments required to access the drugs including not prescribing over telehealth without conducting a thorough examination of the individual,” she said.
“It is essential that there is more regulation around advertising these products, including education about the dangers of using these kinds of medications for weight loss purposes.
“Similarly, it’s vital that doctors do a thorough consultation and look out for signs of an eating disorder, no matter the individual’s body weight, shape or size before prescribing such
potentially harmful medications.”
Ms Wilton said helpline counsellors have noticed more frequent callers wanting to discuss the drug since it rose to popularity late last year.
Butterfly Foundation national helpline: 1800 334 673
*Names have been changed.
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