Ozempic demand booms in the bush

Demand for controversial weight loss drugs sold via telehealth is surging in regional areas, with GP shortages being blamed.

Diabetes drug Ozempic is being prescribed for weight loss.

Demand for controversial weight loss drugs sold via telehealth is surging in regional areas rather than the inner-city, with telehealth companies claiming they are filling critical GP shortages in rural Australia and helping to drive down obesity rates.

Figures obtained from Eucalyptus, a $560m weight loss company backed by Woolworths and the Mike Cannon Brookes-chaired Blackbird Ventures investment fund, show the highest number of weight loss patients in the country reside in Mackay in Queensland.

This is followed by Toowoomba in Queensland, Mandurah in WA, Werribee in Victoria, Wyong in NSW, Coomera in Queensland, Bundaberg in Queensland, Wannaroo in WA, Jandakot in WA and Ipswich in Queensland.

According to figures from the Department of Health, more than 83 per cent of adults in Mackay are obese, which is nearly 19 per cent higher than the regional average.

Eucalyptus, which is Australia’s largest weight loss start-up selling injection-based medications, is hitting back at criticism from medical professionals who have questioned whether weight loss companies are failing to meet telehealth regulations by prescribing drugs without ever speaking to patients face-to-face.

The company sells a drug called Saxenda, a different brand name of the booming weight loss drug Ozempic, via its company called Juniper targeting women and Pilot targeting men. Patients get access to the drug after taking a short online quiz followed by a consultation with a doctor via text message.

Eucalyptus founder Tim Doyle said the telehealth service was helping to fill chronic GP shortages and reduce obesity problems in regional areas that are facing “twin crises”.

“Regional Australia is facing the twin crises of GP shortages and an obesity epidemic,” Mr Doyle said.

“There’s predicted to be a shortage of 11,000 GPs by the end of the decade and 40 per cent of current rural GPs are planning to leave within the next five years.

“At the same time, 72.2 per cent of adults in outer regional and remote Australia are overweight or obese, compared to 65 per cent in major cities.

“People in the regions have to go without a range of services compared to our cities. But they shouldn’t have to forego help with managing health conditions like obesity, and we ensure they don’t.”

But RACGP president Nicole Higgins warned patients relying on telehealth services for weight loss was a “recipe for disaster” with numerous risks associated with prescriptions via telehealth, including fragmented and poor quality care.

“We must be wary about pop-up telehealth services, including those offering weight loss drugs, claiming that they can plug the gap,” Dr Higgins said.

“There is no replacement for regular care from a GP you know and trust and relying on pop-up telehealth outfits can be a recipe for disaster.”

Australian Medical Association president Steve Robson said there was “simply no substitute” for seeing a GP regularly who would be able to determine whether weight loss drugs were safe to be prescribed either through face-to-face or by telehealth.

“People who want to lose weight for health reasons should discuss this with their GP so they can determine the best option,” Dr Robson said.

“Although there are a range of options available, these should be discussed in the context of an individual’s broader medical history and personal circumstances because every medicine has side effects and it’s very important to consult with your doctor.”