Pharmacy teams play a crucial role in ensuring medicines for weight management are prescribed and supplied safely. This article summarises our regulatory expectations, recent trends in concerns raised with us, and learning from Beat, the UK’s leading eating disorder charity.
What we expect when supplying medicines for weight management
Our guidance for pharmacist prescribers and for pharmacies providing services at a distance set out the safeguards that must be in place to protect people using these medicines, through online services. We will continue to take action when standards are not met. Key requirements include:
Robust identity verification
Confirm the identity of the person receiving treatment using recognised digital identity standards.
Independent verification of clinical information
Information from an online questionnaire or phone call alone is not enough- verify the information through two-way communication, accessing clinical records, or contact with the GP or other healthcare professional(s) involved in the person’s care.
Appropriate information sharing
Share relevant clinical information with the person’s GP or regular prescriber. If consent is refused, document a risk-based assessment before deciding whether it is safe to prescribe or supply.
Following national guidance
All prescribing must comply with national and local guidelines, patient safety alerts and good practice standards, including when prescribing off label.
Trends in concerns
Concerns about the prescribing and supply of medicines for weight management peaked in Q2 2025/26, when we received 429 concerns, before falling to 236 concerns in Q3. This drop reflects the resolution of an acute pricing and supply issue, as well as better compliance with our guidance, particularly among online pharmacies.
We are now receiving complaints from people frustrated by the robust checks in place — a sign that safeguards are working as intended, especially as we continue to receive reports of people, including those with eating disorders, seeking these medicines in unsafe ways. We are working in partnership with Beat, the UK’s leading eating disorder charity to help raise awareness.
The vital role of pharmacy teams
Umairah Malik, Research, Advocacy, and Engagement Manager at Beat, highlights how pharmacy teams can help to identify and support people with eating disorders.
Eating disorders affect at least 1.25 million people in the UK, and anyone can be affected, regardless of weight, age, gender, or background. They’re complex mental illnesses, and those affected use disordered eating behaviours such as restricting their intake, bingeing or purging. Whilst there’s a misconception that many people with eating disorders are underweight, in reality most people are not.
We know that medications like GLP-1s may be attractive to people with eating disorders, and those affected may go to great lengths to access them, regardless of if they meet the access criteria or not. We’re aware of people falsifying information to obtain the medication both online and in-person and hiding use from their families and GP.
However, pharmacy teams are in an ideal place to prevent inappropriate prescribing and supplies, and ensure that the right protections are in place. GPhC guidelines on verifying height and weight and conducting an independent check of medical history are crucial, as well as ensuring people are asked sensitively about eating disorders, alongside wider wraparound care. It is also important to consider the impact of your marketing messages on people with eating disorders.
Signs to be aware of include:
- people who don’t meet the criteria enquiring about medication for weight management
- people who show disproportionate concerns about weight in relation to medication
If you think someone may have an eating disorder:
- signpost them to Beat’s helpline
- liaise with their care team as appropriate
- follow safeguarding processes and use a private consultation room to have these conversations
- note any concerns on their clinical record
- encourage them to speak to their GP or others involved in their care
Resources and training
See Beat’s training for pharmacy teams
Beat’s helpline is available from 3-8pm, Monday – Friday