JERSEY GPs have sounded the alarm about the “significant clinical risks” that come from sourcing weight‑loss drugs online without medical supervision – warning that these “unregulated products” could be “counterfeit, contaminated, or dosed incorrectly”.
The Primary Care Body issued the warning after a JEP investigation found that weight-loss drugs such as Mounjaro were easily available through online pharmacies without the need to prove weight or consult with a medical expert. The drugs are also regularly advertised on social media platforms, including TikTok.
Mounjaro is a once-weekly injection that mimics natural hormones to help regulate appetite, digestion and blood sugar. It is part of a class of drugs known as GLP-1 receptor agonists.
In England, people with a BMI of 40 or over (or 37.5 if from a minority ethnic background) and who suffer from four out of five weight-related conditions became eligible for publicly funded Mounjaro prescriptions in June.
But in Jersey, GLP-1 receptor agonists are publicly funded only for type 2 diabetes patients who cannot be managed with other treatments. The drugs are not covered for weight-loss purposes.
Private-sector practitioners in Jersey can prescribe these drugs for weight-loss for eligible patients – those who meet a certain BMI threshold – and Islanders have told the JEP the drugs are easily accessible online for those who do not.
Following queries from the JEP, the Primary Care Body said Islanders were putting their health at “unnecessary risk” by sourcing weight‑loss drugs online without medical supervision.
In a statement, the body representing local GPs said: “These medications, including newer treatments such as Mounjaro, are powerful and can interact with existing health conditions or other prescriptions in ways that may not be obvious to patients.
“Unregulated products also carry the danger of being counterfeit, contaminated, or dosed incorrectly.”
The Primary Care Body explained that, when patients approach a GP about weight management treatments of this kind, the “discussion should always be holistic”.
“GPs will typically explore overall health, medical history, and any underlying conditions, as well as offering evidence‑based advice around nutrition, activity and lifestyle,” the statement added.
“If appropriate, licensed medical options may be considered, but always within a framework of safety and ongoing monitoring.”
The representative body urged Islanders to seek medical guidance before considering these treatments.
“Safe, effective care is built on trusted sources, regulated medicines, and professional oversight,” it added.
“Online shortcuts may feel convenient, but they put health at unnecessary risk.
“The best outcomes come from working in partnership with healthcare professionals, exploring all evidence‑based strategies in a way that is tailored to the individual.”
It comes after a Jersey doctor sounded the alarm over the Island’s weak prescribing controls for off-licence weight-loss drugs – and warned that financial incentives could be driving irresponsible use and putting patients at risk.
Dr Chris Edmond, who is the co-founder and chair of a not-for-profit organisation helping Islanders improve their health through lifestyle changes, said that “the pharmaceutical industry has got somewhat ahead of the support that we should be providing for people”.
He also raised broader concerns about the lack of local oversight and regulation for GLP-1 receptor agonists.
Earlier this year, Dr Edmond told the JEP: “There is not enough control. When there’s financial benefit for the doctors or health services prescribing these things, then the controls tend to be a lot more lax.
“People will tend to prescribe far more easily because there’s a financial imperative to do so.
“Doctors are as fallible as anyone else when it comes to making money, unfortunately.”
Another major issue, he warned, is inappropriate access to the medication – including online.
“We don’t have the safety evidence for young people and, for people of normal weight, we’re just encouraging eating disorders to develop and supporting them,” said Dr Edmond.
And Jersey’s Public Health department has also backed calls urging Islanders to avoid buying prescription drugs online.
In a statement, the department said: “If you are taking drugs bought online and you notice side-effects, seek medical help.
“This is especially important if you are taking medicines for diabetes.”
A Public Health spokesperson explained: “Weight-loss drugs like Mounjaro can help people lose weight but they can have serious side-effects.
“They work best when taken as part of a whole-person approach, supervised by a doctor or nurse. This considers other health conditions as well as diet and physical activity.
“For these reasons, weight-loss drugs should only be available on prescription.
“This helps protect patients from harm and make sure the medicines work as intended.”
The Public Health department also confirmed that the government is considering whether Jersey should follow UK practice in allowing doctors providing publicly funded care to prescribe drugs like Mounjaro for weight loss for those over an eligible BMI.
The Pharmaceutical Benefit Advisory Committee was due to meet in June to discuss whether, and under what circumstances, GLP-1 agonists should be funded through Jersey’s Health Insurance Fund. The findings are expected to be reported in September.
Reporter Insight: Choosing a higher dose was as easy as picking a larger size of t-shirt
DURING my time speaking to Islanders about their weight-loss journeys for my investigative reporting earlier this year, I was told time-and-time again how easy it was to order the drugs online.
So, I decided to try it for myself.
I didn’t have to try very hard to seek the information out. When I opened Facebook one evening, the first post on my news feed was someone asking in a local group: “Please can someone tell me the quickest way to get Mounjaro in Jersey without having to book an appointment?”
The post had attracted over 20 comments in a matter of minutes – many of which provided links straight to sites offering the drugs.
The first thing that struck me when I opened the links was how polished and professional the websites looked.
Online pharmacies promote weight-loss drugs openly, there is absolutely no need to dig around obscure corners of the internet.
Phrases such as “expert approach” and “specialist advice” were plastered across the sites, but it didn’t take long to realise the claims were nothing more than a façade.
The ordering process began by clicking on the product page. There was a large button inviting me to “start a consultation”.
At first, this sounded reassuring, as though I would be put in touch with a doctor. In practice, though, the “consultation” was simply a web form.
It asked me to confirm my age, tick a few boxes about general health, and select from a list of conditions. The questions were brief and generic: Do you have diabetes? Do you have heart disease? Are you pregnant or breastfeeding?
I could answer “no” to everything in seconds. There were no requests for medical records, no suggestion of follow-up tests, and no video call with a clinician.
I obviously had to input my height and weight – but all it took was a quick Google search to calculate the weight I would need to be to surpass the eligible BMI limit.
The final question was: “Would you like your GP to be informed of this consultation?”
Although I was “strongly encouraged” to share my GP practice’s details so that they could be informed about my treatment, it was as easy as clicking “no” – and I wasn’t asked again.
Once the form was complete, I was taken straight to a checkout page which recommended a dosage size for me. But choosing a higher dose was as easy as picking a larger size of T-shirt.
At no point did the system stop me to verify my details, ask for any proof of medical records, or contact my GP. The only “safeguard” seemed to be that the form relied entirely on my own honesty.
Payment was the most familiar part of the process – the same as ordering any other product online. I filled in my name and address, entered card details, and within moments I was £160 poorer, and had received a confirmation email that my request was being processed.
Less than 24 hours later, it was confirmed that I had been approved and I received another email informing me that my parcel would be dispatched shortly. I could even track the progress of my drugs online.
It was startlingly mundane, given that I had just requested medication that should involve blood tests and discussions with a doctor at the very least.
What surprised me most wasn’t just the speed but the lack of friction. At no point in the process did I feel challenged or scrutinised.
The whole journey – from first click to payment confirmation – took less than five minutes. If I had wanted to, I could have completed it on my phone while sitting on the bus.
It was convenient, efficient, and customer-friendly – all the qualities we’ve come to expect when shopping online. But this wasn’t a pair of shoes or a takeaway. Mounjaro is a powerful drug with real risks if used incorrectly.
The medication arrived less than a week later in an ordinary-looking cardboard box.
Inside, the self-injection pen was neatly packed alongside four single-use needles and a folded sheet of paper listing potential side-effects – a list so long it seemed almost comically overwhelming.
What struck me most was how the whole process had been reduced to something so simplistic: a set of step-by-step instructions illustrated in cheerful, cartoon-style pictures, showing exactly how to inject myself. It felt absurdly ordinary, almost like instructions for assembling flat-pack furniture.
This experiment highlighted just how easily powerful drugs can be accessed with nothing more than a credit card and a few ticks in some online boxes.
