According to the NHS, the fat-busting injections could aid weight loss for up to 50,000 patients.Manufacturer’s announcement of severe shortages pushed back the plan.Article by Rebecca Whittaker To MailOnline Time of last update: 10:01, September 4, 2023 EDT
Weight-loss remark labeled “game changer” As part of a “controlled and limited launch,” the NHS has begun offering Wegovy to its patients.Today marks the first day that patients can obtain the medicine, which is effective since it contains semaglutide, through the healthcare system’s weight management programs.The NHS estimates that it could aid in the weight loss of up to 50,000 people in the UK.Eligible patients must be residents of the United Kingdom who either have a body mass index (BMI) of 30 or higher, or who have a BMI of 27 or higher with at least one weight-related co-morbidity.
The availability of Wegovy on the NHS, doctors hope, will prevent weight-obsessed Britons from concocting “bonkers” home remedies containing semaglutide.The medicine is being offered for sale today by some private UK pharmacies for up to £300. Wegovy is an injectable medication that caused participants in clinical trials to lose an average of 12% of their body weight.Although this is the first time the drug has been made available to the general public in the UK, it has been available in the United States since 2019 under the brand name Ozempic.
Doctors have been authorized to prescribe semaglutide to tens of thousands of patients since June, when ministers first announced the move.The medicine has the potential to be a ‘game-changer’ in the fight against obesity, a health condition that costs the NHS approximately £6.5bn annually, as stated by Prime Minister Rishi Sunak at the time.
The NHS is under tremendous strain due to obesity, he said.As the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom has stated, “Using the latest drugs to support people to lose weight will be a game-changer by helping to tackle dangerous obesity-related health conditions like high blood pressure, diabetes, and cancer, thereby reducing pressure on hospitals, supporting people to live healthier and longer lives, and helping to deliver on my priority to cut NHS waiting lists.” The £40 million pilot program was put on hold last month due to severe shortages of the medicine caused by surging demand.Patients should only use Wegovy for a’maximum’ of two years, according to the National Institute for Care and Excellence (NICE), which sets health guidelines.
Despite warnings from professionals, people are nevertheless continuing to use the medication long-term.Danish pharmaceutical giant Novo Nordisk, who made Wegovy, said it expects supply to be “constrained for the foreseeable future” despite the launch.Therefore, the NHS has received only a “proportion” of the total budget.”We will continue to work with healthcare professionals to help ensure that patients with the highest unmet medical need are prioritized,” the firm added.We are keeping an eye on the demand for Wegovy and coordinating with authorities and service providers to make sure those struggling with obesity can get treatment and stick with it.Association of Independent Multiple Pharmacies CEO Leyla Hannbeck expressed excitement with the launch.
She stated, “Any supply of this medicine is good news.”Due to worldwide restrictions on the substance, some people have apparently resorted to “illegitimate routes” to obtain it.Dr. Hannbeck has stated, “This product is very popular; we have reports that many people were desperately trying to acquire the drug via the Internet using sketchy and potentially dangerous methods; having this supply will help somewhat.”However, the quantity of the medicine that will be made available to consumers is unknown. We don’t want to put ourselves in a position where it causes more problems.She continued, “As a pharmacist, I am very concerned to hear people are resorting to unsafe means to obtain this product, as you have no idea what may be present.”Some people are reportedly even making it themselves, which is completely insane.Others in the pharmaceutical sector are worried about how a shortage of the chemical could affect diabetics taking the same drug.
Both Ozempic and Wegovy are semaglutide-based prescription medications, however they target distinct populations.Patients with type 2 diabetes benefit from the former since it reduces their blood sugar and, in those with heart disease, their risk of heart attack and stroke.Wegovy, which is also designed to treat obesity, contains a more strong dose of semaglutide.Semaglutide, the active component, has helped certain British citizens.
One is Alex Guevara, a paramedic from Milton Keynes who is 46 years old.In March, he revealed that by April of last year, he weighed about 20 stone and was contemplating suicide as a result of his weight.In just a few days after beginning semaglutide, Mr. Guevara reported feeling less hungry and generally happier.
In a short time, he shed four pounds.’I needed something extreme to disrupt the cycle and stop me rushing into type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular illnesses, and stroke,’ he continued.Everyone who could benefit from semaglutide should have access to it. Many professionals, however, stress that the medicine is not a magic bullet for weight loss.’At this moment it is not apparent how much stock the NHS will be able to obtain,’ says Thorrun Govind, former head of the Royal Pharmaceutical Society. ‘It is crucial to continue reinforcing that this medication isn’t a quick fix,’ he adds.
Health and Social Care Secretary Steve Barclay agreed, saying the medication should be used in conjunction with lifestyle changes including eating healthier and exercising more. ‘Obesity is the second leading avoidable cause of cancer and is estimated to cost the NHS £6.5 billion annually.
This new class of medications has the potential to revolutionize the field. However, they must be used in conjunction with a healthy diet, regular exercise, and behavioral modification strategies to reduce the risk of weight gain.NHS England is beginning to apply Nice recommendations for weight management and is also working to restore supplies of this kind of drug for persons with type 2 diabetes, according to a representative for the organization.Specialist NHS weight management facilities in England, able to provide the necessary multidisciplinary treatment, may prescribe Wegovy to as many as 50,000 eligible patients.
However, at the UK-based online pharmacy company Simple Online Pharmacy, the cost of the jab can range from £199 to £299, depending on whether the patient uses private insurance or pays out of pocket. Elon Musk and Jeremy Clarkson are just two of the famous people who have spoken highly of the weight-loss medicine semaglutide, calling it a “miracle.”A recent study also demonstrated that it can reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease-related death by one-fifth in those who are overweight or obese.
There were 17,604 adults over the age of 45 who participated in the trial, all of them had a body mass index (BMI) of 27 or higher and were diagnosed with cardiovascular disease but did not have diabetes. The injection helps patients lose weight by reducing their hunger and calorie intake by “hijacking” the brain.In addition to costing the NHS over £6.5 billion annually, obesity is the second leading preventable cause of cancer, thus the trial program is only one of several measures ministers are trying to battle obesity.
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