A Yale secret-shopper study found that 45 out of 49 telehealth websites prescribed GLP-1 weight-loss drugs, with two-thirds requiring no interaction with a clinician. The study, published Monday in JAMA, highlights how easy it is to bypass doctor oversight. Researchers warn that unsupervised…
A new secret-shopper study by Yale researchers has revealed that most telehealth websites are willing to prescribe GLP-1 weight-loss drugs with little to no oversight from a health professional. The study found that 45 out of 49 websites visited prescribed medications such as semaglutide, sold under the brand names Wegovy and Ozempic, and tirzepatide, sold as Zepbound. This represents more than 90% of the sites surveyed. The findings were published Monday in the Journal of the American Medical Association JAMA .
To test how easy it is to obtain these drugs online, one of the Yale researchers posed as an overweight man and visited 49 different telehealth websites. The results showed that two-thirds of the sites prescribed the medications without any interaction with a clinician. Among the sites that did require some form of provider interaction, 13 used video calls and three used phone calls. About 8% of the websites had no way for the shopper to ask a health provider any questions at all.
Ashwin Chetty, the Yale medical student who acted as the secret shopper, told the Washington Post: "It indicates that the clinicians are not paying attention to the patient. It's another piece of evidence that paints the picture. Prescriptions first, questions later, if that." The study demonstrates that it is relatively simple for consumers to sidestep medical oversight and obtain GLP-1 medications online.
GLP-1 medications were originally designed to treat diabetes and control blood sugar levels. In recent years, their use for weight loss has exploded. According to a tracking poll conducted by KFF last year, roughly 1 in 8 people in the United States now take GLP-1s to lose weight. However, not everyone should be taking these drugs. They can have serious side effects, including bowel obstruction, gallstone attacks, and pancreatitis. Less serious side effects may also occur, such as nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, and constipation, according to Harvard Health.
People who are pregnant should not take GLP-1s. Neither should those with a history of pancreatitis or certain other medical issues. Yale Medicine emphasizes that it is important to consult with a clinician before starting these drugs. The study indicates that such consultations are often bypassed when buying online.
The study also found that the easiest medications to obtain online were compounded versions of GLP-1s. These compounded drugs do not have approval from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and may have quality issues, other problems, and associated risks. Despite these risks, people are flocking to websites to get unapproved versions, partly because of the high cost of the brand-name medications. For people without insurance coverage, GLP-1s carry a price tag of between $900 and $1,400 per month.
Dr. Reshma Ramachandran, a Yale medical school professor and the senior author of the study, told the Washington Post that the high cost and lack of insurance coverage have led to "these sort of gray markets that are cropping up all over the place that are forcing patients to make these trade-offs." She also said the research revealed "a drive to prescribe, rather than making sure the patient is going to be safe in taking these medications and that the medication is going to be appropriate for them."
The study raises concerns about the safety of consumers who seek weight-loss drugs online without proper medical supervision. The findings suggest that many telehealth platforms prioritize prescribing over patient safety, potentially putting individuals at risk of health complications from inappropriate use or unregulated products.
Peptides referenced: Semaglutide, Tirzepatide, GLP-1.
Related reading: Kailera Obesity Pill Shows 9.8% Weight Loss in China Phase 3 Trial, Online GLP-1 Prescribing Lacks Adequate Safety and Oversight, Health Canada Approves Mounjaro for Children 10 and Older with Type 2 Diabetes, Americans Hit Record High in Use of GLP-1 Drugs.