One in four adults would take a weight loss drug without consulting a doctor

Key Takeaways:

• Patients may choose not to have a consultation for cost or insurance reasons.
• A researcher emphasized that weight loss medications are not a one-size-fits-all solution and can have various risks and side effects.

A quarter of adults would consider using an injectable drug for weight loss without consulting a doctor, according to the results of a survey from The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center.

“I was surprised at how many people were willing to consider medications without a prescription.” Shengyi Mao, MD, said Healio, associate professor of clinical medicine at The Ohio State University College of Medicine.

A survey asked 1,006 adults what factors, if any, would cause them to consider taking a weight-loss drug such as Ozempic (semaglutide, Novo Nordisk), Wegovy (semaglutide, Novo Nordisk), or Zepbound (tirzepatide, Eli Lilly). not to see a doctor.

Overall, 25% of respondents said they would consider taking a weight loss medication without consulting a doctor. The proportion of respondents who would forego advice was highest among 18 to 29 year olds.

The study identified several reasons why respondents would choose to take medication without consultation, including:

• the medications are available online or in a medical spa at a lower cost (18%);
• the medications are not covered by the individual's health insurance (15%);
• the person is unable to obtain a prescription from their doctor (9%); And
• the lack of availability through a pharmacy (6%).

The use of anti-obesity medications has undergone significant changes in recent years. Glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists increased 600% in adolescents and young adults from 2020 to 2023, with a particularly significant increase in young women and girls.

However, greater access to weight loss medications has also raised concerns and highlighted potential risks for adverse events associated with the medications.

According to Mao, side effects of weight loss medications pose several risks, “such as gastrointestinal disorders, which are common.”

“More serious effects like pancreatitis, kidney damage [and] Hypoglycemia is rare but should be monitored,” she told Healio. “The FDA has warned that dosing errors in compounded medications have resulted in serious complications, some of which required hospitalization. There is also concern about thyroid C-cell tumors that have been observed in animal studies, so there is a black box warning for this on these medications. Working with a doctor can help minimize risks, monitor side effects and evaluate effectiveness.”

How can doctors address these problems?

“I would ask for permission to talk and listen about weight,” Mao explained. “This can enable an open dialogue to partner to achieve their goals in a safer way.”

She noted that more research is needed on the effectiveness and safety of weight loss medications when used over a long period of time.

“We also need to better understand how long patients need to take these medications or whether it is lifelong,” she said.