A collaborative effort by academics at King's College London and the University of East Anglia has resulted in the release of vital new recommendations for general practitioners. This guidance addresses the growing challenge of managing patients who are privately using weight loss injectable medications, a practice not typically covered by standard primary care prescriptions.

The increasing prevalence of these privately obtained medications, with an estimated 1.5 million users by March 2025—80% of whom purchased online—highlights a critical gap in comprehensive patient care. Many of these online providers do not offer essential supplementary services like nutritional counseling or psychological support. The guidelines, featured in Obesity Facts, provide ten evidence-based strategies to assist GPs in safely overseeing patients who may not openly disclose their use of these drugs but present with related symptoms.

Key advice for healthcare providers includes adopting a non-judgmental approach when patients exhibit symptoms such as dizziness, falls, gastrointestinal issues, or rapid changes in weight, as these might indicate undisclosed medication use. Furthermore, it is crucial to review other medications early, adjusting dosages of insulin, sulfonylureas, and antihypertensives to prevent adverse effects like hypoglycemia and postural hypotension as weight decreases. GPs are also urged to recognize severe abdominal pain as a potential sign of serious conditions like acute pancreatitis or biliary disease, requiring immediate assessment. Lastly, specific considerations for women of child-bearing age and pre-surgical patients are outlined, advising the discontinuation of GLP-1 drugs well in advance of conception attempts and surgery, respectively, to mitigate risks.

This pioneering guidance is the inaugural output from the Obesity Management Collaborative UK, an organization established in 2024 to support clinicians specializing in obesity care. This initiative underscores a proactive commitment to enhancing patient safety and optimizing care for individuals managing obesity, fostering a healthier and more informed community.