Arabic version: وصفة دواء GLP-1 عبر الرعاية الصحية عن بُعد تجدد الدعوات إلى رقابة أشد
According to ABC News, an Australian woman with a history of anorexia nervosa was prescribed an Ozempic-like weight-loss drug through a telehealth provider, prompting experts and an independent MP to call for stronger oversight of online prescribing.
The woman, identified as Kate, said she had been managing her condition with a GP and wider healthcare team after her last hospitalisation in 2022. After seeing an Instagram advertisement from an unnamed telehealth clinic late last year, she booked an online appointment. She said she was not screened for an eating disorder, admitted she had provided false health details during a phone consultation, and received a prescription after a blood test and a second phone appointment.
GLP-1 receptor agonists, including Ozempic, Wegovy and Mounjaro, can assist with weight regulation and chronic health conditions. But experts warned the drugs can also be used to fuel or maintain eating disorders, potentially causing serious nutritional deficits and complications. Sarah Trobe of the National Eating Disorder Collaboration said screening for eating disorders was, “for the most part,” not happening.
Australia has no endorsed national standards for virtual care, though standards being developed by a federal government committee are not expected until the end of next year. Kooyong independent Monique Ryan said 2027 would be too late and has asked Federal Health Minister Mark Butler for an inquiry into telehealth services, including oversight of prescribing patterns for high-risk medicine classes.
The Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency said practitioners should conduct comprehensive assessments, including for patient vulnerability, before prescribing treatment. It also said prescribers of weight-loss medicines should consider disordered eating and body-image concerns, and recognise that telehealth is not suitable for every consultation. Kate has stopped using the drugs with help from her regular GP.
