Self-administered slimming jabs to be rolled out in England

As reported by the Guardian, weight-loss jabs favoured by celebrities will now be available at chemists in England.

The drugs known as GLP-1 analogues, usually administered to people suffering from type 2 diabetes, is said to be an effective way of tackling obesity. They function by mirroring the hormones that allow people to feel sated after a meal.

One such drug called semaglutide will be sold under the name of Wegovy.

Wegovy will be sold in Boots and Superdrug chains across England prescribed through their online doctor services.

There has however been questions surrounding the drawbacks of the self-administered jabs.

“These medications can be very attractive to people with eating disorders as they seemingly offer a ‘quick fix’ solution; however, there is a very high risk of making those affected even more unwell and [they] can further entrench eating disorder thoughts and behaviours,” says Tom Quinn from Beat, an eating disorder charity.

A spokesperson from Boots has assured that the jabs will be given out on a prescription-only basis.