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Increasing numbers of GPs are contacting the Medical Defence Union (MDU) for advice about disclosing information to online pharmacies when their patients are prescribed weight-loss drugs, it has said.
In a statement published on 5 February 2025, the MDU said the popularity of weight-loss drugs, such as semaglutide and tirzepatide, has meant that GPs are increasingly being approached by online pharmacies “to check if there is anything in a person’s medical history which might make the prescription inappropriate”.
However, the MDU said this is causing a dilemma as GPs are unsure whether they can rely on “the pharmacy’s reassurance that a patient has consented to their information being shared” or trust that patients have accurately represented their BMI and medical history to the pharmacy.
The statement follows updated guidance by the General Pharmaceutical Council (GPhC), published on 4 February 2025, which addresses unsafe prescribing and supply of medicines online.
The new GPhC guidance requires prescribers to independently verify the information provided by patients to online pharmacies, either through “timely two-way communication with the person, accessing the person’s clinical records, or contacting the person’s GP, their regular prescriber, or a third-party provider”.
Before providing medicines for weight management, the prescriber must independently verify the person’s weight, height and/or BMI, to support safer decision-making and ensure that the supply is appropriate for the person.
Ellie Mein, medico-legal adviser at the MDU, said: “GPs have an ethical duty to share accurate and up-to-date information with those providing patient care.
“However, when they are contacted by pharmacies for information about patients receiving weight-loss medications, they can face a dilemma about whether they can rely on the pharmacy’s reassurance that a patient has consented to their information being shared.
“Another issue is what to do if a patient has misrepresented their BMI or medical history to the pharmacy,” she added.
Mein said that if it becomes clear there may be a risk to the patient in receiving the medicine, “GPs will need to discuss this with the patient and check if they agree to this being shared with the pharmacy”.
If the patient objects, Mein said GPs will need to explain this to the pharmacy and it will then be for the pharmacy to consider whether the prescription is appropriate.
Noting that “investigating these requests places an additional burden on GP practices at a time when they are already under strain”, Mein added that a robust system should be in place to gather relevant information before a prescription is provided to reduce the risk to patients.
In guidance published alongside the statement, the MDU advises GPs to make it clear to pharmacies that “a general review of the patient’s notes may not capture every relevant consideration that the prescriber may need to know”.
“The prescriber would need to go through the patient’s online records with them so they can satisfy themselves they are prescribing in line with the guidance from their regulator,” it says.
In an email to The Pharmaceutical Journal on 6 February 2024, the GPhC said: “A prescriber would need to get the patient’s consent before they can contact their GP about a prescription.
“If the patient does not have a regular prescriber, such as a GP, or if there is no consent to share information, the prescriber should then decide whether it is safe to prescribe. If the decision is made not to prescribe, the person should be directed to an appropriate care provider so that they can be appropriately assessed. Examples include, but are not limited to, an out-of hours service, a local walk-in centre or urgent care.”
“So, there should not be concerns around confidentiality as consent will be necessary,” it added.
As part of the new GPhC guidance, further safeguards have also been included for medicines liable to misuse and those for long-term conditions or that require ongoing monitoring or management.
