Women using weight-loss jabs should use ‘effective contraception’ while taking them, according to latest guidance from the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA).

The regulator has today issued a warning to women using the injections around the unknown risks of harm during pregnancy.

In its latest guidance on the safe use of GLP-1 medicines Ozempic, Mounjaro, Wegovy, Saxenda and Victoza, the regulator said that effective contraception includes oral (the pill) and non-oral (the implant, coil or condoms) forms of contraception.

It adds that effective contraception should be taken for up to two months between stopping the medicine and trying to get pregnant and that the medicines must not be taken during pregnancy, while trying to get pregnant, or during breastfeeding.

‘Anyone who gets pregnant while using them should stop the medicine, this is because there is not enough safety data to know whether taking the medicine could cause harm to the baby,’ it said.

It added that Mounjaro may ‘reduce the effectiveness’ of oral contraceptives in those who are overweight.

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Those taking Mounjaro who are overweight and are using an oral form of contraception are advised to also use a non-oral form of contraception.

‘This only applies to those taking Mounjaro and is especially important for the four weeks after starting Mounjaro and after any dose increase, which is already in the patient leaflets that come with the medicine,’ the MHRA said.

Glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists (GLP-1 or GLP-1 RAs) are medicines that help people feel fuller by mimicking a natural hormone released after eating. Some newer medicines, like Mounjaro, also act on a second hormone involved in appetite and blood sugar control.

The advice comes after concerns from the UK regulator that some people are not using these medicines for weight loss and diabetes safely.

The MHRA warned against buying these medications from unregulated sellers such as beauty salons or via social media or taken without a prior consultation with a healthcare professional.

‘Not only does this expose people wanting to lose weight to serious health risks, it is also against the law to sell these medicines in this way. The only way to guarantee

receiving a genuine GLP-1 medicine is to obtain it from a legitimate pharmacy,’ the regulator said.

Dr Alison Cave, MHRA chief safety officer, said weight-loss jabs, sometimes referred to as ‘skinny jabs’ are ‘medicines licensed to treat specific medical conditions and should not be used as aesthetic or cosmetic treatments’.

‘They are not a quick fix to lose weight and have not been assessed to be safe when used in this way.

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‘Our guidance offers patients a “one stop shop” for our up-to-date advice on how to use these powerful medicines safely.

‘This guidance should not be used as a substitute to reading the patient information leaflet or having a conversation with a healthcare professional as part of the prescribing process.’

Jasmine Shah, medication safety officer at the National Pharmacy Association (NPA), said that ‘medicines are not like ordinary goods for sale; they must be handled with great care because they have the power to harm as well as to heal’.

‘Pharmacists urge women taking GLP-1 medicines to note this important new guidance from the MHRA published today and use effective contraception,’ she said.

Ms Shah noted that community pharmacies have been experiencing ‘unprecedented levels of interest for weight-loss injections’.

‘It is therefore important that regulations and guidance keep pace with this demand and that patient safety is put at the heart of everything we do,’ she said.

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‘We also reiterate warnings from the MHRA to avoid any potential fake weight loss injections sold on social media or via beauty salons, which could pose a serious risk to someone's health. We urge anyone who have concerns about this medication to speak to their pharmacist for advice.’

In April, pharmacies were urged to ‘immediately’ review their advertising and ensure that any adverts for named prescription-only medicines (POMs) for weight loss are removed.

The General Pharmaceutical Council (GPhC) issued a joint enforcement notice with the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) and the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA), in a bid to tackle inappropriate advertising of weight-loss medicines amid concerns about the advertising of weight-loss POMs, such as Ozempic and Wegovy, including on social media.