u/Gold-Manager1014

Very much jumping the gun here as I know Foundayo (orforglipron) is not yet approved in UK but I was looking at the FDA leaflet containing prescribing information for Foundayo in US.

https://www.accessdata.fda.gov/drugsatfda_docs/label/2026/220934Orig1s000lbl.pdf

I noticed that as well as the usual GLP-1 warnings there was a list of significant interactions with quite a number of medications in fairly common use (e.g. some statins, some antibiotics - but the list is long) - in section 7 of the document in the link. Sometimes the other meds affected orforglipron levels, other times the other way round. Some of the interactions are described as 'significant'. (There is nothing similar in the Wegovy tablet documentation that I could see).

Assuming the prescribing information will be the same in UK (I guess it generally is) how do you think online providers will respond? It could make the prescribing process much longer for some patients. Informing the GP will become much more important and GPs may well actually have to do something when they get the notification of a prescription being issued - monitor and adjust doses of meds etc. rather than just filing it.

Would be fascinated to hear views from people with more knowledge of these things than me. How likely is it that the UK guidance will be the same?

I see the three main regulators have jointly issued new reminders to prescribers about advertising new medications or those not yet approved.

https://www.asa.org.uk/news/warning-on-promoting-newly-licensed-prescription-only-medicines-and-unlicensed-medicines-for-weight-management.html

My reading is that the way many pharmacies promoted the Wegovy tablets does in the regulators eyes break the laws on advertising prescription medications. Some in the pharmacy industry think that action could well be taken against pharmacists whose practices (including opening a waiting list for new meds not yet approved) went against this.

So we may see a change in practice going forward or even some pharmacists facing formal action by the GPhC.

It’s interesting I think that they have moved so quickly on this.