A major warning has now been issued about weight loss drugs that are becoming increasingly popular in India. Experts have expressed special concern over the increasing use of GLP-1 (glucagon-like peptide-1) drugs. Dr. Naresh Trehan, a well-known cardiovascular surgeon and chairman and managing director of Medanta Hospital, has termed the use of these medicines as dangerous without doctor’s advice. He says that these medicines are not a lifestyle product; Rather, they are designed to treat serious diseases.
In fact, recently after the patent expiry of these medicines, their cheap generic versions have become easily available all over India. As a result, there has been a huge surge in sales of these medicines through online pharmacies and wellness clinics. The trend of rapid weight loss on social media has further increased this demand, due to which people are using these medicines without complete information or understanding.
Government took strict action
Seeing this increasing trend, the government has started taking strict action on this matter. Raids were conducted at 49 places across the country, including warehouses, medical stores and wellness centres. The investigation revealed that in many cases, these medicines were being sold without a prescription, or the regulations were not being followed properly. After these results, the drug regulatory body has issued a strict warning saying that strict action will be taken against such activities.
What do experts say?
According to Dr. Naresh Trehan, although these medicines are really effective in weight loss, they also have many serious side effects. Therefore, if a person starts taking these medicines on his own without any medical supervision, the health risks associated with it can increase significantly. Dr. Trehan clearly said that such medicines should not be easily available in medical stores or on online platforms. In his view, many people are using these drugs as an “easy way” to lose weight, without any exercise or dietary changes—which can be extremely dangerous. Potential side effects of these drugs include pancreatitis, nausea, vomiting, and liver damage—complications that can lead to serious health problems.
People should also be careful
Dr. Trehan said that it is the responsibility of the patients to use any medicine only on the advice of the doctor. He cautioned the public to avoid self-medication and prefer specialist care for any treatment, to avoid potential risks. The government is now also preparing to ban the promotion and distribution of these medicines. In particular, strict measures will be taken against surrogate advertising and misleading promotional practices. Furthermore, there is also a proposal that these medicines should be prescribed only by specialist doctors.