The mapping is generated by Tencent's hybrid model
On October 31, 2023, the A14 version of Nandu Research was previously reported.
The 2023 medical insurance catalogue will be implemented from January 1, 2024. The adjustment of the national medical insurance catalogue involves drugs such as tumors, new crowns, anti-infections, diabetes, psychiatric diseases, rheumatism and immunity, and drugs for rare diseases. The reporter from Nandu Health News noticed that semaglutide had previously entered the medical insurance catalog as a hypoglycemic drug, and the contract was successfully renewed this time.
However, although semaglutide has successfully renewed its medical insurance catalog, its approved indication in China is still the treatment of diabetes. The reporter's further investigation found that semaglutide, liraglutide and other drugs are still purchased by some people to lose weight, even if there is no medical record, prescription, etc., they can be purchased smoothly on e-commerce platforms. Some interviewees even said that they could buy it directly from a beauty salon.
In October last year, Nandu Research reported on the reporter's conversation with a number of young people who use such products, some of whom are suffering from obesity, and some want to lose weight quickly through weight loss injections to get a better appearance. But does the use of diet injections mean that you can "lose weight while lying down"?
Return
Most of the young people who have used diet injections "stop the injections"
Bobo is 162 cm tall and weighs 80 kilograms, and after trying to adjust his diet, the weight loss effect is not satisfactory. Under the persuasion of her family, she went to the endocrinology department of a tertiary hospital to seek help from a doctor. The doctor advised her to use liraglutide and provided her with a sugar-controlled recipe to adjust her diet and exercise.
On December 28, 2023, the reporter revisited the interviewee in the above report. Bobo told reporters that because his family was worried about the side effects of the injections, he was also worried that Bobo would become dependent on weight loss injections. Therefore, Bobo has recently stopped the needle. However, after not getting the injection, Bobo ate more than before and gained weight.
Ms. Fan had purchased slimming injections with semaglutide, lipase, vitamins, etc., from a beauty salon, and wanted to lose weight through injections. "After getting an injection, I threw up for a day and a night, and then went to the emergency room. In an interview with reporters again, Ms. Fan said that she never used weight loss injections again and felt that it hurt her body.
However, on multiple social platforms, there are still a large number of bloggers sharing their experience of using slimming injections. However, the platform and many doctors have repeatedly appealed that hypoglycemic drugs are not miracle drugs for weight loss, and please go to a regular medical place for medical treatment.
survey
There are still loopholes in online drug purchases
However, despite this, according to the reporter's previous investigation, many people will choose to buy and use drugs from online shopping platforms or offline beauty salons. Starting from 2022, semaglutide has been out of stock in major cities.
In October last year, when a reporter from Nandu consulted the customer service of the e-commerce platform "XX Pharmacy Flagship Store", its customer service made it clear that semaglutide can be used for weight loss and without diabetes.
On December 29, 2023, the reporter once again used "semaglutide" as the keyword to search for related drugs on the e-commerce platform. For this purchase, you need to fill in the consultation information and need to be prescribed by a doctor. The reporter noticed that in filling in the above information, it is necessary to check the option of type 2 diabetes. However, during the consultation session, the doctor asked if he had used the above drugs in offline consultations, and even if he answered no, he could still prescribe the drugs without further information. The whole process takes less than a minute.
When the reporter searched for the keyword "liraglutide", he found that to buy the drug, he needed to fill in the consultation information on the "a health" platform, and the doctor certified by the platform would consult and prescribe the prescription, and the drug would be shipped after the prescription was successfully prescribed. When filling in the information, the seller needs to enter information such as name, ID number, medical history, disease type, and the relationship between the drug user and the seller, while the platform does not require the seller to upload the drug user's prescription, medical records or examination report.
expert
Be alert to the side effects of drug abuse
As a new generation of weight-loss star products, semaglutide was developed by Novo Nordisk, and its sales have grown rapidly since its launch and have swept the world. For the rigid need of weight loss, many domestic pharmaceutical companies have laid out this layout.
In July last year, Huadong Medicine's marketing authorization application for liraglutide injection for the indication of obesity or overweight was approved. Shortly thereafter, the official website of the National Medical Products Administration disclosed that the marketing authorization application for benaglutide for the indication of obesity or overweight declared by Renhui Biotech was approved for weight management in adults.
It's important to note that slimming injections aren't for everyone. In the case of Huadong Medicine's product, for example, the indication clearly states that it is suitable for adult patients who require long-term weight management as an adjunct to a low-calorie diet and increased exercise: an initial body mass index (BMI) of ≥30kg/m2 (obesity), or ≥ 27kg/m2 (overweight), with at least one weight-related comorbidity (e.g., hypertension, type 2 diabetes, or dyslipidemia).
Regarding the clinical supply of weight-loss drugs such as semaglutide and the risks brought by self-use, the reporter of Nandu Health News consulted Li Wangen, director of endocrinology of the Second Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University.
Li Wangen introduced that semaglutide has not yet been approved for weight loss indications in China. This medication is mainly used for diabetics. Patients must have a diagnosis of diabetes mellitus and, in the judgment of the physician, be consistent with the indications. "At the outpatient clinic, there are also many non-diabetic patients who want to use semaglutide to lose weight, but this is an off-label drug and we will not prescribe it. ”
After many years of medical practice, Li Wangen noticed that in the past, there were also chaotic cases of hypoglycemic drugs being used for weight loss, but it was only an isolated phenomenon. "With the popularity of semaglutide in the past year or two, the clinical supply of this drug is also relatively tight. Some time ago, the supply of semaglutide in the hospital was intermittent, and the supply has returned to normal in the last one or two months, and there has been no out-of-stock. ”
Regarding the risks behind the public's self-purchase of semaglutide for weight loss, Li Wangen reminded of this, "I often tell people around me that if you use medicine, you can't fully understand the benefits of using soldiers. When the public buys drugs on their own, they should not only see the benefits of the drugs, but also consider the side effects behind the drugs. ”
"In particular, obese people with high blood lipids and triglycerides may develop pancreatitis if they use it on their own. In addition, if you have just drunk alcohol at the time of this injection, it may also induce acute pancreatitis. Therefore, whether you are using semaglutide or liraglutide, which has just been approved for weight loss indications, it is recommended to consult a doctor in time and take the drug under the guidance of a doctor. ”
Issue 165 in total
Co-ordinating editor: Dong Xiaoyan
Written by: Nandu reporter Wu Yueming, Xi student Kang Qiyue, correspondent Xu Yongyi