A mum was “left in despair” when her GP refused to prescribe her two overweight children with a controversial weight loss drug.
Stephanie Caruthers has blasted her doctor after hoping she could use Ozempic to tackle her eight-year-old son and her teenage daughter’s obesity. The doctor said he could not give – or even recommend – the drug for anyone aged under 18. While Stephanie was prescribed with the anti-diabetic medication, it is understood the GP said she would have to make lifestyle changes for her children.
As the Mirror reports, Ozempic is heavily prescribed to children in the US, where children aged 13 and older can be given it. However, according to GP guidelines it cannot be prescribed to anyone under 18 in the UK.
But a two-and-a-half-year-long trial, which started last April, involves some 200 overweight children with an obesity-related health problem – either type 2 diabetes or high blood pressure. It is taking place in four hospitals, in Birmingham, Bristol, Leeds and Liverpool to ultimately shed light on whether children should be prescribed Ozempic here.
Writing for the Daily Mail, Stephanie said: “The GP, knowing my history, recognised I needed Ozempic to help me lose weight and tackle the ‘food noise’ I hear constantly. But, as far as the kids were concerned, he said his hands were tied. According to the guidelines he could not currently prescribe – nor even recommend – Ozempic for anyone under 18.
“I left in despair if I am honest. While I did take the prescription I was offered for myself, this wasn’t a journey I wanted to go on without the children. I was hoping for a lifestyle change for the three of us.”
Stephanie, who says she runs an animal shelter, stated she is confident the two children are obese. She has seen how Ozempic has helped “transform” a friend’s son, who is 18, and had hoped the drug would work the same wonders on her two.
“There must be some sort of genetic link between us which makes us prone to weight gain. So, it’s utterly unfair that my children are destined for a lifetime of difficult-to-manage medical conditions including diabetes and a heightened risk of many cancers,” the mum continued in her piece.
“For my family this isn’t about vanity or fitting into a sample-size dress. I’m concerned that they don’t have access to a potentially life-changing drug when it comes to supporting their health.
“I find it incredible that even after six years of the drug being available on the NHS – and being prescribed for children over 12 in the US – the government body NICE has yet to officially publish guidance on its use in this age group in the UK.”
Ozempic slows digestion and reduce appetite by mimicking the glucagon-like peptide 1 (GLP-1) hormone which regulates hunger and feelings of fullness. One woman, from Bristol, told The Mirror this month she shed the pounds after taking controvesial weight loss jabs. However, Lana Hart’s journey contrasts with the General Pharmaceutical Council’s warning about them, which we also published at the start of February.