A leading home services company is helping to deliver weight loss drugs to your door, in the latest sign of an unrelenting demand for GLP-1 medications such as Wegovy and Mounjaro.
Justlife has added home delivery for the popular medications to its home cleaning services, pest control, air conditioning repairs and personal grooming.
The company operates in Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Sharjah and Ajman, and is partnering with medical providers for rapid delivery of drugs that work by mimicking the natural hormone glucagon-like peptide-1 to regulate blood sugar and aid weight loss.
Medications that require prescriptions are usually not available for direct delivery through standard e-commerce platforms, although some in the UAE offer supplements supporting the use of GLP-1 treatments.
Doctors said people should take care when buying prescription drugs online.
“Increased access to GLP-1 receptor agonist medications has led to concerns and documented instances of inappropriate use,” said Dr Ali El Houni, consultant endocrinologist at Medcare Royal Speciality Hospital in Al Qusais.
“As availability has expanded, there have been cases where people have obtained or used these medications without proper assessment, which raises both safety and misuse concerns.
“GLP-1 agonists obtained online without medical supervision pose significant safety issues, including exposure to counterfeit or non-approved products, incorrect dosing that could result in overdose, and the possibility of severe, unmonitored adverse health effects.”
Strict supervision
Justlife said drugs would only be delivered under a prescription and after a free online medical consultation.
“Justlife connects users with licensed medical partners who manage all medical decisions, including consultations, assessments, prescriptions, and treatment plans,” said a representative.
“Any medication fulfilment, storage requirements, or delivery processes are managed entirely by the licensed clinics through their own regulated systems and in line with UAE regulations.
“Justlife does not store, handle or transport any medication.”
In September, the European Medicines Agency issued a warning about the rise in counterfeit GLP-1 drugs sold online.
The EMA and the Heads of Medicines Agencies reported a sharp rise in the number of illegal medicines marketed as GLP-1 receptor agonists such as semaglutide, liraglutide and tirzepatide for weight loss and diabetes sold through fraudulent websites and promoted on social media.
“Ensuring that these medications are accessed only through verified, medically supervised channels is essential to prevent health risks,” said Dr El Houni.
Weight loss drugs have surged in popularity, with doctors saying home delivery could help address the supply and demand issues some people face.
Health insurance rarely covers their cost, which can be up to Dh2,000 for a month’s supply, and patients must first comply with strict parameters to qualify, such as having a high BMI and proof of lifestyle changes.
Surging demand
Strong demand is fuelling pressure on the US Food and Drug Administration to grant approval for the drugs to be used to treat other conditions, such as kidney and liver disease, and heart failure.
US spending on GLP-1 medications increased 500 per cent from 2018 to 2023 to $71.7 billion, according to UnitedHealthcare, with two in five Americans now classed as obese.
In the UAE, about 28 per cent of adults are obese, the Ministry of Health and Prevention said in 2023.
Eli Lilly, the manufacturers of Mounjaro, one of the prescribed weight loss drugs in the UAE, recently became the first pharmaceutical firm to hit a market value of $1 trillion.
That growth has largely been driven by the explosive demand for weight loss drugs.
In India, the demand is reshaping the way hospitals diagnose illness.
A sharp rise in demand for metabolic testing has been driven by the demand for drugs that help in obesity management and type-2 diabetes.
Patents on existing drugs are due to expire in 2026, opening the door for cheaper, generic versions to be made available to further improve access.
Easing logistical pressures
Dr Noor Naji, a consultant and head of internal medicine at Burjeel Medical City, said delivering drugs through a third party could relieve logistic pressure from pharmacies.
“GLP-1 drugs in general are great medications,” said Dr Naji.
“I’ve seen nothing but excellent results for patients who really need them, from weight loss percentage to blood sugar improvement, improvement in their fatty liver markers, joint pain, bilateral knee pain, energy levels and psychological effects.
“I’ve been recommending this drug is delivered for a lot of my patients, who don’t want to wait in the pharmacy, as sometimes the wait time is so long.
“These drugs need to be stored in a cool temperature. Some patients will be here for their appointment early in the morning, and then go to work, so they don’t have access to a refrigerator for storage.
“I try to ensure those patients get their prescription delivered.”
Dr Naji said it was important anyone taking the drugs had medical consultation, to be shown how to inject the drugs correctly, and report any potential side effects.
“These medications need to be monitored closely for patients, especially those taking them for the first time because there can be side effects,” she said.
“The important thing is how to take the medication, and a doctor should always counsel patients on their needs.”
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