No, you shouldn’t give weight-loss pills to your friends
Most of us wouldn’t dream of sharing our antibiotics. So why are people willing to share their weight-loss medication? asks Chief Medical Officer at Pharmacy2U Kieran Seyan
6 Aug 2026, 06:00
| Updated: 1h ago
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New research shows a quarter of people would be prepared to hand oral weight-loss medication to a friend or family member, rising to 41% among under-35s
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One in five are willing to share an injectable device. The arrival of new treatment options in the last few years has generated great interest, with an estimated 2.5 million people in the UK now using weight management medications
That level of adoption has, perhaps inevitably, changed how these medicines are perceived. Familiarity has not bred contempt, but there are clear risks of complacency around prescription medications that require appropriate clinical oversight
Weight management medicines are increasingly being discussed on social media in the same way as lifestyle products, and both clinicians and regulators have an important role to play in ensuring public discussion keeps pace with the clinical responsibilities that accompany these medicines
Increasingly, these medications are being associated with events and seasons rather than long-term treatment plans, and wrongly portrayed as something that can be shared, lent or adjusted informally. As awareness of these medicines grows, it is important that understanding of their appropriate use grows alongside it
The reasoning behind sharing – or being flexible with – weight management medication may seem well-meaning: if it works for me, it’ll work for you, but while understandable, it is based on the misconception that what is appropriate for one person will necessarily be appropriate for another. These treatments are not prescribed without conducting a full consultation, and should be carefully personalised by clinicians to ensure proper titration and medical suitability for an individual
Prescription weight-management medicines are not suitable for everyone. Factors including medical history, other medications, underlying health conditions and previous treatment response all influence whether a medicine is appropriate for a particular patient. What is safe for one person may not be safe for another
When that clinical oversight is removed, people may experience side effects and complications that could potentially have been avoided. Injectable treatments present additional considerations, including correct dosing, administration technique and storage requirements. Sharing prescription medicines, whether tablets or injectable treatments, means bypassing the clinical assessment and monitoring that helps ensure they are used safely and appropriately
A willingness to share pills or injectables is not the only concerning behaviour when it comes to weight management. Pharmacy2U research shows over half of people feel comfortable using weight-loss medication differently from how it was prescribed. Among those, 22% said they would consider increasing their dose during summer, and 21% might do so ahead of an event like a holiday or a wedding
Clinicians, patients and the wider public must treat these insights as a warning. There is a risk in treating these medicines as lifestyle products rather than prescription medicines or adjusting treatment without speaking to your doctor. Unsupervised adjustment of medication can cause unintended side effects and reduce the safety of treatment
Greater awareness of weight-management medicines is welcome and has the potential to help more people understand the treatment options available to them. However, increased familiarity should not come at the expense of patient safety
These medicines can play an important role for certain patients, but only when prescribed following proper assessment, used under appropriate clinical supervision and viewed as part of a longer-term approach to health
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Kieran Seyan is Chief Medical Officer at Pharmacy2U
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