Weight-Loss Jabs: UK's Walk-In Model Sparks Debate, India Faces Regulatory Challenge

• UK high-street pharmacies offer 'skinny jabs' like Wegovy and Mounjaro, raising concerns about medicalisation and 'cosmetic' prescribing.
• Critics highlight lack of longitudinal medical supervision in walk-in services, risking severe side effects like pancreatitis and gastroparesis.
• Global shortages of GLP-1 drugs have led to rationing, diverting supply from diabetic patients to private weight loss consumers.
• India, facing dual epidemics of diabetes and obesity, sees a 'tsunami' of demand for these injections, often available OTC without prescription.
• Experts warn of regulatory gaps, potential muscle wasting, and economic inequity in India, where these drugs are costly and may widen the health gap.