Britain’s biggest pharmacy chain HALTS fat jab deliveries as 5th heatwave looms

THE UK’s biggest pharmacy chain has said it is pausing the home delivery of fat jabs as the nation braces for its fifth heatwave. The pharmacy chain said it had made the decision in order to keep the medication safe in transit amid temperatures set to reach as high as 38C later this week. Weight loss injections such as Wegovy and Mounjaro must be kept below 8C to maintain their quality and effectiveness Credit: Getty Boots warned customers on the weight loss jabs they would not be allowed to have their injections home delivered in the heat. A notice on its website says the service will be unavailable until 5pm on Saturday August 15. Sign up for the Health newsletter Thank you! Weight loss injections such as Wegovy and Mounjaro must be kept below 8C to maintain their quality and effectiveness. But Boots has said the gel-pack cold chain packaging used across the industry to transport medications that require refrigeration had never been tested above 30C – despite the increasing frequency of UK heatwaves. Eight tests sent out by Boots on June 25, coinciding with outdoor temperatures exceeding 30C the next day, found each one recorded temperatures above 8C on arrival. This indicated that standard packaging could not consistently keep the medication within its required temperature range throughout transit. The chain said it had already temporarily paused its home deliveries of the jabs on several occasions this summer as successive heatwaves hit the UK. It said new packaging was expected to be introduced in the coming weeks, enabling the medication to be sent out at temperatures of up to 35C. Most read in Health Mandeep Kaur, pharmacist lead for the weight loss service at Boots Online Doctor, said: “Weight loss injections are sensitive to temperature. “It’s important to store them as recommended, since exposure to temperatures outside the recommended range may affect the medicine’s quality and effectiveness. “We’d always encourage patients to check their medication when it arrives and before administering them: look out for the solution appearing cloudy, discoloured or containing visible particles, or the packaging feeling warm to the touch on arrival. If in doubt, don’t use it and contact your provider.” How fat jabs work - and how to get maximum results safely WEIGHT loss jabs were originally developed to treat type 2 diabetes - and Ozempic is still prescribed for that. Wegovy and Mounjaro, which are now available on the NHS, along with Saxenda, are licensed for weight management in obese adults (BMI over 30) or those who are overweight (BMI over 27) with related conditions such as high blood pressure or high cholesterol. They work by mimicking hormones like GLP-1, which help regulate appetite, slow digestion and make you feel fuller for longer – often leading to dramatic weight loss. The health benefits can be huge, since obesity is a major risk factor for type 2 diabetes, heart disease and certain cancers. But not everyone sees the same results. One common mistake is expecting it to work instantly. For example, taking it right before a takeaway, special occasion, or big night out in the hope it will stop you from overindulging. Jason Murphy, head of pharmacy and weight loss expert at Chemist4U, says: “Taking the jab right before a takeaway or party won’t automatically stop you from indulging. “Weight loss injections need time to build up in your system. They don’t blunt your appetite immediately after injection. “It usually takes a few days to start feeling a difference, and several weeks for the full effects to settle in.” Inject your dose mid-week if you plan for a heavier weekend. Another common error is injecting in the same spot each time. “People often default to injecting in the same spot over and over, but this can cause local irritation or even small lumps of fat under the skin (lipohypertrophy), Dr Crystal Wyllie, GP at Asda Online Doctor, explains. “This can affect how well the medication is absorbed and make it less effective.” She recommends rotating injection sites between the abdomen, thigh, and upper arm, and even picking different spots within those zones. And never stop using them suddenly as this can lead to rapid weight gain, Mital Thakrar, a pharmacist from Well Pharmacy, warns. “There’s a tendency to ditch weight-loss treatments as soon as you reach your desired weight,” he says. “But that’s not our advice.” A recent University of Oxford study found people typically return to their original weight within 10 months of stopping treatment, especially if lifestyle changes weren’t firmly established. “Without the appetite suppression, hunger and cravings return quickly,” Mr Thakrar explains. This includes healthier eating, which means cutting out junk food and alcohol while increasing protein and fibre, as well as exercising regularly. “Building habits like these during treatment is key for sustaining results,” he says. “Many patients see improvements in blood sugar, cholesterol, and blood pressure.” But stopping too soon can reverse these gains if weight creeps back. Finally, if you’re not seeing results, you might be missing the oldest rule in the book – drinking enough water. “Dehydration is a common, yet indirect, side effect of weight loss injections,” Dr Wyllie says. The drugs dull appetite, and in doing so, they can also blunt thirst signals. Yet hydration is crucial for the body to function properly. “Aim for two to three litres per day, sipping regularly, not just when thirsty,” Dr Wyllie explains. “Hydration supports metabolism, digestion, and can reduce side effects like headaches, nausea and constipation.” Comment now