Weight-loss drugs like GLP-1s are easy to buy online, raising overdose and safety concerns
The rise of telehealth companies offering GLP-1 weight loss drugs has led to increased accessibility but also significant safety concerns. Patients like Karleigh McClain have experienced severe side effects due to incorrect dosages prescribed online. Critics argue that the ease of obtaining these prescriptions without proper follow-up care poses risks to patient health.
- ▪Many telehealth companies provide easy access to GLP-1 weight loss drugs, leading to a surge in demand.
- ▪Karleigh McClain suffered an overdose due to a prescribed dosage nearly nine times higher than recommended.
- ▪Adverse experiences related to telehealth prescriptions for GLP-1s are becoming more common, raising alarms among healthcare professionals.
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Health newsWeight-loss drugs like GLP-1s are easy to buy online, raising overdose and safety concernsMany telehealth companies have emerged in recent years offering easy access to GLP-1 weight loss drugs as demand has exploded.Listen to this article with a free account00:0000:00Add NBC News to GoogleAlarming rise in weight loss drug overdoses03:16Get more newsLiveonShareAdd NBC News to GoogleMay 28, 2026, 9:04 PM EDTBy Lauren Sausser | KFF Health News and Maia Rosenfeld | KFF Health NewsWithin 24 hours of injecting the first dose of a weight loss medication she received following a visit with a telehealth doctor, Karleigh McClain was admitted to the hospital, she said.Subscribe to read this story ad-free Get unlimited access to ad-free articles and exclusive content.The 31-year-old…
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