Doctors were told to report the misuse of Ozempic for the ‘Instagram body’.

Doctors have been told to report cases of patients abusing Ozempic to get “the perfect Instagram body”, due to concerns about potentially fatal side effects.

The Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) has issued new guidance which says doctors prescribing weight loss medicines must give patients clear warnings about side effects including nausea, vomiting and pancreatitis.

It said that health professionals must be “alert to signs of misuse” including patients who are not obese to take the drugs and that they must report any adverse effects.

Wes Streeting, a health writer, says it’s important that people don’t buy drugs for cosmetic reasons or “to help get a good body image for Instagram”.

Officials issued the warnings amid growing concern from NHS bosses about young women ending up in A&E after lying about their weight to buy weight loss pills online.

Drugs including semaglutide, sold as Wegovy or Ozempic, and tirzepatide, known as Mounjaro, are only intended for use in obese patients.

However, they are still sold on the black market and through online pharmacies that do not offer individual weight checks or tests. The MHRA said that, in patients who were not obese, the risk of serious side effects outweighed the benefits.

It also said that patients receiving private prescriptions for weight-loss jabs must be wary of “wrong” medicines containing insulin, which can cause serious complications.

Streeting said: “Weight loss drugs have a lot of potential. Taken together with a healthy diet and exercise, they can become games to tackle obesity and get people back to health.

“But these are not cosmetic drugs that should be taken to help get a good body image for Instagram. These are strong drugs, and should only be used responsibly and under the supervision of doctors. It’s not a quick fix to drop a few pounds and buying it online without proper testing can put people’s lives at risk.”

Last week Streeting suggested that unemployed people in the UK could be offered free weight loss injections to help them get back into work. The NHS uses Wegovy and Mounjaro, but only a few thousand of the millions are eligible. This means that most weight loss jab orders are obtained privately, costing around £200 a month.

Dr Alison Cave, the MHRA’s chief safety officer, said: “All medicines have a risk of side effects with GLP-1RA. [weight-loss medications] there is no exception.

“We encourage health professionals to ensure that patients treated with these drugs know the common side effects and how to reduce the risk. The balance of benefits and risks outside the license indication has not been shown to and benefit. Please report cases of abuse especially if harm occurs.”

Semaglutide is the first in a new generation of weight loss drugs called GLP-1 agonists and is manufactured by the Danish company Novo Nordisk. It was introduced in 2018 as a treatment for diabetes under the brand name Ozempic, and is now available for obesity under the brand name Wegovy.

Mounjaro, which is Ozempic’s arch rival, was launched on the NHS last month and is helping patients lose a fifth of their body weight on average.

The drug became popular after being praised by celebrities including Sharon Osborne, Elon Musk and Oprah Winfrey for its “miracle” effect. However, they can cause serious side effects. More than one in ten patients experience nausea, vomiting or diarrhoea. More serious but rare side effects include pancreatitis, which can be fatal. They can also cause hypoglycemia, or low blood sugar, which can lead to sweating, tremors, feelings of fatigue, weakness and confusion.

The NHS has previously demanded stricter safeguards around the supply of weight-loss injections, as it is concerned about a rise in people going to A&E with complications after buying them online.

Last month Lottie Moss, the sister of the great blogger Kate Moss, urged people not to take Ozempic after she ended up in the hospital due to exhaustion due to taking it. Moss, who is a healthy weight, said he would “rather die any day than do it again”.