eating\u2011disorder space<\/a> and patients themselves, who feared that without adequate safety checks, at\u2011risk people could slip through the cracks. <\/p>\n\u201cOne of my clients with a BMI of 18 and restrictive anorexia was able to get these drugs,\u201d Sydney based clinical psychologist Louise Adams told me. \u201cThat\u2019s not medical care, that\u2019s profiteering.\u201d <\/p>\n
Putting these loopholes to the test <\/p>\n
Hearing this may not come as a surprise for those who have seen celebrities take advantage of weight loss jabs to fit the latest \u2018skinny\u2019 trend. But I assumed this wouldn\u2019t be possible in New Zealand. <\/p>\n
So, to find out if this was really happening here too, I found an online Wegovy provider and said I had a BMI of 30, when my BMI is actually 23. <\/p>\n
![\"The](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/wegovy-2-zoe-DP5VIJYHUJH6LHQCVN4ANDLEYY.png\")
<\/p>\n
The online consultation was short. (Source: Re: News)<\/p>\n
Within two hours of filling out a 5-minute quiz, a doctor recommended Wegovy for me and I was prompted to pay just shy of $500 for my first month’s supply. <\/p>\n
That was the first alarm bell: paying for medication online before I\u2019ve spoken to a doctor. I\u2019ve been prescribed many different medications before, but I\u2019ve never paid for any of them before talking to a health professional. <\/p>\n
Ding! Your payment is approved. <\/p>\n
The website prompted me to book a 15-minute online appointment with a doctor. But, before I do, I need to send photos of myself in underwear or tight fighting clothing with my face visibly showing. <\/p>\n
Second alarm bell: how secure are these websites? With medical data leaks in the news recently, I have to admit I almost gave up and called it a day there, even though there’s nothing to suggest a problem with this site.<\/p>\n
But I pushed on, determined to find out what safeguards were between me and a powerful medication like Wegovy. <\/p>\n
I uploaded my photos and booked in to see a doctor at 11.30 the following Monday. <\/p>\n
The appointment <\/p>\n
\u201cHi Zoe, I\u2019ve just been looking through your quiz results. It looks like everything\u2019s OK from a prescribing perspective. Did you have any questions about how it works?\u201d <\/p>\n
The question caught me off guard. I had spent the night before thinking about what screening questions they would ask me. <\/p>\n
I thought maybe: What is your weight, and what is your goal weight? What has worked so far in your weight loss journey and what hasn\u2019t? What types of food are you eating and do you do any exercise? <\/p>\n
I also wondered if they would bring up mental health. In the quiz, I had been honest about my experience of mental health and that I have a family history of anxiety, depression and suicide. I deliberately went into detail because I wondered if it would raise flags in the consultation. <\/p>\n
Wegovy has made headlines recently after regulators warned the drug may be linked to suicidal thoughts. Reviews by Australia\u2019s Therapeutic Goods Administration and other global authorities prompted updated safety warnings. <\/p>\n
Concern grows over the widening use of\u00a0powerful weight-loss drugs.\u00a0 (Source: 1News)<\/p>\n
But the doctor didn\u2019t ask me any of these questions. <\/p>\n
After some chat about the medication\u2019s side effects and how long I should be on it, they told me to \u201chydrate\u201d and eat \u201csmall meals throughout the day\u201d to avoid nausea. But there was no detail about what I should eat or how I should exercise. <\/p>\n
Now that I\u2019ve been looking into Wegovy for a couple of months I\u2019ve learnt losing weight quickly can mean losing muscle mass, so it is important to prioritise protein and strength training to help retain muscle. But this was not mentioned in my consultation. <\/p>\n
My personal-Wegovy-trainer <\/p>\n
By the six-minute mark, the doctor had told me they were excited for me twice and the consult was feeling more like an induction with a new personal trainer. <\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m excited for you,\u201d they told me. \u201cIt\u2019s a good way to start the Christmas period with some positive change.\u201d <\/p>\n
I took the bait and said: \u201cYeah, you know – new year, new me.\u201d <\/p>\n
\u201cYou got this Zoe,\u201d they replied. <\/p>\n
![\"The](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/wegovy-2-delivery-FJFJPCEI7ZDEJGVPJXSBL4E5PU.png\")
<\/p>\n
The parcel arrived within a day. (Source: Re: News)<\/p>\n
At 6:43 minutes the call was over. Using less than half of the 15-minute slot I had been allotted. <\/p>\n
I sat in shock for a while, only interrupted by my phone pinging me to let me know the pharmacy had received my script for Wegovy and it will be dispatched within 3-4 hours. <\/p>\n
Wegovy to your door <\/p>\n
Almost exactly 24 hours later, like clockwork, the package arrived at my door. <\/p>\n
I was stunned. Partly at how fast it was but also the fact that I hadn’t been weighed by anyone, I hadn’t seen a GP or pharmacist in person. <\/p>\n
It\u2019s frightening because I am 62kgs. But because I opted out of the online provider notifying my usual doctor, they are completely unaware there a one-month supply of Wegovy has now been delivered to my house. Within 24 hours.<\/p>\n
I went through more thorough questioning and safety checks when I was trying to get pseudoephedrine for a cold a few months ago. <\/p>\n
Why we tested the loopholes <\/p>\n
I\u2019ve deliberated about how to tell this story for weeks. Finding a balance between raising awareness for why online telehealth providers need more safeguards, but not wanting to put a spotlight on the cracks in the system so that more vulnerable people are drawn in. <\/p>\n
But the reality is, gaping holes in Wegovy telehealth have already been exposed in other countries. <\/p>\n
Investigations by the Guardian and the BBC found some online pharmacies were issuing weight\u2011loss prescriptions based on false details and outdated photos, with little or no verification. In one case, a Guardian reporter received a prescription despite honestly reporting a BMI of 20. <\/p>\n
In response, the UK\u2019s General Pharmaceutical Council updated its guidelines in February 2025, requiring online pharmacies to independently verify a patient\u2019s BMI \u2014 via video consultation, in person, or through another healthcare provider. Some pharmacies now use live photos or ask patients to step on scales during consultations to confirm weight. <\/p>\n
The online Wegovy provider I used told Re: News its photo verification process helps identify patients who are underweight, but said: \u201caccurately assessing weight from a photo alone is difficult\u201d. <\/p>\n
If there is suspected misrepresentation of a patient\u2019s weight, it may ask for video verification of the patient weighing themselves or have the patient weighed in person. <\/p>\n
![\"Tens](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/wegovy-2-med-SMUDXIR2AVDULJBHUS24CKNCWU.png\")
<\/p>\n
Tens of thousands of New Zealanders have used the drug. (Source: Re: News)<\/p>\n
\u201cWhere a patient deliberately falsifies medical information to obtain a prescription, they are acting against medical advice and circumventing safety processes designed to protect them.\u201d <\/p>\n
What does New Zealand\u2019s medical sector have to say? <\/p>\n
Ministry of Health Chief Medical Officer Dr Joe Bourne told Re: News telehealth is a \u201cvaluable service\u201d that improves access to care. But pointed to Medical Council standards, which say an in\u2011person consultation should be considered when prescribing a medicine for the first time, when the doctor is not the patient\u2019s usual GP, or when full medical records aren\u2019t available. <\/p>\n
The guidance also states patients needing repeat prescriptions should be reviewed in person regularly. <\/p>\n
Medical Director of the Royal New Zealand College of General Practitioners Dr Prabani Wood says weight\u2011loss medications are best assessed face to face. <\/p>\n
\u201cThis allows the prescriber to physically examine not just their height and weight but also to take their blood pressure. Laboratory tests are also needed prior to commencing these medications and for monitoring when on them.\u201d <\/p>\n
Wegovy\u2019s supplier, Novo Nordisk, says patient safety is its \u201cnumber one priority\u201d, adding that prescribing decisions rest with appropriately qualified clinicians. <\/p>\n
The online Wegovy provider told Re: News: \u201cConsultations are conducted via telehealth by practitioners who are specifically trained in GLP-1 prescribing, including screening for eating disorders, mental health risks, and contraindications.\u201d <\/p>\n
It said patients with complex medical histories or multiple medications may be assessed as unsuitable for telehealth management and may be referred back to their GP or an appropriate specialist.<\/p>\n
Watch – Zoe Madden Smith’s Wegovy Investigation for Re: News on TVNZ+<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Since Wegovy arrived in New Zealand, around 50,000 people have been prescribed the weight-loss drug. Many have a…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":621650,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[33],"tags":[49,48,84,377,128874,1236],"class_list":{"0":"post-621649","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-medication","8":"tag-ca","9":"tag-canada","10":"tag-health","11":"tag-medication","12":"tag-re-news","13":"tag-social-issues"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/621649","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=621649"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/621649\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/621650"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=621649"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=621649"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=621649"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}