How ‘people power’ and business transformed medicine, but created a whole new set of risks
We’re seeing what happens when consumer demand collides with commercial interests for drugs including GLP-1s, psychedelics and testosterone. It’s a huge shift.
Medicinal cannabis, GLP-1 weight-loss medicines, ketamine, psychedelics, testosterone, and peptides are reshaping how people access and utilize medicines. Consumer demand, telehealth, social media, wellness influencers, and commercial models are increasingly influencing these treatment choices. While this shift can improve access to certain medicines when they are safe, effective, and monitored properly, it also introduces new risks.
The rise of platforms like LillyDirect in Australia, which offers direct-to-door delivery of Mounjaro, demonstrates how strong consumer demand can meet commercial innovation. However, this raises questions about continuity of care, especially when prescribing, dispensing, and ongoing clinical care become separated. This phenomenon is not limited to ketamine, which is increasingly used off-label for mental health conditions, nor is it exclusive to ketamine.
Other drugs with fast-moving user adoption pose similar dilemmas, such as peptides marketed for wellness, anti-ageing, performance, and body image, despite limited evidence supporting their claims. Testosterone treatments also exemplify the issue, with social media promoting them as a means to restore youthfulness, muscle mass, sexual performance, and overall betterment of the self.
The rapid expansion of GLP-1 medicines into various areas, including substance use disorders and Alzheimer's disease, shows how treatment can become entwined with self-optimisation and body image, even when scientific evidence is lacking. These developments highlight the need for evidence-based safety monitoring and clinical oversight, as patient demand should not replace these crucial elements.
Written by urgent.news from The Conversation AU's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
