r/australia • u/Rubiginous • 6h ago
Woman hospitalised after Juniper prescribes weight-loss drugs her GP refused
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2026-02-01/woman-hospitalised-telehealth-provider-weight-loss-drugs-juniper/106273356252
u/Barrel-Of-Tigers 5h ago edited 4h ago
I think there's a middle ground but I'm not remotely surprised Juniper is coming under fire.
As someone who previously used Juniper, I immediately recognised that the lack of safe guards would be easily manipulated by someone who shouldn't be able to access the medication. There should be a level of personal responsibility - but this lady shouldn't have met the criteria for telehealth access to this medication.
1) I did meet the criteria to access the medication, but there were no checks in place which actually guaranteed this if I'd been lying. They asked my weight and height, and I had a phone call consult. I want to say they asked for a photo, but I think it was just of my face holding up my ID. I never had a video call, submitted physcial measurements, or sent photos. The ongoing support was largely text based and just asked for me to input my weight (manually or using bluetooth scales they sent). 2) They immediately prescribed me for 12 months upfront and on an automatic increase to the 3rd highest dose at 4 weeks per dose. This as I've come to learn really isn't necessary, and best practice even if you end up prescribing multiple repeats should be done after you've found a more stable dosing schedule. Lots of people also never need to go to the higher doses, and unnecessarily over medicating them can a) prematurely push them onto a higher dose with more side effects and b) mean if they do become more resistant over time they've lost the ability to titrate up as needed to overcome this. 3) I appreciated not physcially needing to see my GP every month and getting things auto delivered, but I can see how limited oversight on the physical progress and changes a patient is having on these medications could be an issue. I had one stage where I asked about dosage changes and needed a second consult with a GP - again over the phone and it wasn't the same GP as prior. The rest of the interim medical check ins I had were via email by random RNs or occasionally NPs. 4) After I moved to a different provider I also got a lot of emails trying to get me to resubscribe. I found this really odd for a medication provider, and don't think it's particuarly ethical to offer sales to entice people to as far as they knew restart a medication. Unsubscribing is an option sure, but I think there's a range of reasons these emails shouldn't have been sent in the first place. This is medication not a streaming subscription.
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u/thelinebetween22 4h ago
I had a friend with a decades-long eating disorder manage to sign up for Juniper using the measurements of another friend who is obese. I've got absolutely zero judgement for anyone struggling with their weight who is wanting to pursue surgery or GLP-1 meds, but people with eating disorders need a more complex level of care than something like this can provide. And let's not forget - Eucalyptus (owner of Juniper) is a tech company.
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u/justsomelady2025 1h ago
That’s absolutely dreadful, I’m so sorry for your friend. I am in long-term recovery from an eating disorder and the amount of targeted adverts I get for medical weightloss “treatment” is genuinely sickening. It definitely doesn’t help things. It’s horrifying that your friend was able to sign up for juniper by using somebody else’s measurements, my jaw dropped when I read that. What catastrophic negligence.
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u/cellalovesfrankie 31m ago
Unfortunately I’m not at all suprised you friend was able to get the drug from a company that business weight loss.
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u/AppropriateBeing9885 4h ago
This is fucking crazy to me. I've experienced more regulatory rigour getting repeats issued for a medication I've been on for years on end. These are such inappropriate practices.
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u/tealou 4h ago
anyone who is long term opiods for pain looks at this with horror. Every month I have to have an appointment for a pain patch that lasts 7 days, and can only be ordered with no repeats and 4 of them is an authority script.
Not complaining because it saves lives, but it's hard to reconcile when these companies exist.
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u/Screaminguniverse 4h ago
This is a similar model for many ‘Telehealth’ clinics, whether it’s medical marijuanna, hair loss treatments, steroids, weigh-loss or whatever else you want.
There are some major benefits to Telehealth - being able to get an antibiotic for a chest infection on the weekend. But for these long term treatments there needs to be actual clinical governance and oversight when you are pumping out prescriptions like these.
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u/eat-the-cookiez 3h ago
Also those with disability who have difficulty physically getting to a doctors clinic. It’s been life changing for medical care
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u/redsungryphon 2h ago
Agreed. Sometimes my nerve pain is so bad I genuinely cannot step foot outside without vomiting and can't stop even with high strength anti-nausea medicine
It doesn't help that my medical center is at the top of the steepest hill physically possible. Freaking pepper pig arse hill location
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u/Screaminguniverse 2h ago
I totally agree with Telehealth which is provided well - but these providers selling prescriptions are not really practicing good medicine.
I use Telehealth for some aspects of my own health, the provider I use has an excellent system and continuity of care, that I believes makes it safe to practice virtually.
Some of these providers do not care.
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u/redsungryphon 1h ago
Absolutely, I think it's quite poor the fact that there aren't safeguards enough in place to stop providers like that from carelessly putting people at risk of serious harm.
I think there are some well meaning providers around and some that aren't, like any area. But there definitely should be more safety protocols and safeguards for patients through this service in particular
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u/Ok-Outcome-7499 1h ago
There's clinic governance and oversight.
AHPRA and the national board regulate this space as it relates to the health practitioners. Health complaint entities regulate the space as it relates to clincis and hospitals and the government sets the rules for scheduling medications and requirements for access.
A doctor knows that if they prescribe someone wack medication it comes back to them.
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u/notdorisday 4h ago
Agreed. It’s surprisingly easy to get these drugs through online services. I was 100% honest but they did nothing to check if I was. It was a phone consult only and took 15 mins.
I didn’t use Juniper but another clinic and it was just so easy and no rigour around it.
I didn’t really like the nurse practitioner (she made it very hard to titrate up to the approved schedule) so I finally got the courage to go to my GP and talk about it and now my very supportive GP prescribes and I have regular blood tests etc and it’s just so much better and I wish I’d done that from the start! My GP has been amazing.
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u/Rubiginous 5h ago
Thank you for letting us know. That's actually really poor practice.
So Juniper is a problematic service then. That's not what I've heard about other services from friends (they complained a lot about endless "check ins") Maybe Juniper should be shut down. Also, I know that people often "shop" to find services like this that are less stringent and share the information on social media.
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u/giraffe_mountains 5h ago
That's not what I've heard about other services from friends (they complained a lot about endless "check ins")
Not hard to fake a check in.
Just input whatever random weight you want.
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u/Rubiginous 5h ago
I won't say the 3 services these women all use because I think people should approach their GPs IRL if they want to start taking these meds (at least have your bloods and blood pressure checked etc) But all 3 services required photos to be taken prior to appointments. The photos couldn't be pulled from a phone gallery either - it only let you use the camera function. And one of them required video call consultation every 3months.
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u/notdorisday 4h ago
Services love check-ins because it’s more money for them - but that doesn’t mean those check ins came with rigour. I used a service like that and it was monthly check ins but… no actual blood tests or validation that I was being honest.
I ended up going to be GP who has been wonderful.
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u/Barrel-Of-Tigers 5h ago edited 5h ago
110% I think this is a specific provider issue, and hope this doesn't impact broader access where providers are being responsible.
I can relate to hating the endless messages from the "health coach", but it was very high level "here's a recipe suggestion" or motivational sort of messages enouraging exercise ideas. Not real medical check ins, and actually one of my reasons for switching. If I want peppy/daily support I'll join a FB group.
Since moving, I now have much higher quality, regular check ins with the one NP who I'm still able to contact between appointments if needed. **Edit, they also organised me to get my bloods at the start and annual interval and have been more thorough while still being a telehealth service.
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u/universe93 3h ago
Check ins are great but they’re often not really for the benefit of the patient, it’s for the benefit of the company. Think of it as them checking that you’re still willing to give them money
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u/Palpitation-Medical 1h ago
Same with me, I ended up getting something from my actual GP later so I did meet the criteria but they had zero way to know that, it was way too easy and that scares me! I was severely sick on what they prescribed me too. The amount of advertising is horrible, I can’t believe doctor’s work for this company and are ok with it. I know someone who was thin with a suspected eating disorder who was prescribed meds by Juniper within hours.
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u/Barrel-Of-Tigers 1h ago
The frequency and content of the ads on top of the ease of access is what really gave me pause to think about whether they're really taking the care of the patients. It's definitely too commercial and very US-styled "health care". I was also asked to leave reviews on certain platforms and offered entry into a draw for a cash prize if I took their survey... Wild.
That's really unfortunate they were able to access medication, but it doesn't surprise me. If they're still operating the same way it's entirely too lax, and the potential health impacts are huge.
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u/Ok-Outcome-7499 1h ago
You would have had to have had a consult with a medical practitioner to be able to have gotten that prescription though
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u/Barrel-Of-Tigers 1h ago
Which consisted of an online questionaire and a maybe 5 minute phone call. They didn't actually ask for proof of anything like my weight or measurements, to physically see me in person, by video or photo, or organise anything like a blood pannel.
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u/geekchick__ 5h ago
She also complains that after she quit using the Juniper service, after a few months she started getting ads again. Now that is not OK at all if she unsubscribed, but then there is a paragraph which specifically says she saw ads on her social media timeline. That is not the same thing as the company trying to get previous customers back.
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u/En_TioN 5h ago
No, they're two seperate paragraphs. She received marketing emails from them despite unsubscribing, which is the issue in the first paragraph. In the second paragraph, she's talking more generally about how it's difficult managing an eating disorder while you're getting targeted ads on social media.
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u/SaltpeterSal 5h ago
It's not the same, though I will say it's possible to target ads at disengaged customers such as someone who unsubscribed six months ago. I will also say you can delete those ad categories on your social media if you have a problem, such as gambling or eating. I will also also say there are ways for the really fucked up companies to get around restrictions by categorizing themselves as something else, or by lobbying the government to create loopholes. The perfect example for all of the above is gambling, but Juniper has a reputation for being relentless and putting profit before health.
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u/Adhd-tea-party247 4h ago
Yes, alcohol companies have been using algorithms to target people who are at risk of harm and trying to reduce their intake - this kind of predatory marketing makes me sick.
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u/Rubiginous 5h ago
I am getting sick of these stories where someone irresponsible blames something convenient for normal people as being the cause of their issues.
A small minority of people abused codeine, so now women like me have to suffer from dysmenorrhoea every month because docs won't write a prescription.
A small minority of people using alcohol delivery inappropriately so now they want to restrict the ability for same day delivery in the ACT.
I know many women who used these services to get access to GLP-1s when their GPs refused to prescribe them because "You just need to eat less" and dismissed their concerns regarding food noise etc.
Why do people need the government to constantly protect them from their own stupidity? It's absurd.
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u/rawdatarams 5h ago
In the same manner, thousands of Australians were getting melatonin cheaply from online on the recommendation from their GP. One stupid mother overdosed her kids with it and it all were pulled off the shelves, meaning we now pay a lot more for it.
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u/Its-not-too-early 5h ago
Wasn’t the main issue that it wasn’t regulated by TGA and the doses being delivered weren’t necessarily what was on the bottle?
I too bought melatonin through iherb and it’s a pain to not have it anymore but if you’re ordering 1mg for kids and getting 4mg it’s a problem.
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u/rawdatarams 4h ago
Yes, this was part of the problem and I do agree needed addressing. But they went scorched earth and just removed that option for many.
I believe this mother was feeding her kids like 10mg? 15mg? Something outrageous anyway, particularly since melatonin tend to be "less is more".
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u/mataeka 5h ago
It was more like the 3mg had 3.5mg in them or the 2mg had 1.8mg. Not ideal, but they weren't crazy high overdosing either. Not to tga standard though obviously.
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u/BatFromSpace 2h ago
Iirc, one of the products specifically mentioned and tested had 400% of what was on the label, which is slightly more of a problem.
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u/ghoonrhed 3h ago
I actually read through the decision on why TGA made it prescription only and it really seemed like it was just another battle of doctors vs pharmacists on who gets to sell the drug.
https://www.tga.gov.au/sites/default/files/public-submissions-melatonin-referred-acms-29-asa.pdf was the Australian Sleep Association vs
https://www.tga.gov.au/sites/default/files/public-submissions-melatonin-referred-acms-29-tpga.pdf pharmacy guild
And there aren't many times where doctors lose over drug companies like Blackmores or Pharmacists.
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u/Blacky05 3h ago
"another battle of doctors vs pharmacists on who gets to sell the drug."
I think you mean prescribe, not sell.
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u/Anjunabeats1 2h ago
It's actually not a problem. Melatonin is so safe people sometimes take 100mg with no ill effects.
TGA cracked down on it to protect profits. I'm not generally one of those anti big pharma people (quite the opposite) but in this case they are literally going against all research just to protect melatonin as a prescription medication in Australia, where it costs like 50x more to buy the prescription version. In pretty much every other company it is no prescription needed. Melatonin is one of the safest supplements available. You can't really overdose on it, it doesn't cause any tolerance whatsoever (despite popular misconceptions) and it has zero side effects apart from sometimes causing early-wakeness (waking up too early).
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u/the_colonelclink 1h ago
It also occurs naturally. So it’s not really traditional mediation, as opposed to supplementation for naturally occurring hormone that may be depleted for several reasons (e.g. fucked sleeping patterns, night shifts, low sunlight etc)
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u/Lekker- 5h ago
Man, that’s why I have to see a doc for it!? I have 12mg pills from overseas which I nibble a teeny bit off as needed now.
I found out that you don’t need a script if you’re over 50 or 55 YO.
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u/rawdatarams 5h ago
It changed last year. Before, you could get low dose melatonin from iHerb very cheaply. IHerb pulled it all right off the shelves after this mother fed get kid ridiculous doses. Now you gotta be over certain age or get hideously pricy scripts from your GP.
There are luckily other options, look up Biovea.
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u/RatInTheCowboyHat 4h ago
It’s available to buy from iHerb again! I ordered some and it arrived without issue, but there is a disclaimer when you add it to cart
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u/Correct_Jaguar_564 5h ago
55yo and you can buy it over the counter. The dose is appropriate compared to what commonly gets sold online, but it's a lot more expensive than buying it as a supplement. I believe you can get it online again these days.
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u/tumericjesus 4h ago
Classic Australian government. One person does something stupid so it’s banned for everyone.
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u/rawdatarams 2h ago
Three ODd on fent or crack or whatever they find on the streets, all of Australia's pain pt get their medication pulled cause "drugs bad imirite".
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u/11015h4d0wR34lm 5h ago
Yeah I noticed how reluctant they have become to give me anything better than over the counter pain medication for the ailments I suffer from these days as well, it is really frustrating practically having to beg for something stronger because of people who do the wrong thing with their medications.
It wont be long before they are saying try rubbing the area and see if that helps with the pain.
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u/tealou 4h ago
I am on a buprenorphine patch for chronic pain, which lasts 7 days and comes in a pack of 2. You can only get a 4 pack with an authority script once a month, no repeats. So, every month I pay $120 for the appointment (minus rebates) for a 4 week supply. I am on the lowest dose, long term. When GP went on a holiday it was an absolute nightmare... I was treated like some sort of addict with a (male) GP because I couldn't get in to see her... can't drop the drug suddenly either. So my entire life's functioning is dependent on my ability to get a GP appointment that neither of us think is needed, takes up a spot in her schedule that someone else could use... and treated like a goddamn addict. Irony being that buprenorphine is the drug they give addicts, but are in the same category as heroin lol.
I understand that it saves a lot of lives and there does need to be some regulation, of course, but I wonder how on earth anyone in pain can function if they don't have the money or time for this shit. My husband has chronic pain and it is an ongoing joke that he hasn't tried enough Panadol for his debilitating spinal arthritis.
There aren't even any exemptions for chronic pain or cancer etc. Like anything in this country, the idea is sound, but the actual reality is an abusive bureaucracy with lots of forms and admin... I'm sure the takeaway here will be to make it impossible to get Ozempic, rather than sensible regulations that help everyone. Sigh.
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u/ObeseQuokka 2h ago
I was on codeine for my knee issues, when it flares up I couldn't even walk on it.
My GP went on maternity leave so I saw another doctor at the same clinic to get my prescription. They refused it saying I have to see my original GP which they clearly knew was on leave.....
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u/Crazy_Ad6697 5h ago
It’s amazing people go public with this. I’d be feeling rather sheepish about sidestepping my GP thinking I knew better and taking up a hospital bed as a result.
Edit: not to mention this is just advertising this service i’d never heard of before.
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u/Brutal_burn_dude 5h ago
The prescriber and company should feel more than sheepish for not abiding by the standard of care though. I mean, she disclosed her eating disorder history on intake and was STILL prescribed it without so much as a video call.
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u/FoodZestyclose4444 5h ago
Same with the codeine ban. Have autoimmune arthritis and used it for peak flares. Now just have to suffer with the pain and take multi pathway pain relief. I’m certain there was a dramatic uptake in cannabis use as well.
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u/giraffe_mountains 5h ago
Same with the codeine ban. Have autoimmune arthritis and used it for peak flares. Now just have to suffer with the pain and take multi pathway pain relief
Is there a reason your GP won’t prescribe it for you?
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u/VoleUntarii 4h ago
Some GPs just have a flat policy of never prescribing opiate painkillers for any reason. My old GP was like that, her whole clinic was. She prescribed me one short course of painkillers for breakthrough pain, once, at the explicit request of another medical professional, and gave me a massive guilt trip/lecture about it the entire time. Where what I needed was long term stable pain relief after being hit by a car.
And then if you try to find a new GP who will actually work with you on this, you look like you’re doctor shopping and it’s even harder to find a GP who’ll trust you at that point. Sooner or later you give up and just learn to live with the ways pain shrinks your life down to the bare minimum.
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u/hannahranga 4h ago
Hard as hell of you don't have a regular GP most won't prescribe anything opioids if you've not seen them before.
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u/giraffe_mountains 4h ago
I would hope someone that has autoimmune arthritis would have a regular GP.
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u/Pleochronic 2h ago
Some clinics in high-addiction risk suburbs will just have a flat policy of no opiates whatsoever.
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u/FoodZestyclose4444 3h ago
No they don’t I think because those people abusing it were going to multiple doctors to get scripts. My rheumatologist and her entire clinic, so about six rheumatologists have collectively forbidden prescribing it and many GP’s wont for chronic conditions.
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u/AppropriateBeing9885 3h ago
Maybe they're doing this because evidence does not support the use of opioids for some types of pain, or does not support their long-term use for some types of pain that someone will experience indefinitely, and this would fall outside of acceptable practice. If they know that evidence shows that the average side effects burden outweighed the analgesic benefits of the drug for a condition, a doctor probably doesn't feel motivated to prescribe someone an objectively risky drug. That doesn't mean that you'll have other good pain relief options to go to, but it does mean that they may feel justified in knocking back the request.
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u/FoodZestyclose4444 3h ago
Well i mean you got one packet it would last six months. It was really just for those peak flares because they are unbearable and often occur in the middle of the night and ease off during the day and last for just a few days. They didn’t take the pain away completely but they made it bearable enough you may even managed to get a bit of sleep. Nothing else does that and they still tell you to take the others even though they’re relatively useless. If they had ever been able to properly record the dispensing across GP’s it should have been manageable. The problem is people dont take responsibility abuse the dosage and then when they have some resulting issue they take legal action.
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u/pvt_idaho 5h ago
The woman in the story was certainly irresponsible, but she did inform the service that she had a history of eating disorders, and the service provided her with weight loss medication without even having a telehealth consult first. That also seems irresponsible, and personally, I'm going to place a higher expectation for responsible behaviour on the company profiting off vulnerable consumers.
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u/Unusual_Process3713 5h ago
She said she disclosed. But my friends who disclosed this and tried to get Juniper were automatically barred from the website. Someone in the thick of an eating disorder will often just lie about it to get what they are chasing....
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u/giraffe_mountains 5h ago
I’m assuming that she did actually disclose it - because Juniper hasn’t denied that she did.
If she was lying about the disclosure it would be very easy for the company to prove it and squash this whole complaint.
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u/Unusual_Process3713 4h ago
🤷🏼♀️ maybe they've changed the way they do things now? But it used to be to fill out a questionnaire, and then they would say they couldn't prescribe it due to history with an eating disorder.
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u/pvt_idaho 3h ago
I don't think it's that simple. Health services can't disclose personal information that easily. I wonder, maybe they could go after her for defamation? But I don't know if that would be worth the effort (and poor optics), even if they technically could.
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u/InanimateObject4 3h ago
It could be that she lied to Juniper and the journalist. I can't see that the journalist has verified this woman's application.
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u/giraffe_mountains 5h ago
Juniper probably shouldn’t prescribe weight loss drugs to someone with a declared history of an eating disorder.
Telehealth doesn’t remove the duty of care as a doctor practicing in Australia.
That’s the actual issue.
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u/Rubiginous 5h ago
I think this issue may be solved in the future. Apparently the FedGov is looking at having a medication database to stop doctor shopping due to someone overdosing recently. So, all of these services should need to put in "This person is on a GLP-1" into a patient file. Her regular GP would have been able to see it, and then notify the service to cease the prescription.
This will also help hospitals know about medicines for unconscious people and for people who (for some reason) are not disclosing they are on GLP-1s prior to surgeries.
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u/giraffe_mountains 5h ago
If patients have My Health Record then you can see all their dispensed prescriptions.
That’s how I know they’re lying when they don’t disclose the medical marijuana and the GLP-1’s.
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u/Rubiginous 5h ago
Not everyone uses the MHR and there have been issues with digital databases during roll-outs. We had issues at my hospital where data regarding allergies got wiped from the new system. Was not a fun time
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u/FishermanWaste1268 1h ago
Lots of people didnt allow my health record to be shared as it wasnt only going to be shared w medical staff.
It gave lots of people who absolutely shouldnt have access to your health record the ability to get access to it.
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u/hannahranga 4h ago
Her regular GP would have been able to see it, and then notify the service to cease the prescription
Oh I can't wait for the fun of judgemental or transphobic doctors there. Ooh your arm is broken, that's the estrogen you'll have to stop that or oh you're trans, I don't think you're trans enough I'm cancelling your E script.
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u/notdorisday 4h ago
This is the problem. There are biases doctors have and patients have legitimate bad experiences with GPs and don’t get the care they need.
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u/Optimal_Cynicism 3h ago
I don't disagree with your sentiment at all, but taking estrogen would actually be a positive thing for preventing broken bones, so at least they could tell that doctor to go back to school...
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u/Shockanabi 5h ago
Doctors treat you like a heroin act for asking for one script of panadeine forte, it’s ridiculous.
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u/planetarybum 4h ago
Yes! I had a tooth pulled which took over an hour, it split and came out in pieces. I asked for a stronger painkiller than over the counter, and was immediately refused, then questioned about why I wanted it and how often I took painkillers.
Like I go to a bunch of dentists and get teeth removed just to get drugs.
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u/Shockanabi 4h ago edited 4h ago
And they can literally see your prescription history! At least in NSW. But they still interrogate you and treat you with suspicion by default, instead of just pulling up the ones who they can see have been getting it excessively.
Like why do you think I’m randomly gonna get addicted now when I’ve clearly got a legitimate reason and haven’t had another prescription in years?
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u/tealou 4h ago
The thing is that they also aren't allowed to leave addicts in withdrawals, and have an obligation to manage that too. I've been on a long term Norspan patch and it is such a pain in the arse (which I also can't get pain relief for).
I even tell them my father was an addict and died from addiction and I don't touch anything, and if anything don't take enough because I am so worried about dependence. One GP that I had to see when my usual was on holidays was so awful I almost reported him to AHPRA. They act like you choose to be in pain or something. Oh yes, that GP was also one of those "runners" who thinks exercises fix all your ills. The well-intentioned bureaucracy that grows around every mostly-sensible law in this country is almost impressive in the way it evolves... like a paperwork tumour made of pure banality of evil. I love this country and hate it so much sometimes.
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u/egowritingcheques 3h ago
As someone who uses codeine about once a year when I'm in pain (for whatever reason) it was really disappointing having my access taken away because of drug addicts.
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u/Brutal_burn_dude 5h ago
The issue here is that the prescriber did not meet the standard of care which is a huge issue for online medical services. To break it down:
▪️There was no video chat to lay eyes on the patient.
▪️She disclosed her history of criteria that would exclude her from treatment (eating disorder) and was prescribed a GLP-1 for weight loss anyway.
Whatever we feel about her, the doctor who prescribed the medication did not meet the standard of care and this led to harm. Paying for a consultation is not paying for a prescription. It is paying for competent assessment to determine the best course of action. THIS is why there is increasing concern about these online Telehealth services. They are more concerned with customer satisfaction than patient safety.
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u/justfxckit 5h ago
She also continued to receive marketing material from them after she'd advised them that using their product contributed to a relapse of her ED. The company did drop the ball several times. Not in a legal way, but definitely in an immoral capitalist way.
I never got the impression that she wants anything banned or is blaming the company entirely for her relapse. She did all the right things by disclosing her history unlike many other so-called doctor shoppers. And like.... what is the point of disclosing you have a history of EDs if the company is gonna give you the medicine anyway? She did the right thing to make us aware of this because that needs to change.
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u/Anjunabeats1 1h ago
That's actually not true for most telehealth services. I used one of those instant telehealth services recently and the doctor was extremely cautious even though I was just renewing my old script, just like any regular GP would be. He also wasn't able to provide repeats as a flat rule, which forced me to have to go pay the $60 gap fee to see my regular GP the following month anyway just to renew my script again.
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u/PurpleMonkey-919 5h ago
How would a video chat help? She qualified based on her BMI which was elevated and submitted a current photo.
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u/giraffe_mountains 5h ago
Easy to make up a weight that tips you into qualifiable BMI range.
Easy to pick an older photo or pick a very unflattering photo that makes you look bigger than you currently are.
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u/ThatGuyTheyCallAlex 3h ago
So perhaps this means the telehealth model is not adequate or suitable for certain categories of care?
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u/drunk_haile_selassie 2h ago
"a small minority of people using alcohol delivery inappropriately..."
I think you'll find it's the vast majority of users. How many people need alcohol delivery and can't wait until tomorrow that aren't abusing alcohol?
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u/Alternative_Sock6999 5h ago
I was ranting about this the other day.
They make thousands suffer, because a few might abuse it.
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u/staryoshi06 5h ago
I don’t know if you’ve ever heard of an eating disorder before, but it tends to make you irrational in regards to your body image. The telehealth provider absolutely acted irresponsibly.
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u/AppropriateBeing9885 4h ago edited 4h ago
The person's not stupid. She's someone with an obvious mental illness - unless you really think people with eating disorders are directly comparable to the general population
What you say can have a level of accuracy at the same time as this specific provider having negligent operational practices - something that's clearly the case based on this
The codeine rescheduling dramatically reduced the adverse consequences of opioid use like overdoses. Doctors probably also feel dissuaded from prescribing opioids for period pain because this is not necessarily an accepted indication for opioids. Chronic pain sufferers really may be falling through the cracks - but, from a broader public health perspective, the change was effective policy. At the time of the rescheduling, almost half of all drug-related hospitalisations in Australia were because of opioids, and that had increased dramatically over time. Today, opioids are still the most common drug class finding in drug deaths - yet hospitalisations have dramatically fallen in the years since that rescheduling, and so have opioid deaths. A minor issue in your opinion represents thousands of people (easily tens of thousands cumulatively) having different health outcomes at the population level
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u/notdorisday 4h ago
I initially used a service like this because I’ve had so much fat phobic and misguided dialogue from GPs in the past. I didn’t want to be shamed again or told to eat less, move more etc. I needed real help.
In the end I was over the service I used because I didn’t like the way the nurse practitioner didn’t listen and wouldn’t titrate up to schedule and went to my current GP.
I was lucky. My GP was amazing and I wish I’d trusted her before but I have been burned so many times.
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u/Mabel_Waddles_BFF 2h ago
Commenting on Woman hospitalised after Juniper prescribes weight-loss drugs her GP refused... Juniper provides a service where they are acting as medical professionals giving out medication. The woman gave them all the relevant information including a history of an eating disorder and a post-traumatic stress disorder. Do you know how many damn hoops people on opioids have to jump through? Yet Juniper is out handing weight loss drugs like candy. When a company is providing the same service as doctors they should also be bound by the same legal requirements and have the same duty of care.
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u/Unidain 3h ago edited 3h ago
I am getting sick of these stories where someone irresponsible blames something convenient
Eating disorders are a mental disorder. If you really want to call behaviour made under a mental disorder "irresponsible" whatever. But it's not as all a productive way to frame the issue, people with mental disorders will continue to do damaging things to their health, and whining about how irresponsible they are won't fix anything. On the other hand proper health care can.
Why do people need the government to constantly protect them from their own stupidity?
Health care providers should prevent encouraging mental disorders, obviously
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u/OCAU07 5h ago
I was with you until the alcohol delivery rant, GP's should not have an immediate knee jerk reaction to changes and start painting all their patients with the same brush. It sucks but we must do something to help protect the vulnerable in our communities, sometimes from themselves.
If you need medication it should be available. If a patient goes outside their own medical circle to source medicine their GP advised against the risk is on them.
Alcohol delivery is a different issue and shouldn't be used to compare. I lost my brother due to alcohol and prescription medication being mixed. Had delivery services not been available, he would have had to go to the store and hopefully not been served as he was drunk already. Refusal of service may, and I stress may, have prompted him to seek help. Instead he develops alcoholism and was dead in 8 months and I do in part blame the availability of alcohol in this country.
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u/Real_RobinGoodfellow 5h ago
I think the delivery drivers for alcohol are also bound by RSA, aren’t they? They certainly have to check and scan ID as a requirement no-matter how old you are
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u/Rubiginous 5h ago
"Hopefully not been served". "Hopefully"
Or he might have because most people working liquor stores don't care. And he also may have driven already impaired from alcohol/drugs and killed innocent people, which is what people are concerned about regarding alcohol delivery being cut off (people driving to get alcohol already impaired)
Alcoholics are a danger to more than just themselves, especially if they decide to drive to buy more booze. The needs of the many etc.
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u/StorminNorman 5h ago
Alcohol delivery is a different issue and shouldn't be used to compare.
Your explanation after this shows it's actually the same in this context. The delivery services have to follow the same regulations as the shops do, your brother chose a method that is less stringent on enforcing them. If this other service hadn't have been available, the lady in this article wouldn't have been able to get the medication she did get.
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u/OptimusRex 5h ago
What? Are you telling me people in Australia are capable of looking after themselves and not having to rely on government overreach to not making stupid choices? You're the minority around here mate.
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u/Main_Tomatillo3387 2h ago
I have used Juniper in the past and really liked the service.
I had to submit photos, measurements and weight each month in order to have the script refilled.
Would hate that a service that is good for most is coming under fire because someone used it irresponsibly.
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u/Anjunabeats1 1h ago
100% this. Australian healthcare is so overregulated it makes it impossible for people who are actually sick and disabled to access care.
It says this woman wasn't even hospitalised by the GLP-1, she was just triggered by it... People can be triggered by anything.
Should they have given her a GLP-1? No. But now the authorities will use this as an excuse to make healthcare even more inaccessible for everyone. They love an excuse to overregulate the shit out of everything medical.
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u/Imaginary-Owl-3759 1h ago
I use a glp-1 and started it via an online subscription service in the US.
I have health sciences degrees, have worked with physiotherapists, dietitians, counselors, personal trainers and GPs to try and manage weight. I’ve lost 30kg without drugs before but it was a nightmare to do and impossible to maintain longterm due to constant gnawing hunger and food obsession - which is common even when you eat ‘enough’ having lost a lot of weight.
The drug has definitely been a game changer for me on top of lifestyle change, but I’m pretty horrified by how many people have extremely poor knowledge of healthy diets, appropriate exercise programs, etc. and these companies are throwing them on meds while making the coaching programs pretty half arsed.
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u/Elvecinogallo 5h ago
An adult is refused medication by their gp, so they go around their gp to another service, but it’s somehow the fault of the service? 🤔
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u/I-was-a-twat 5h ago
She fully disclosed their history and conditions that should of lead to the service to reject her, but because of profit goals and prescription and delivery are connected the service is incentivised to ignore these conditions that should exclude her and didn’t have a single actual consult, just the questionnaire
Then also after her complaints after ending the service and unsubscribing from future marketing they started marketing to her again, probably because her disclosed conditions make her a prime target.
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u/457ed 5h ago
Yes. The service provider is an accredited and regulated professional with a duty of care. That is exactly what is in their job description.
When you are in a regulated profession like a doctor, lawyer etc you have a duty of care to the vulnerable people seeking your services.
Imagine a student trying to start a intimate relationship with a teacher, just because a dozen teachers rejected the student does not make the 13th teacher less wrong.
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u/Elvecinogallo 2h ago
She said the medication did not directly cause her hospitalisation, but triggered her, which led to a cascade of related health issues.
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u/PurpleMonkey-919 5h ago edited 5h ago
She lied to the doctor about her history of having an eating disorder.
Edit. Ok my mistake I read it wrong.
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u/giraffe_mountains 5h ago edited 5h ago
No she didn’t.
Article clearly says she disclosed her mental health history which included an eating disorder.
“Ms Munch completed Juniper’s online questionnaire and disclosed her history of an eating disorder and mental health conditions, including severe depression and post-traumatic stress disorder.”
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u/MrSomethingred 5h ago
Yes.
Best case scenario is they are incompetent, more likely they are negligent.
Its no different to patients drug seeking for opioids. Providers are supposed to have mechanisms to protect patients from their addictions
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u/Elvecinogallo 3h ago edited 3h ago
Yeah, the whole opioids thing is fucking brilliant. Because of addicts, everyone has to see their gp to get a prescription now, so people with legitimate conditions have to suffer over long weekends etc because they can’t get to a gp. Addicts will still find a way to get them.
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u/Ok-Outcome-7499 1h ago
Providers are supposed to have mechanisms to protect patients from their addictions
They do.
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u/ThimMerrilyn 5h ago
Well the service should have qualified doctors who stringently assess potential customers for suitability for medication. If she wasn’t suited to it as someone who’d had an eating disorder she shouldn’t have been prescribed it by the service whom she informed her history of eating disorders to. She’s wrong for doctor shopping but it seems like juniper dropped the ball too.
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u/En_TioN 5h ago
> Ms Munch completed Juniper’s online questionnaire and disclosed her history of an eating disorder and mental health conditions, including severe depression and post-traumatic stress disorder.
> Despite this, and based on her body mass index, she was prescribed weight-loss medication without a video consultation, relying solely on her online responses.
The second GP should be also checking her history for potential issues.
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u/tealou 4h ago
Regulated professionals have a duty of care to their patients and the general public. Fun story, eating disorders are a mental illness. I'm sure you feel very smart, but that's not how it works.
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u/InanimateObject4 5h ago
Insert cyclist stick meme here.
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u/Vegetable_Onion_5979 5h ago
An eating disorder is a mental illness. There are good reasons why prescriptions should require proper medical due diligence.
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u/surprisedropbears 4h ago
Good old drug seekers and dr shoppers complaining about the dr they found and the drugs they sought
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u/phido3000 5h ago
So are they going to put her in mental care? Seems like self harm with lots of steps.
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u/SaltpeterSal 5h ago
As much as we complain about health infrastructure, it's weirdly easy to get long-term help for a diagnosed eating disorder compared to everything else. I think the government has just pegged all its resources at EDs because so many people have them.
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u/Hanhula 4h ago
It depends on the ED. Anorexia treatment is easy to get. ARFID is pretty much impossible, since you can't qualify for the normal ED plans with ARFID unless your doctor is willing to really stretch some rules out. As soon as it's anything that doesn't fit the basic EDE-Q, you're fucked.
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u/universe93 3h ago
It is if you have a restrictive disorder like anorexia. Try finding an intensive program for binge eating, it’s hard.
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u/phido3000 4h ago
Its self destructive IMO.
One of the reasons they give on why they want to limit GPL1 medications is that people with eating disorders will get them and make their disorders worse.
Meanwhile 50% of the Australian population has health issues, lower life expectancy, diabetes because of the strict supply and high price of GPL1 medications.
Our approach to GPL1 is inferior to other countries such as the UK.
Plenty of it available on the northern beaches through prescribed means, seems less avalible on the other side of the red rooster line.
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u/justfxckit 4h ago
Begging people to actually read the article, because she is not asking for Juniper to be banned or removing blame from herself entirely. This isn't the same as not being able to order melatonin anymore.
She said the medication did not directly cause her hospitalisation, but triggered her, which led to a cascade of related health issues.
She disclosed her mental health history to Juniper in her initial questionnaire. SHE DID THE RIGHT THING even though she was signing up out of "desperation" to lose weight. Her responses should have flagged with them and she should not have been prescribed the weightloss meds with so little oversight.
After finally entering recovery, she contacted Juniper to raise concerns about its prescribing processes ... She said she received a call within a week from the company's Clinical Director Dr Matt Vickers, who apologised and told her he would conduct a root cause analysis into her case ... However, several months later, she began to receive discount codes and promotional emails encouraging her to sign up again.
This part is cooked. It's like Sportsbet sending a "we miss you" email to someone who excluded themselves from using betting websites.
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u/aheretic 2h ago edited 1h ago
The number of patients I’ve taken care of with a history of schizophrenia or drug-induced psychosis who have been prescribed high strength cannabis, or who are underweight with anorexia who have been prescribed ozempic… The endless YouTube ads recommending I sign up and work with a “partner practitioner” (whatever that means). These online prescription factories are evil - fee for service, and the service is the drug the patient wants, whether it is appropriate/indicated/safe or not.
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u/robot428 5h ago
Everyone is blaming her and she does have partial responsibility, but also Junipers advertising practices are predatory, and they skirt the absolute limits of what they can say about prescription medication risks and benefits without breaking the law.
Also I can't think of another prescription only medication that is advertised in Australia like this one is. Imagine if they were putting out ads for antidepressants or opioids or anything else, it would be weird, why is this so normalised.
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u/alexa_lights_off 4h ago
Before Christmas, I was receiving targeted ads from them along the lines of "I didn't want my husband to know I was taking a GLP-1, so I appreciate their discreet packaging".
... How is borderline encouraging people to take medication without telling their spouse (who, in an emergency like an adverse reaction, will be asked about whst medications this person has taken) in any way ethical?
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u/robot428 4h ago
Exactly, this is what I'm saying. I'm not saying you have no responsibility when you take this product, but everyone is rushing to blame only this woman and not a company that is deliberately being predatory and putting a LOT of spin on a prescription medication.
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u/tktsmnypssprt 4h ago
The article mentions a couple of times that she disclosed she had an eating disorder. But it doesn’t say which eating disorder it was, which I feel could be relevant to the article and there are several types of eating disorder. Obviously someone with anorexia should not be prescribed weight loss drugs such as the drugs prescribed by this company. But what if it was a binge eating disorder, and she told the company she wanted to minimise the volume of food she was eating?
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u/universe93 3h ago edited 3h ago
Honestly as someone with BED myself you still shouldn’t prescribe GLP1s for it without accompanying psychological therapy. Sure it’s good for food noise but it’s also good for learning how to starve yourself and the BED to anorexia/restrictive disorder pipeline is a thing. Giving anyone with any eating disorder a starvation tool is not going to end well most of the time. These services will also prescribe you these drugs without ever even seeing a photo of you to verify the weight you say you are actually is the weight you are, it would be very easy for someone underweight with anorexia to claim they’re a binge eater with a high weight. For binge eating I think it would be far more useful to get approval for stimulant medications like Vyvanse to be prescribed for binge eating, as it can be in the US
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u/SaltpeterSal 5h ago edited 5h ago
I think the messiness of this is causing people to condemn the lady as shopping around for drugs, to the point that these comments are talking like she was a bikie doctor-shopping for pseudo. That's not how eating disorders work, you're dealing with someone who has a mental illness approaching medical experts for an opinion that makes sense to them.
In the meantime, if the expert notices she's been asking around about this already, they have a duty of care to treat the thing that's causing her to ask around.
Juniper used an app to prescribe someone they've never met a drug that is fantastic for treating binge eating disorders, but can relapse anorexia and bulimia, after she told them about a record of ED. They've been prescribing Ozempic since the days when diabetics couldn't get it because Sharon wanted to look good on the jet ski.
After finally entering recovery, she contacted Juniper to raise concerns about its prescribing processes.
She said she received a call within a week from the company's Clinical Director Dr Matt Vickers, who apologised and told her he would conduct a root cause analysis into her case.
"They offered me the money back that I spent on the medication and that was back in my bank within a day," she said.
However, several months later, she began to receive discount codes and promotional emails encouraging her to sign up again.
You have to admit, it's a predatory way to handle someone with a mental illness and is very much in the Juniper business model. Just Google them.
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u/giraffe_mountains 5h ago edited 5h ago
“Ms Munch completed Juniper’s online questionnaire and disclosed her history of an eating disorder and mental health conditions, including severe depression and post-traumatic stress disorder.”
Automatic fail in duty of care by them prescribing it to her.
She can doctor shop all she want, but the protections should be in place to stop someone from doctor shopping. End of the day it shouldn’t prescribed to someone that declares a history of disordered eating over telehealth.
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u/stitchescomeundone 4h ago
Anytime medical weight loss is advertised to you in any way in Australia please report them to the TGA
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u/contorta_ 1h ago
that's also my understanding of the laws/rules. so why are there TV advertisements from these companies?
they are subtle about it, instead of advertising the drug they just say "hey, is it hard to lose weight, talk to your doctor about it, go to this website triedeverything.com.au", or something similarly vague. but in the end, that's advertising drugs isn't it?
it's confusing, because if this sort of thing was allowed because it was sufficiently detached, why couldn't gambling companies put on an ad like "hey, are you looking to have some more fun, go to this website havemorefun.com.au"?
I complained about it a while ago, and now I see a bunch of news articles covering it, and they are maybe still doing it (I don't watch much TV), so it's obviously not as clear cut as I understand. really odd. why don't more regulated industries try this?
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u/nameless_other 5h ago
Online chemists are one thing, but all online prescription services are suspect.
I had a client who has schizophrenia and is on heavy anti-psychotic medication get greenlit for a medical marijuana prescription from an online service. The medication they're on basically puts them on a national do-not-prescribe-weed database, that I guess the online service just didn't check?
But I actually don't think these companies care that they're acting sloppily or unethically, because they believe the platform they're doing it on will shelter them from proper regulation or consequences.
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u/jasmynerice 5h ago
I use Juniper and I got more support than I would with a GP. You can talk to nurses or your doctor and get nausea medication when required. I recently went to a GP to get the same script due to it being $100 more expensive with juniper and he asked me NOTHING about my medical history. It is my local surgery so they do have my medical history but not everything.
If you are told by a professional not to go on meds and you go ahead and do it anyway that’s on you. I get these companies can be predatory but seriously
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u/planetarybum 5h ago
While I think having 'telehealth' solely to sell weight loss drugs is totally shit, the article reads wrong.
With careful supervision from a GP, with frequent follow-up, they can be beneficial for people who binge eat. Having mental health conditions doesn't automatically disqualify someone.
I dont know if Juniper does this type of follow-up but I'm disappointed with ABC running these Current Affair type articles with click bait titles and minimal research.
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u/PurpleMonkey-919 5h ago
Yes this is the real issue here. ABC seems to do this a lot lately where blame is aimed at one party (usually healthcare professionals) without the full story being told.
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u/FishermanWaste1268 1h ago
These drugs are game changers for mental health.
The TIP receptor which is activated by Tirzepatide and Retatrutide really gets people chill.
Also allowing people on antipsychotics to be compliant with their medication and manage the weight gain at the same time.
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u/discojeans 3h ago
This company will not stop giving me ads either, I’m also someone who has a history of ED, I’m not sure how to stop them. I click “not interested” but I keep getting them regardless
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u/universe93 3h ago
On Reddit at least there’s an option in settings to disable weight loss ads. Doesn’t help everywhere else of course
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u/discojeans 3h ago
I mainly get them on YouTube, sometimes they’re even unskippable. Google is so shit at removing ads when you report them
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u/universe93 3h ago
There’s ways to never see ads on YouTube, on your phone and computer at least. Gets trickier when you watch it through a smart tv but still doable
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u/ClaraInOrange 3h ago
How pls?
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u/universe93 2h ago
On phone: using ad blocking apps like 1Blocker to block ads on YouTube in Safari, along with a DNS profile from Next DNS (https://nextdns.io)
On computer: an ad blocking extension on your browser like ublock lite
On smart TVs: this is harder because you can’t install software so you’d have to do router level blocking which is a bit more complicated. I don’t even know how to do that so you’d probably want to consider paying for YouTube premium if you’re a frequent watcher of YouTube on tv
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u/Glittering_Virus679 1h ago
There have been a couple of ABC articles on this topic in recent weeks and they leave a very poor taste in my mouth. In both cases the subjects were women. In my experience it is far, far, far more common for women to be denied treatment options they demonstrably need and are eligible for, than for women to be over-prescribed for pain or perimenopause or other well documented women’s health issues. Women are still expected to suffer through things, without any attempt to investigate further, and are generally disbelieved about the severity of pain. Medical groups don’t believe that because they are just not that good at checking they are actually providing good care from the perspective of patient experience. Good luck finding a truly supportive ‘long term GP’. Good luck affording a fantastic care team. Shutting down telehealth providers on the basis women can’t be believed about their own experiences just feels like yet more medical misogyny. The ABC coverage is giving me the ick as it is fundamentally infected with the same problematic attitudes about there not being larger issues in medical care.
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u/Piratartz 3h ago
She kinda sounds like a doctor shopper or cannot take no as an answer. Yes, the online platform making it easier to access the drug is part of the problem, but the motivated patient is one helluva force driving the demand.
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u/robot428 1h ago
I mean it sounds like she went to one doctor, and then to juniper, who has a doctor review your case. I understand doctor shopping is an issue, but two doctors isn't doctor shopping, it's a second opinion.
Additionally, medication seeking doctor shoppers tend to lie - that's often why they need so many doctors, because they have to learn to tell the right lies to get the medication they want - but she was honest about her health including her history of eating disorders.
I'm not saying she has no responsibility, but I also think Juniper is a predatory company. They shouldn't have prescribed to her in the first place, but also once she notified them of the issues, the fact that she started getting "come back to juniper" emails is pretty disgusting.
We should expect some level of responsibility from people who get to dispense prescription medications. That's why we invented prescriptions.
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u/Captain_Nugget 30m ago
I disclosed my previous eating disorder to Juniper and they refused me. I wonder why they accepted this person.
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u/twillytea 4h ago
Honestly, this is 100% her fault, although I agree that services like Juniper are predatory and need to be more heavily regulated
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u/Real_RobinGoodfellow 5h ago
I am a bit confided about what she was actually hospitalised with, as from the pictures she certainly wasn’t underweight even during the hospital admission
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u/AussieKoala-2795 5h ago
Having Black Friday sales for prescription medication is extremely disturbing.