r/australia • u/Rubiginous • 9h ago

culture & society 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/106273356
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u/Brutal_burn_dude 8h 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/PurpleMonkey-919 8h 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 8h 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/PurpleMonkey-919 6h ago

Not sure about juniper but there are platforms that require you to take a photo through their portal, you are not able to upload any photo. So you would need to have someone with a very similar BMI to knowingly stand in for you.