How ‘people power’ and business transformed medicine, but created a whole new set of risks

PeterPencil/Getty There’s been a shift in how some medicines and therapeutic products are accessed and used.

Medicinal cannabis , glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) weight-loss medicines , ketamine , psychedelics , testosterone and peptides illustrate this shift.

Increasingly, consumer demand, telehealth , social media , wellness influencers and commercial models are shaping how people learn about and access these treatments.

This is different from the traditional doctor-led model, where medicines are generally tested, approved and included in clinical guidelines.

Now we’re seeing what happens when strong consumer demand collides with commercial interests.

There are benefits for improved access to certain medicines, if those medicines are safe, effective, and prescribed and monitored with proper oversight.

But, as we’re seeing, this is not always the case.

When demand meets innovation A recent example is the launch of LillyDirect, Eli Lilly’s new Australian platform.

The platform currently focuses on Mounjaro (tirzepatide), a drug used to treat type 2 diabetes and manage weight.

Patients with an electronic prescription can upload it to the platform, have the medicine dispensed through an online pharmacy and delivered directly to their door.

Eli Lilly argues the model will improve affordability and convenience.

But doctors and pharmacists have raised concerns about the lack of continuity of care and what happens when prescribing, dispensing and ongoing clinical care become increasingly separated .

It is a timely example of what happens when strong consumer demand meets commercial innovation .

Ketamine is another example.