HENRICO COUNTY, Va. — The owners of Vita Pure IV, a new wellness clinic, whose partner company Clinical Research Partners ran studies on popular weight loss medications like Ozempic and Wegovvy, say it is important to make sure only truly eligible patients are receiving the medications.
"Patient safety always comes first," founder Annette Bennett said. "I knew that we could provide the correct way to do it. We did the trials on it for over a decade, we looked at patients with cardiovascular issues to make sure it was safe. We looked at patients who were diabetics to make sure we were safe. So I felt like we had the tools and it was the right thing to do was to provide a safe environment.”
Bennett and Medical Director Dr. Kara Foster-Weiss said they worry about the rise in patients seeking a quick fix and ordering weight loss medications like Ozempic, or its generic counterpart semaglutide, online with little assurance they’re getting safe products.
"The ideal candidate would be motivated. I mean, that's number one, you know, nothing is going to help if you're not mentally motivated," Foster-Weiss said.
Mother of four Jessica Bond was one such candidate. Bond said for years she refused to take professional pictures with her kids because no matter which diet or workout she tried, an endocrine disorder kept her from losing weight.
"You think you have a lot of problems until your health is the problem and then you only have one," Bond said. "And so I want [my kids]] to have fulfilling lives. I want them to feel confident and challenge themselves. And you can't do that if you're battling chronic health conditions."
Bond lost 85 pounds over 18 months with help from a medication, tirzepatide, often prescribed for diabetics.
She echoed the caution of medical experts and said the prescription alone can’t be the answer, but it is a tool in a wellness toolbox for some.
A former member of the Air Force and firefighter, Bond now works as an organ transplant coordinator and said the public might be shocked by how many organ donations cannot be used due to chronic obesity.
"I'm for body positivity. But I'm not for accepting obesity. I'm for fighting that battle because it's at the root of everything. I think if we had to say that one health problem that America is facing above all others is obesity," she said.
With her weight loss came a decrease in other health issues she faced, such as neuropathy, hair loss, psoriasis, and mood disorders.
Now she continues to receive a maintenance dose of the medication and continues her balanced diet and the increased activity her body can now support.
"It also changed my labs," she said. "I had signs of fatty liver disease, I had very low iron, all of that improved to her, my labs are perfect. Now, a year and a half later, it gave me my life back."
Bennett said Vita Pure IV’s use of a compounding pharmacy has helped them avoid shortages faced at some retail pharmacies. She said they still carefully screen patients to find the ones who can benefit.
"We want patients who have the correct lab work to receive it, we want patients who are at the correct weight to receive it, we go through a whole intake process of screening to make sure your labs are where they need to be. We want to avoid pancreatitis and all the issues and the scares that you see out there in the news," Bennett said.
Prescriptions for Ozempic or Mounjaro are typically for people who are considered obese, with a body mass index higher than 30, but might also be administered to those who are overweight or slightly below a 30 BMI with other chronic conditions.
It is suggested patients have extensive conversations with their doctors and be prepared for the accompanying lifestyle changes in diet and exercise that it takes for long-term weight loss success.
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