Online superintendent warned over Mounjaro supplies to anorexic patient
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The superintendent pharmacist of an online pharmacy has received a warning from the professional regulator after Mounjaro was dispensed to a patient with anorexia on six occasions.
Hira Malik, who was superintendent pharmacist at Curate Health, received the warning from the General Pharmaceutical Council’s investigating committee (IC) on August 11.
The online pharmacy failed two inspections in 2024 and 2025, with numerous issues identified including the failure to obtain health information from patients or independently verify their weight before prescribing medicines. Another pharmacy, of which Ms Malik was proprietor, also failed an inspection in 2025.
Curate Health also relied on patients’ self-declaration of whether they had a history of eating disorders, kept inadequate records of prescribing decisions and failed to share information concerning medicine supplies with patients’ GPs.
These failings led to a patient with anorexia nervosa receiving six supplies of Mounjaro, with Ms Malik having prescribed the weight loss drug on five of these occasions.
“Ms Malik was provided with falsified information by the patient, about which she did not make sufficient or adequate checks to ensure its accuracy when she should have done so,” said the IC of the “inappropriate and unsafe” Mounjaro supplies.
The IC noted that since 2023 Ms Malik had spoken to GPhC inspectors on several occasions and been reminded “numerous” times of the rules and requirements for distance-selling pharmacies.
The committee said she has since “made a number of changes” to her practice and warned her that she “must ensure that the pharmacy has all the information required to ensure that supplies are clinically appropriate and that proper safeguards are in place to safeguard patients”.
It added: “Inappropriate supplies and lack of safeguards put public safety at risk and can undermine confidence in the profession.
“Any repetition of this or similar conduct will be likely to result in further regulatory intervention.”
The warning will appear on her registry entry for 12 months.
A spokesperson for Ms Malik said: “Ms Malik accepts the General Pharmaceutical Council’s finding and the warning issued. She is deeply sorry that her practice fell below the standards expected and recognises the seriousness of the risks identified in relation to the prescribing and supply of weight-management medicines.
“She has reflected carefully on the matters raised, including the need to verify patient information reliably, communicate appropriately with other healthcare professionals and maintain clear, complete prescribing records. As the committee recognised, she has made a number of changes to her practice since the events concerned. She remains committed to following the regulator’s standards and guidance and to ensuring that patient safety is central to every prescribing decision.
“Ms Malik respects the regulatory process and will continue to learn from this matter. To protect patient confidentiality, she will not comment on the circumstances of any individual patient.”
Correction 18/8/2026: This article previously named a different online pharmacy in connection with the unsafe Mounjaro supplies identified by the GPhC.
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