We don’t prescribe phentermine today, but our doctors can review your case
and propose an equivalent weight-management treatment with EU authorisation.
What it is
Phentermine is an appetite suppressant chemically related to amphetamine that raises the level of noradrenaline in the brain, which reduces feelings of hunger.Why it isn’t authorised in the EU
European regulators reviewed this whole class of appetite suppressants in 1999, decided they had not been shown to work over the long term, and the European Commission ordered countries to withdraw them in March 2000. The EU courts later annulled those decisions on a technical point about the Commission’s powers, but the products did not return to the market. Phentermine on its own is not authorised as a weight-loss medicine in the European Union today, so an EU doctor cannot prescribe it and an EU pharmacy cannot dispense it.What the studies reported
The EQUATE trial ran for only 28 weeks and was designed to test a phentermine/topiramate combination — the phentermine-only groups were comparison arms, not the trial’s primary focus (Obesity — EQUATE trial, Aronne 2013, ClinicalTrials.gov · NCT00563368). There is no modern long-term trial of phentermine on its own, and EU regulators concluded in 1999 that this class of appetite suppressant had not shown long-term efficacy in obesity. A readout is not the same as peer-reviewed publication.What has been reported
Sources: EMA — Questions and answers on the refusal of the marketing authorisation for Qsiva (phentermine/topiramate); Swedish Medical Products Agency — Qsiva Public Assessment Report; EUR-Lex — Commission Decision C(2000) 452 of 9 March 2000; EUR-Lex — Artegodan and Others v Commission, Joined Cases T-74/00 and others.
What can be considered instead
Semaglutide (Wegovy / Ozempic)
Weekly GLP-1 receptor agonist. A doctor may prescribe it if BMI and
history match the indications. Requires follow-up.
Tirzepatide (Mounjaro)
Dual GLP-1/GIP agonist, assessed by the doctor based on comorbidities and
BMI. Full detail on the Mounjaro page.
Liraglutide (Saxenda)
Daily GLP-1 agonist, indicated in selected patients with elevated BMI
after medical evaluation.
Orlistat 120mg
Fat-absorption inhibitor, a non-GLP-1 alternative a doctor may consider.
See the alli / orlistat page.
A once-daily semaglutide tablet (Rybelsus) is
also authorised in the EU, but only for type 2 diabetes — any use in weight
management is an individual medical decision and may be off-label.
How Hi-Doctor handles it
The questionnaire covers weight, medical history and current medication — see how eligibility works. The consultation cost is set out on pricing; any medicine a doctor does prescribe is paid separately at a pharmacy.Start a consultation
Weight-loss consultation
Answer the weight-loss questionnaire and a registered doctor reviews it.
They decide whether treatment is appropriate, which one, and at what dose —
and declining is a normal outcome. See what it costs
and how the review works.