Criminals are ‘exploiting’ public interest in weight-loss drugs by using illegal websites to sell fake medicines, the pharmacy regulator has warned
The General Pharmaceutical Council (GPhC) has issued a warning to the public to check if an online pharmacy is registered before buying medicines from it
The warning comes after the tablet form of Wegovy went on sale in UK pharmacies last week
Concerns have been raised that a pill will be easier for criminals to counterfeit, leading to a growing black market for weight-loss medicines
GPhC chief executive Kathie Cashell said: ‘Criminals are exploiting the significant public interest in weight-management medicines by operating illegal websites selling fake medicines
‘The tablet form of semaglutide will be easier to counterfeit than the injectable form, so we are anticipating this illegal and potentially deadly trade will continue to increase
‘These fake medicines often don’t contain the ingredients they claim, contain harmful substances, or may not be suitable for the person taking them, posing a serious risk to health
‘We are urging people to always check if the pharmacy they are using is on our online register
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‘With fake online pharmacies becoming increasingly sophisticated, this quick check can protect you from serious harm.’
The GPhC has also launched a new social media campaign to raise public awareness of the importance of checking a pharmacy is registered when buying medicines online
It features videos of pharmacists highlighting how to check the register and explaining the tell-tale signs of a fake online pharmacy
- Unusual web addresses that use a product name in the URL;
- Poor website design with spelling or grammatical errors and pop-up ads;
- Exaggerated claims like ‘100% safe’, ‘no side effects’ or ‘quick results’;
- The promise of quick ‘next day’ delivery because taking shortcuts could expose patients to unsafe medicines, identity theft and credit card fraud;
- Advertising prescription-only medicines and prices on the ‘home page’;
- Not requiring a prescription for prescription medicines;
- Payment accepted in crypto currencies;
- Not being asked to name the medicine or website in the banking transaction reference; or
- Having no physical or street address available for the pharmacy.
The GPhC is also working with partners across healthcare, enforcement agencies and digital platforms to tackle illegal online sellers
It comes as a survey finds that one-in-five people have illegally obtained prescription-only medication such as weight-loss jabs
And a further 10% of respondents said they have been offered illegal medication from an unlicensed
Another recent international study revealed that almost two thirds of people worry that their medication could be fake, and more than a third were concerned about the legitimacy of online pharmacies
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