Regulators are imposing stricter rules on online pharmacies selling weight-loss injections such as Wegovy and Mounjaro, following concerns over inappropriate prescriptions. The General Pharmaceutical Council (GPhC) has updated its guidance to require independent verification of patient information, rather than relying solely on online questionnaires.
Under the new rules, pharmacies must verify height, weight, or body mass index (BMI) through methods such as video consultations, in-person visits, or by checking clinical records. Phone calls alone are not considered sufficient. The changes apply to high-risk medications including weight-loss jabs, antimicrobials, laxatives, and opioids.
The move comes after a Guardian investigation found some online pharmacies had approved prescriptions for people of healthy weight or those who lied about their weight. GPhC chief executive Duncan Rudkin said the message was clear: online pharmacies must ensure appropriate consultations and that medicines are safe and suitable.
Inspectors will check compliance, and breaches may lead to improvement plans, conditions on pharmacy operations, or enforcement action such as suspension. The GPhC is also working with the Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) and the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) to tackle inappropriate advertising and promotion of weight-loss drugs.
Dr Piotr Ozieranski from the University of Bath welcomed the update, calling it a long-overdue move to add weight-loss drugs to the list of high-risk medicines. The guidance stresses the need for timely two-way communication between patients and prescribers.
