A new survey by the National Pharmacy Association (NPA) has sounded the alarm over counterfeit weight-loss injections, revealing that one in ten pharmacies in Britain had their online presence cloned by illicit sellers in the past year. Nearly two in five pharmacies reported encountering patients who unknowingly purchased fake weight-loss drugs within the last 12 months, and 95.2 per cent expressed concern over illegal sales.
Sehar Shahid, an obesity specialist pharmacist and NPA board member whose own pharmacy fell victim to cloning, has outlined seven key red flags to help consumers avoid fake or unregulated weight-loss jabs. Legitimate medication typically costs between £130 and £300, so prices far below that range should raise suspicion.
A thorough video or in-person consultation is mandatory for regulated providers, including checks on medical history, current medications, mental wellbeing and eating disorders. Payment methods are another warning sign: regulated pharmacies require payment via card on their website through a secured gateway, not bank transfers, PayPal or Bitcoin.
Patients should verify that a pharmacy is registered with the General Pharmaceutical Council (GPhC) and check that the web domain matches the licence. Fake sites often add a letter or word to the legitimate domain. Limited phone contact is also a red flag, as legitimate providers should be reachable by phone.
The medication itself offers clues: the liquid should be clear; cloudy, discoloured liquid or particles indicate a problem. Packaging must be sealed, with intact seals, aligned fonts, batch numbers and expiry dates. Any signs of tampering or poor quality suggest the product is not genuine.
Fake drugs have not undergone clinical trials, meaning dosages, side effects and usage instructions are unknown. Patients who suspect they have purchased counterfeit jabs should not use them and report the matter to the authorities.
