Prescription-only weight-loss drugs such as Wegovy and Mounjaro are being aggressively marketed online, raising concerns among experts about the profit-driven nature of the trend. Unlike medications for other conditions, these drugs are promoted with discount codes, special offers, and money-off emails, often directly accessible from pharmacy homepages.
Boots offers returning customers 10% off weight-loss treatments, while Pharmacy2U provides £40 off the first four weeks' supply. Daily Chemist emails £25 credits to customers, including those who previously stated they have a healthy weight. These practices appear to contradict Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) guidelines, which state that casually browsing consumers should not easily encounter information about prescription-only medicines.
Dr Piotr Ozieranski from the University of Bath highlighted that concerns extend beyond public-facing marketing. Novo Nordisk, the manufacturer of Saxenda, Ozempic, and Wegovy, was suspended from the Association of the British Pharmaceutical Industry in 2023 for sponsoring biased training and offering a patient group direction that allowed prescribing without a doctor's approval.
Industry insiders note that the financial gains for pharmacies are substantial. A month's supply costs patients £150–£250, and with around 60% of the UK population overweight or obese, ongoing use could generate hundreds of thousands of pounds annually per pharmacy. However, pharmaceutical companies deny driving the adverts, attributing them to pharmacies capitalising on high demand.
The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) and ASA have stated they will assess the adverts to determine if investigation is warranted. Boots and Pharmacy2U maintain their promotions comply with regulations, while Daily Chemist did not respond to requests for comment.
