The government agency says that weight-loss medicines should not be bought without a prescription from non-professionals and that to do so is criminal.
The public should not buy weight-loss medicines without a healthcare professional’s prescription from beauty salons or via social media, according to the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA). The government agency points out that not only does this expose people wanting to lose weight to serious health risks – it is also against the law to sell medicines in this way.
“At this time of year, with many of us thinking about shedding a little excess weight, we see people offering weight loss medicines for sale as a quick fix, without a healthcare professional’s prescription,” says Andy Morling, MHRA deputy director of criminal enforcement.
The MHRA’s Criminal Enforcement Unit says that it works closely with social media platforms and technology companies to identify and prevent the illegal sale of weight-loss medicines online without a prescription. This can lead to the removal of social media posts which sell medicines illegally and, where necessary, the suspension of accounts and the taking down of websites. The MHRA can also use the full range of its investigative powers to bring offenders to justice in the courts.
The only way to guarantee a genuine weight-loss medicine is to obtain it from a legitimate pharmacy, including those trading online, against a prescription issued by a healthcare professional.
“The decision to start, continue or stop treatments should be made jointly by patients and their prescribing healthcare professional – such as a GP or pharmacist – based on full consideration and discussion of the benefits and risks,” says MHRA Chief Safety Officer Alison Cave.
