A staggering one in four UK adults is now officially obese, putting massive pressure on public health and the economy. To tackle this rise, the NHS is now offering weight-loss injections such as Mounjaro and Wegovy. While this should be great news, the reality is that getting hold of one of these prescriptions has been likened to winning a golden ticket to the Willy Wonka factory.
However, the genie is out of the bottle. Now that people know about weight- loss jabs, they want them. The hype has fuelled the frenzied kind of demand that big business loves – but it has also opened a dangerous black market for unlicensed products, warns pharmacist Kiran Jones from Oxford Online Pharmacy.
Been tempted by social media ads that promise an easy-fix slimming jab? Here's everything you need to know about them, from accessing treatment safely to the potential side effects.
A risky route
To qualify for weight-loss injections through the NHS, you need to have a body mass index (BMI) of at least 35 and one related condition, for example prediabetes or high blood pressure. The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) says that 3.4 million British adults are eligible for Mounjaro, the most effective of these drugs – but the NHS's meagre capacity means that only 220,000 (fewer than one in 10) will receive it in the next three years.
By comparison, getting hold of these drugs from an unregulated online pharmacy seems easy. You'll qualify with a BMI of 30 (instead of 35) or 27 if you have an additional risk factor. An 'in-house medic' will supply a prescription for your order to be dispatched, and at a fraction of the expected price. One Brit, who ended up in A&E after taking a fake drug, paid £80 for four pre-filled syringes (around a third of the usual cost). Plus, with multiple sites out there competing for your business, a quick online search will also throw up a raft of discount codes.
Spotting the fakes
Criminals go to great lengths to make their website storefronts look authentic and convincing, but what you're buying won't actually be the real deal. They may contain harmful or unknown ingredients that can take a toll on your body or interact negatively with other medications you're taking, potentially making existing health conditions worse.
'The use of counterfeit medicine can be truly horrific – the news stories about cases of fake drugs highlight the significant risks of illegally obtained black market medicines, or those prescribed to patients without proper screening and monitoring,' says lead pharmacist Hira Malik, co-founder at Oushk Pharmacy. 'These often bypass the rigorous testing required to ensure safety and efficacy, and may contain harmful, undisclosed ingredients, making them unreliable and potentially hazardous.' If a price looks too good to be true, it probably is.
No support
Missing information about the dosage, ingredients and usage is another red flag. 'The consequences can also extend beyond health complications into legal and financial risks,' adds Kiran. 'Not only could you be exposing yourself to a financial scam when you buy medication from an unlicensed seller, but purchasing and using counterfeit medication could result in a fine or imprisonment.'
NEW SAFETY RULES
Due to the long wait for NHS services, it’s estimated that nine out of 10 users of weight-loss jabs in the UK pay for th...
However, the genie is out of the bottle. Now that people know about weight- loss jabs, they want them. The hype has fuelled the frenzied kind of demand that big business loves – but it has also opened a dangerous black market for unlicensed products, warns pharmacist Kiran Jones from Oxford Online Pharmacy.
Been tempted by social media ads that promise an easy-fix slimming jab? Here's everything you need to know about them, from accessing treatment safely to the potential side effects.
A risky route
To qualify for weight-loss injections through the NHS, you need to have a body mass index (BMI) of at least 35 and one related condition, for example prediabetes or high blood pressure. The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) says that 3.4 million British adults are eligible for Mounjaro, the most effective of these drugs – but the NHS's meagre capacity means that only 220,000 (fewer than one in 10) will receive it in the next three years.
By comparison, getting hold of these drugs from an unregulated online pharmacy seems easy. You'll qualify with a BMI of 30 (instead of 35) or 27 if you have an additional risk factor. An 'in-house medic' will supply a prescription for your order to be dispatched, and at a fraction of the expected price. One Brit, who ended up in A&E after taking a fake drug, paid £80 for four pre-filled syringes (around a third of the usual cost). Plus, with multiple sites out there competing for your business, a quick online search will also throw up a raft of discount codes.
Spotting the fakes
Criminals go to great lengths to make their website storefronts look authentic and convincing, but what you're buying won't actually be the real deal. They may contain harmful or unknown ingredients that can take a toll on your body or interact negatively with other medications you're taking, potentially making existing health conditions worse.
'The use of counterfeit medicine can be truly horrific – the news stories about cases of fake drugs highlight the significant risks of illegally obtained black market medicines, or those prescribed to patients without proper screening and monitoring,' says lead pharmacist Hira Malik, co-founder at Oushk Pharmacy. 'These often bypass the rigorous testing required to ensure safety and efficacy, and may contain harmful, undisclosed ingredients, making them unreliable and potentially hazardous.' If a price looks too good to be true, it probably is.
No support
Missing information about the dosage, ingredients and usage is another red flag. 'The consequences can also extend beyond health complications into legal and financial risks,' adds Kiran. 'Not only could you be exposing yourself to a financial scam when you buy medication from an unlicensed seller, but purchasing and using counterfeit medication could result in a fine or imprisonment.'
NEW SAFETY RULES
Due to the long wait for NHS services, it’s estimated that nine out of 10 users of weight-loss jabs in the UK pay for th...
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Woman & Home Uk (Digital) - 1 Issue, April 2025