Counterfeit weight-loss products sold online “pose serious risks to an individual’s health”, the Irish Pharmacy Union (IPU) has warned.
The union is urging the public to think twice before purchasing medicines from unverified websites due to the potential for “serious risks” to health.
The Health Products Regulatory Authority (HPRA) seized 7,815 counterfeit weight loss drugs in the month of May. This was almost five times the 1,582 seized in all of 2024, which itself was a jump from 568 in 2023.
Purchasing these products “is not worth the risk”, said Tom Murray, president of the IPU, which is the representative body for more than 1,900 community pharmacies in Ireland.
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“There are no safety checks, no oversight, and no guarantees about what is actually in the medicines,” he said.
The IPU also said people may purchase fake products out of a belief they are cheaper and that it was easier to avail of them through bypassing healthcare professionals, the IPU said.
Legal prescriptions for genuine weight loss drugs Wegovy and Ozempic from Novo Nordisk, and Eli Lilly’s Mounjaro can cost users about €220 per month. They are not currently included in the HSE’s Drug Payment Scheme, which limits monthly medicine costs to €80. They are also not available free to medical card holders in Ireland as a treatment for obesity.
Ireland has one of the highest obesity levels in Europe, with some 60 per cent of adults classified as overweight or obese.
Nearly a third of people go to the internet for health information, according to a recent study commissioned by the IPU.
“Online consultations have improved healthcare access, but purchasing medicines from unregulated websites is a potential disaster waiting to happen”, said Mr Murray.
“There is no way of knowing if [the drugs] meet the appropriate standards, whether they have the correct active ingredients or contain harmful substances. You could be taking something completely ineffective or dangerously toxic,” Murray added.
“If the medicine you purchase is not from a registered pharmacy, do not take it”, said Murray.
