Key Summary
- The Wegovy tablet was approved by the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency, and it is now privately available.
- It is currently not available via the NHS, as National Institute for Health and Care Excellence clearance is awaited.
- GPhC chief executive Kathie Cashell feels the tablet form of Wegovy will be easier to counterfeit than the injectable form.
The General Pharmaceutical Council (GPhC) has urged the public to be alert while buying the newly introduced Wegovy (semaglutide) weight loss tablets and to check first if the pharmacy is registered with the GPhC.
In a new social media campaign to raise public awareness, the regulator said that before purchasing prescription medicines online, people should refer to the GPhC's online register to check if the pharmacy is registered.
GPhC chief executive Kathie Cashell said, "Criminals are exploiting the significant public interest in weight management medicines by operating illegal websites selling fake medicines.
"The tablet form of semaglutide will be easier to counterfeit than the injectable form, so we are anticipating this illegal and potentially deadly trade will continue to increase. These fake medicines often don’t contain the ingredients they claim, contain harmful substances, or may not be suitable for the person taking them, posing a serious risk to health.
“We are urging people to always check if the pharmacy they are using is on our online register. With fake online pharmacies becoming increasingly sophisticated, this quick check can protect you from serious harm.”
The sale of the GLP-1 receptor agonist tablet began in some pharmacies from Monday (6) and the sector is expecting a huge demand.
Superdrug and Boots have begun online sales of the new tablet.
The Wegovy tablet was approved by the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) last month, and is now available privately.
It is currently not available via the NHS, pending clearance by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE).
A recent survey by the National Pharmacy Association (NPA) found that over three-quarters (76 per cent) of pharmacies anticipate a significant number of new eligible patients in the coming months.
An overwhelming number of pharmacies (97 percent) were concerned that the new form of treatment would increase fake or unlicensed weight loss pills being sold on the black market, causing a risk to patient safety.
The NPA wants the government to speed up the NHS rollout of these medicines to reach out to more eligible patients, and said the community pharmacies are ready to help.
