Northern Ireland health officials warn public over dangerous fake weight-loss drugs
- Love Ballymena
- Aug 8
- 2 min read
Department of Health highlights rising public health risk as hospitalisations linked to counterfeit weight-loss medication increase
The Department of Health’s Medicines Regulatory Group (MRG) has issued an urgent warning to the public across Northern Ireland following a surge in hospitalisations linked to fake and unlicensed weight-loss medication.
The alert comes amid a “significant spike in demand for weight-loss medication”, which has prompted desperate consumers to seek unregulated options via social media, unauthorised websites, and illicit local suppliers.
Investigations conducted by MRG have uncovered a worrying trend: falsified and unlicensed injectable drugs – including pre-filled pens and now “DIY kits” – being sold illegally, often with no safety oversight. These products have led to several people being hospitalised due to adverse reactions.
Peter Moore, Senior Medicines Enforcement Officer at the Department of Health, warned:
“Buying prescription-only weight-loss medicines online or on the black market without a prescription poses a direct danger to health. MRG has received reports of several people who have been hospitalised after using potentially fake and unlicensed medication.”
He further highlighted a disturbing development in the illegal trade:
“Whilst we continue to recover fake and unlicensed pre-filled multi-dose weight-loss pens, we are now seeing criminals selling ‘DIY kits’ that include the active ingredient in powdered form alongside syringes so customers can inject themselves but must first mix the ingredients together before use. The mixing of ingredients and use of such kits can present additional risks to the public.”
These kits not only lack clinical approval but bypass vital manufacturing safety checks, posing a severe risk to health.
Since 2022, the Medicines Regulatory Group has launched 34 investigations into the illegal advertisement, possession, and distribution of such counterfeit or unlicensed weight-loss products. This has resulted in the seizure of around 600 units of illicit medicines and five successful prosecutions.
Aaron McKendry, Interim Head of the Medicines Regulatory Group, stressed the importance of medical supervision:
“It is extremely important that people take prescription-only medicines after consultation with their GP, pharmacist or other healthcare professional who have access to patient health records and can consider the risks and benefits associated with every medicine.”
He added that unapproved medicines are not subject to normal safety or quality control measures, making their use unpredictable and dangerous:
“Medicines obtained through unregulated or unapproved sources will often not have been prescribed by a healthcare professional, may not have been subject to the normal safety and quality controls on manufacture and, as such, may not be of the required quality or be of the nature described.”
What Should You Do If You Suspect a Fake Medicine?
Anyone who believes they have received falsified or unlicensed medication is urged to speak to a pharmacist or GP immediately.
Concerns can also be reported through the Yellow Card reporting system at:
Breaches relating to unauthorised medicinal products within the non-surgical cosmetic sector in Northern Ireland can be referred directly to the Department’s Medicines Regulatory Group for investigation via counterfeit.mrg@health-ni.gov.uk.
