Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will make an assessment of the adequacy of the powers of the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency to prevent the illegal online (a) marketing and (b) sale of (i) second generation GLP-1 weight management and (ii) other potentially hazardous medications.

The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) has the same powers available to other regulatory organisations and law enforcement agencies when addressing offending online. MHRA takes proportionate action, on a case-by-case basis, to enforce the Human Medicines Regulations 2012 in respect of the illegal sale and supply of second generation glucagon-like peptide 1 weight management medications and other potentially hazardous medications. In cases of serious non-compliance, the agency has the power to undertake formal criminal investigations and, where appropriate and evidentially supported, prosecution through the Crown Prosecution Service.

As this is primarily an online threat, MHRA works closely with social media providers, search engines and the broader internet industry to prevent and disrupt illegal sales and to identify and bring those responsible into compliance with the regulations.

Through its #Fakemeds campaign, MHRA uses social media and other channels to share safety advice and guidance with the public. The aim is to help patients protect their health by offering quick and easy tools and resources to help them avoid fake medical products when shopping online. With practical tips on how to recognise illegally trading websites and case studies of commonly falsified medicines, it also aims to educate the public on the dangers of buying unlicensed or fake medicines and empower them to make the right choices for their health.