Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he has considered the potential merits of establishing a database of licensed weight loss injection providers that is easily accessible to the public.

All GLP-1 medicines, which are licensed injections for weight loss, are prescription only medicines, which means they can only be prescribed by a healthcare professional.

GLP-1 medicines can be purchased privately. A consultation with a healthcare professional must happen before the prescription can be issued, so that the prescriber can carry out proper checks and make sure the patient is aware of the benefits and risks of taking the medicine.

GLP-1 medicines should not be bought from unregulated sellers such as beauty salons or via social media, or from anywhere without a prior consultation with a healthcare professional.

To guarantee receipt of a genuine GLP-1 medicine, it must be acquired from a legitimate pharmacy, including those trading online, with a prescription issued by a healthcare professional.

Patients can check if the pharmacy, online or otherwise, is legitimate. For pharmacies based in Great Britain, patients can check on the General Pharmaceutical Council’s (GPhC) website whether it is properly registered, which is available at the following link:

https://www.pharmacyregulation.org/registers

For pharmacies based in Northern Ireland, patients can refer to the Pharmaceutical Society of Northern Ireland’s (PSNI) website, which is available at the following link:

https://registers.psni.org.uk/

For further information about use of online pharmacies, patients can also refer to the GPhC’s guide on how to keep safe when getting medicines or treatment online, which is available at the following link:

https://assets.pharmacyregulation.org/files/2024-11/how-to-keep-safe-when-getting-medicines-or-treatment-online.pdf

The GPhC and the PSNI could also be contacted for more information on their actions on helping patients to obtain these medicines safely.

Patients can also visit the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency’s (MHRA) #FakeMeds website for tools and resources to help purchase medicines or medical devices safely online, with further information available at the following link:

https://fakemeds.campaign.gov.uk/

To promote safe access to GLP-1 medicines and increase public awareness of these resources, the MHRA has published guidance for the public highlighting important information such as how to obtain them safely and key risks to be aware of. Further information on the MHRA’s guidance is available at the following link:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/glp-1-medicines-for-weight-loss-and-diabetes-what-you-need-to-know/glp-1-medicines-for-weight-loss-and-diabetes-what-you-need-to-know#summary-what-do-those-taking-or-planning-to-take-these-medicines-need-to-remember

Patients can also check the credentials of the healthcare professional prescribing the medicine via the relevant United Kingdom professional regulator, such as the:

- General Medical Council for doctors;

- the Nursing and Midwifery Council for nurse independent prescribers;

- the GPhC for pharmacists in Great Britain;

- the Pharmaceutical Society of Northern Ireland; and

- the respective regulatory bodies for other non-medical prescribers.