Overview
- A new National Pharmacy Association survey of 100 online pharmacies found about one in 10 had their sites or social accounts cloned in the past year, and nearly two in five treated patients who unknowingly bought fake injections.
- Most respondents said takedowns by social media fell short, with 96% calling platform responses inadequate and many also unhappy with the regulator’s follow-up.
- The NPA has written to Health Secretary Wes Streeting calling for tougher safeguards, including a dedicated pharmacy domain such as pharmacy.uk to help people find regulated providers.
- The MHRA said it will contact the NPA and is pursuing unlawful sellers with law enforcement, pointing to recent raids in Northampton and Sleaford that seized counterfeit supplies.
- Counterfeits carry serious risks, so pharmacists flagged warning signs such as prices far below the usual £130–£300 range, no proper consultation, requests for bank transfers or crypto, slightly altered web addresses, cloudy liquid, or unsealed packaging.