Poison fears over fake weight-loss drugs sold online
EXPERTS have warned buying weight-loss drugs online could have deadly consequences as new figures reveal an eightfold increase in seizures of counterfeit versions since last year.
Injectable diabetes medications Ozempic, Wegovy and Saxenda have become increasingly popular in the last few years for their use as weight-loss wonder drugs, creating an international shortage.
Celebrities such as Elon Musk and Amy Schumer have admitted to using the medication – which contains the appetite suppressant Semaglutide – to shift a few pounds.
Now only available in Ireland for those with diabetes and a valid prescription,
‘It could be anything from talcum to rat poison’
people seeking the drug for weight loss purposes have been forced to turn to online vendors. But experts warn they could be purchasing potentially lethal substances.
The Health Products Regulatory Authority (HPRA) seized 254 units of products claiming to contain Semaglutide in the period between January and September 2023.
Just 32 counterfeit weight-loss drugs were confiscated throughout the entirety of 2022.
HPRA Director of Compliance Grainne Power warned purchasing any prescription medicine online can carry serious health risks.
‘The Semaglutide products that we have detained, including generic versions of pens as well as vials containing powder, are all falsified medicines,’ she said.
‘We have no information on where they were sourced, or where – and under what conditions – they were manufactured.
‘There is actually no authorised version of Semaglutide in powder form, and any product of this nature promoted online is fake or falsified.
‘There is no way to know what these products actually contain or the strength of any dose provided. They could represent a serious risk to your health.’
While the falsified products confiscated so far this year are currently undergoing testing, Irish Pharmacy Union head of professional services Susan O’Dwyer warned fake Semaglutide products purchased without verification could be lethal.
She told the Irish Mail on Sunday: ‘The problem is that it could be anything. It could contain anything from talcum powder to rat poison –- you just don’t know what it is. I would never recommend buying prescription products online as there’s no guarantee that it’s genuine.
‘It could be nothing at all, so it just won’t work, or it could be the wrong ingredient whatsoever... if it hasn’t been prescribed for you you’re putting your health at risk.
‘My main advice is not to do it in the first place. Companies might set up a website where a product looks genuine, but in some cases it could be criminals running these websites.’
Research by the MoS illustrates the ease with which drugs marked as Ozempic can be purchased online without a prescription.
One online retailer claimed to be a subsidiary of an Irish pharmaceutical company specialising in insulin products. Five 0.5mg pens were listed for sale for $861 (€802), and the drug could be bought in other varying quantities and strengths.
Riddled with spelling errors, the site brags: ‘Don’t have prescription? No worries! You can buy Ozempic without prescription. It’s all about you.’
Another site offered two Saxenda pens for £200 (€230), as well as next-day shipping to Ireland.
A UK-based website even showed users how to combine two ingredients together to purportedly make the drug themselves.
While Ireland has yet to see any hospitalisations, regulators across Europe are rushing into action.
On October 19, the European Medicines Agency notified the medicine watchdog in each country that pre-filled pens falsely labelled as Ozempic have been identified at wholesalers in the EU and UK.
The HPRA has urged members of the public to stop sourcing prescription medicines from online retailers, saying: ‘Anyone using Semaglutide products that have been purchased online should stop using them immediately and contact a medical professional with any concerns regarding their health.’