12
Feb
2026
12
Feb
2026
As counterfeit “skinny jabs” flood the UK market and online prescribing comes under scrutiny, clinicians warn patients to treat GLP-1 as prescribed medicines, not quick fixes.
The rapid rise of prescription weight-loss injections has created a poorly regulated grey market fuelled by unprecedented consumer demand, with recent research suggesting that around 1.6 million adults in the UK have used GLP-1 weight-loss medications such as Wegovy and Mounjaro in the past year.
In a major crackdown late last year, the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) dismantled the UK’s first known illicit production facility for weight-loss medicines, uncovering thousands of counterfeit injection pens, raw chemical ingredients and sophisticated packaging equipment at a warehouse on the outskirts of Northampton. Investigators seized unlicensed pens pre-filled with GLP-1 compounds, including tirzepatide, with the haul valued at more than a quarter of a million pounds. The site was believed to be supplying illegal weight-loss injections at scale to the UK market.
The raid followed a sharp rise in demand for GLP-1 drugs, particularly after significant private-market price increases in 2025, which clinicians and regulators say has driven some patients towards unregulated online sellers and compounded products of unknown origin. Unlike licensed medicines, fake GLP-1 products offer no guarantees on dose, purity or safety, a gap that can result in serious illness and, in extreme cases, life-threatening consequences.
The pattern mirrors long-standing risks seen in cosmetic injectables, where counterfeit fillers and botulinum toxin have repeatedly entered circulation via informal supply chains, a comparison not lost on the British College of Aesthetic Medicine (BCAM). In response, BCAM has expanded its public safety campaign, Vet It Before You Get It, to explicitly include GLP-1 weight-loss medicines alongside cosmetic injectables.
“Whether it’s a dermal filler or a GLP-1 injection, the risk is the same if sourcing, prescribing and governance aren’t robust” says Sadie Van Sanden Cooke, Chief Operating Officer of BCAM.
“Vet It Before You Get It was created to protect patients from unsafe cosmetic treatments, but the same principles now apply urgently to weight-loss medications,” she adds. “If you cannot verify the prescriber, the pharmacy and the product’s regulatory status, you should not proceed.”
One of the most important things we are doing through Vet It Before You Get It is helping consumers understand the warning signs,” says Van Sanden Cooke. “Licensed GLP-1 medicines should only be prescribed following an appropriate medical screening and consultation, and supplied through a regulated pharmacy, with clear patient information, proper cold-chain handling and access to follow-up care. If a product is being offered without a genuine consultation, without a prescription, at a price that feels significantly below market rate, or through channels that avoid direct clinical contact, those are immediate red flags. Patients should feel empowered to pause, ask questions and walk away.”
Online prescribing under pressure
Concerns have intensified following an ITV investigation which revealed that some online pharmacies approved weight-loss drugs using manipulated images. Reporters were able to obtain prescriptions, including tirzepatide, by submitting edited photographs designed to exaggerate body size, despite having healthy BMIs.
Under General Pharmaceutical Council (GPhC) guidance, prescribers must independently verify weight, height and body mass index, and ensure two-way clinical communication. Following inspections, two pharmacies involved were found not to meet regulatory standards, with another remaining under investigation.
Health Secretary Wes Streeting has since confirmed that the government is “looking very closely” at the prescribing environment for weight-loss medications, amid growing concern that inconsistent standards are exposing patients to avoidable harm.
Rapid innovation places new pressure on safety standards
The regulatory spotlight comes as GLP-1 innovation accelerates globally. In December 2025, the US Food and Drug Administration approved the first oral GLP-1 medication for chronic weight management, a daily Wegovy tablet developed by Novo Nordisk, with the drug becoming available in January 2026. UK regulatory decisions are still pending.
While hailed as a major advance, clinicians warn that easier access does not reduce the need for clinical governance, a message BCAM says underpins its decision to formally extend Vet It Before You Get It beyond aesthetics into the weight-loss medication space.
“GLP-1 therapies, injectable or oral, are powerful medical tools,” says Dr Nester Demosthenous, aesthetic practitioner and trustee of BCAM. “They must be prescribed responsibly, with proper medical oversight and alongside nutritional and muscle-protective strategies. These are not cosmetic shortcuts. Safety, suitability and long-term metabolic health must always come first.”
A convergence of medicine, aesthetics and accountability
As aesthetic medicine continues to converge with wellness, longevity and metabolic health, experts say the lesson from fillers, botulinum toxin and regenerative injectables is clear: innovation without regulation invites harm.
BCAM argues that the future of weight-loss treatment must mirror best practice in regulated aesthetic medicine, verified prescribers, transparent sourcing, patient education and accountability at every step.
“The treatments may differ, but the duty of care does not,” says Van Sanden Cooke.
“Weight-loss drugs should be held to the same safety standards as any injectable medical treatment. The risks of getting this wrong are simply too high.”
Dr Sophie Shotter, President of the British College of Aesthetic Medicine, adds “For many people, GLP-1 medication can be a genuinely transformative tool, but it should always be started with proper medical support. Rising prices must never push patients into cutting corners with their health. A trusted prescriber and a reputable, regulated pharmacy are essential, and patients should expect to pay standard market rates for licensed medicines. If something appears significantly cheaper, that alone should prompt careful questioning.”
See all ‘Vet It Before You Get It’ information here
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