BEWARE RISKS OF WEIGHT LOSS DRUGS BOUGHT ONLINE

EXPERTS are urging people who are looking to shed a few pounds in the new year to think twice before buying weight loss jabs from unregulated sellers.

-  Hanna Geissler

Criminals "go to great lengths" to make online stores look authentic but may dish out fake or toxic products, according to the UK's medicines regulator.

It warned that "powerful" drugs like semaglutide - the active ingredient in Wegovy, which is licensed for weight loss in the UK - should be obtained only with a prescription and used alongside support. Andy Morling, the director of criminal enforcement at the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency, said: "At this time of year, with many of us thinking about shedding a little excess weight, we see people offering weight loss medicines for sale as a quick fix, without a healthcare professional's prescription, from beauty salons, websites and on social media.

"These are not cosmetic treatments. They are powerful medicines that can only be legally and safely dispensed against a prescription issued by a healthcare professional.

"Criminals go to great lengths to make their website storefronts look authentic and convincing, so before you buy any medicine online you should exercise caution." Jabs such as Wegovy are prescribed through specialist NHS weight management services for people who are obese and meet certain criteria. But access is limited and waiting lists are growing.

Under NHS plans, only 220,000 will benefit from one of the latest drugs, Mounjaro, in the first three years of rollout. An estimated 3.4 million people are eligible. Another semaglutide jab Ozempic is only licensed to treat Type 2 diabetes in the UK, not weight loss.