How to reduce the risk of fake GLP-1 medicines

Why checking the source matters

The MHRA has found falsified Ozempic and Saxenda pens containing insulin, which can cause dangerous low blood glucose. More recently, its October 2026 operation seized fake tirzepatide and retatrutide pens. The regulator stated that retatrutide remained unauthorised in the UK. [1][3]

These examples are reasons to check the supply chain, not instructions for identifying every possible counterfeit. A photograph of a previously seized product cannot show all the ways a new falsified item might look. Equally, a legitimate manufacturer can change a device or packaging. Appearance is one clue to investigate, not an authentication service.

Check registration independently

For a pharmacy in England, Scotland or Wales, use the General Pharmaceutical Council register. For a pharmacy in Northern Ireland, use the Pharmaceutical Society of Northern Ireland register. These are the routes linked by the MHRA. [4][5][6]

Compare the business name and address with the details on the service you intend to use. If the information does not match, pause and contact the pharmacy using independently obtained details. A copied logo or registration number on a sales page is not the same as checking the register yourself.

The GPhC's online-care guide also recommends checking the healthcare professionals' registration and finding out how the service works. Ask who is prescribing, who is dispensing and which service handles follow-up. [2]

Expect a real assessment and aftercare

Answer health questions honestly and give a complete medicine history. The GPhC guide advises against websites that send medicines without asking health questions and recommends clear written medicine information and aftercare arrangements. [2]

Before paying, identify how to contact the service if a dose causes problems, whether follow-up is included, and what happens if the clinician decides prescribing is unsuitable. A sensible service description should make those answers accessible without pressuring you to buy first.

Keep the prescription details, order confirmation and the pharmacy's contact information together. This is particularly helpful when a website brand, prescriber and dispensing pharmacy have different names. Knowing their respective roles makes a later concern easier to resolve.

Supply routes to avoid

The MHRA warns against unregulated social-media and beauty-salon supply, and products sold as powders to mix before injection. UK-authorised GLP-1 medicines are supplied as specific finished products; a bag of powder or “research” vial is not made equivalent by attaching a familiar ingredient name. [4][3]

Pause if a seller dismisses the need for a prescription, promises guaranteed results, will not identify the dispensing pharmacy or asks you to use someone else's pen. An unusually low price is a reason to investigate the source, not proof on its own that a medicine is counterfeit.

Do not test authenticity by injecting a small amount. Experiencing nausea, appetite change or an injection-site sensation does not verify what the product contains.

Check or report a suspicious online seller

Copy the seller’s full website address into the MHRA’s ‘Not Recommended’ search. A match is a warning. Keep checking the dispensing pharmacy and prescriber even when the search returns no match. [9][2]

Use the MHRA seller reporting service if you suspect a website or social media account is offering medicines illegally. Include the web address or account name and what raised your concern. A screenshot or copy of the advert can help. [10]

If something looks wrong after delivery

Do not use a suspect medicine. Contact the dispensing pharmacy and explain the concern. Keep the packaging, batch details and order information; the MHRA asks that suspected falsified products be retained for investigation rather than simply discarded. [1]

Describe exactly what differs: product name, strength, leaflet, expiry date, seal or device. Ask how the pharmacy will check the item and what to do with it while that happens. If there is a needle attached or exposed, avoid handling it unnecessarily and ask for safe storage instructions.

Lilly describes two KwikPen designs, each with four doses. A change deserves verification. [7]

Medical help and reporting

If you have used a suspect product and develop sweating, dizziness, blurred vision or other symptoms of low blood glucose, seek urgent medical help. Seizures or loss of consciousness require 999. Tell the team the product may be falsified and take its details with you. [1]

Use the MHRA Yellow Card service to report suspected falsification, side effects or quality concerns. Include the seller, web address, product and batch details, purchase date and any symptoms. Reporting does not substitute for urgent care. [8]

If a website is still offering the suspect product, preserve its address and a screenshot for the report. Do not send the medicine back to an unverified seller before asking the pharmacist or regulator what to do, because the product may be useful evidence.

Questions and answers