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The UK regulator for pharmacists, the General Pharmaceutical Council (GPhC), has started a public campaign warning people about the dangers of buying medicines from fake online pharmacies. This comes after the rollout of a new oral form of semaglutide — a weight-loss and diabetes drug that previously was only available as an injection — which has increased public interest and online searches. The GPhC is urging people to check that online pharmacies are legitimate before buying medicines. Semaglutide is the active ingredient in well-known drugs like Ozempic and Wegovy. It’s a lab-made version of a hormone that our gut releases after eating that helps control appetite and blood sugar. In plain terms: it makes you feel less hungry and slows how quickly your stomach empties. Until recently you mostly got it as a weekly injection, but now there’s a pill form that people can take by mouth. The headline here isn’t a new medical study about semaglutide’s effects. It’s a regulatory safety campaign. The GPhC’s message is based on a well-documented problem: fake or unregulated online pharmacies sometimes sell counterfeit, contaminated, or incorrect medicines. When a high-demand drug like oral semaglutide becomes available, scammers can take advantage of the increased interest. The campaign likely points to examples and general risks rather than reporting a specific outbreak or quantified harm tied to these pills in the UK. Why this matters to a regular person is straightforward. If you order medicine from a website that looks professional but isn’t licensed, you might get something that doesn’t work or that harms you. For semaglutide and similar drugs, taking the wrong dose or a fake product could cause side effects or leave conditions like diabetes untreated. People looking for weight-loss help, those with type 2 diabetes, or anyone buying prescription medicines online should care because they’re the ones most likely to be targeted by these sites. There are some simple safety steps and a few caveats. Never buy prescription medicines without a prescription from a reputable source. Check that an online pharmacy is registered with the right regulator (in the UK, that’s the GPhC) and look for contact details and a qualified pharmacist you can speak to. Be cautious of sites offering unusually low prices, no prescription required, or fast overseas shipping. Lastly, know that the campaign is about protecting consumers from counterfeit or unsafe medicines; it doesn’t claim the oral semaglutide itself is unsafe when prescribed and dispensed properly. Bottom line: Be careful where you buy medicines online — especially new, in-demand drugs like oral semaglutide — and use licensed pharmacies to reduce the risk of fake or dangerous products.
Source: The Pharmaceutical Journal