Fake online pharmacies are targeting vulnerable patients whose medicines are in short supply, including obesity drugs, ADHD medication and hormone replacement therapy (HRT), the Royal Pharmaceutical Society (RPS) has reported.

The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) said such fraudulent supply was the work of 'organised criminal gangs', while the General Pharmaceutical (GPhC) warned that there was 'no way of knowing' what drugs from these websites contained, which could cause serious harm.

Fake online pharmacies 'increasing'

In its medicines shortages report published last week, the RPS said it had heard 'concerning reports about the increasing numbers of websites that appear to the public to be reputable pharmacies providing medicines but are not registered with the GPhC'.

'These unregulated websites often specifically target those medicines that are in shortage,' the report said.

James Davies, RPS director for England, told The Pharmacist this week that in writing the report he had heard reports of fraudulent websites offering ADHD medications, GLP1-RAs for both diabetes and weight loss, and HRT medication.

And he said that while it was hard to quantify the extent of illegal activity, the issue of fraudulent online pharmacies 'certainly has been on the increase'.

With the number of people affected by medicines shortages increasing, 'more people are then seeking to go online to get hold of these meds, and therefore more people are choosing to abuse that route [through selling on fraudulent online pharmacies].'

'When people are desperate, people exploit it'

Particularly in the case of life-critical medications, patients were 'looking to do whatever they can' to obtain their medication, and in some cases felt they had been advised to go online by healthcare professionals, Mr Davies.

Mr Davies noted that legitimate online pharmacies were 'a useful source for people in times of shortage'.

'So when there were some shortages that were created locally, people might look to the online providers who are sometimes able to access medicines when pharmacies in the local area weren't able to,' he said.

But finding legitimate sources of medication was made more complex by fraudulent websites cloning legitimate ones.

'When people are desperate, people exploit it,' Mr Davies warned.

He suggested that patients should check a UK address and telephone number were listed for the pharmacy, and phone them in case of any doubts.

One patient charity, The Menopause Society, warned patients in 2023 that 'fraudulent or scam websites' were 'targeting vulnerable people seeking HRT online'. 

It noted that 'in order to appear legitimate, these websites are copying branding', making it 'difficult to spot a fake, fraudulent or scam website'.

And it advised patients to check the GPhC register to ensure they were purchasing medicines run by a registered pharmacy that meets UK standards.

Drugs from fraudulent websites could cause 'serious harm'

Roz Gittins, chief pharmacy officer at the GPhC, warned that there was 'no way of knowing what is really in' items listed on fraudulent websites.

'The medicines could be fake or not appropriate for [the patient], and could cause serious harm,' she told The Pharmacist this week.

'We understand that medicines shortages can be distressing for all involved, including patients, the public and pharmacy teams. However, it is vital that people do not use unregulated, illegally operating websites to obtain medicines,' she said.

And she reiterated that patients should check pharmacyregulation.org to determine whether a particular pharmacy is registered or not before using it, and that the MHRA should be contacted if there are concerns about inappropriate advertising and fake websites.

'We are committed to continuing to be part of the ongoing discussions on what more we can all do to help mitigate the significant impact of medicines shortages.  This includes supporting and enabling pharmacists and pharmacy technicians to make decisions in the best interests of their patients, when medicines are in short supply,' she added.

MHRA working to tackle fraudulent websites

Andy Morling, MHRA deputy director of criminal enforcement, described those responsible for selling medicines illegally and causing harm as 'organised criminal gangs'.

'As their tactics evolve, so do our methods to identify, disrupt and dismantle them,' he told The Pharmacist.

'Patient safety is our top priority, and we will continue working with our law enforcement partners in the police service and Border Force to prevent this offending where we can, to disrupt it where we can’t, and to bring offenders to justice where we should.'

Earlier this year, the medicines regulator urged pharmacists to be alert to signs of ‘misuse’ of GLP-1 receptor agonists for weight loss.

And last year it revealed that it had received reports of ‘a very small number of people’ hospitalised after using ‘potentially fake’ weight-loss pens.