Fake drugs are easy!!! DO NOT BUY MEDICINES ONLINE WARNING NOTE : European Medical Agencies

Huge rise in seizure of weight loss and diabetes medicine in Ireland From January to September, 254 units of products claiming to contain semaglutide were seized, compared to a total of 32 units in 2022.

The health watchdog has reported a significant increase in seizures of "fake" or "false" drugs that claim to contain semaglutide, which is found in weight-loss and diabetes drugs.

The Health Products Regulatory Authority (HPRA) has today issued a reminder about the serious health risks associated with making prescription medicines available online.

Semaglutide is the active ingredient in products like Ozempic and Wegovy. Ozempic was originally developed as a diabetes drug, but it can also be used as a weight loss drug. Wegovy is also approved for treating overweight and obesity. Products seized so far this year include bottles of a white powder or clear liquid labeled as containing semaglutide, and boxed pens presented as generic versions of the product.

Meanwhile, the European Medicines Agency (EMA) issued a warning last week about fake Ozempic injection pens circulating in Europe. The EMA has identified pre-filled pens mislabeled as Ozempic in some wholesalers in the EU and UK. The fake pens have labels in German and originate from wholesalers in Austria and Germany. However, the HPRA has today confirmed that these pens are no longer found on the Irish market.

The HPRA expressed "concern" that these "counterfeit products are being sold online by unscrupulous parties". The health watchdog reminds that "prescription drugs purchased online may contain harmful ingredients or incorrect dosages, thereby jeopardizing your health and the effectiveness of any treatment you may need."

Grainne Power, the HPRA's director of compliance, commented: "Regardless of how they are promoted or presented, buying prescription drugs online is not safe, and doing so puts your health at risk." Power also specifically appealed to the public to consider purchasing products online that claim to contain semaglutide or are marketed as Ozempic, Rybelsus or Wegovy. “The semaglutide products we have intercepted, including generic versions of pens and vials containing powder, are all counterfeit drugs and we have no information on where they originated from or under what conditions they were manufactured. There is actually no approved version of semaglutide in powder form, and any product of this nature promoted online is a fake.

Power added that there is no way to know what these products actually contain or the strength of any given dose.

"They can represent a serious risk to your health," Power said. They urged consumers to "source their prescription drugs through the standard practice of accessing a doctor's prescription through a local pharmacy." Power also warned that "moving outside of this legal distribution route poses a real risk to your health."

More information for consumers about the dangers of buying medicines online is available on the HPRA website. The HPRA urges users of semaglutide products purchased online to stop using them immediately and contact a medical professional if they have concerns about their health. Suspicious activity related to distribution of semaglutide and other health products may be reported.

HPRA  CONTACT

📧: reportacase@hpra.ie 

☎ : 01 634 3871 or 01 634 3431.

Visit: Dangers of purchasing medicines online on HPRA website.