Five checks to spot an illegal weight-loss jab seller after more than 12,000 fake pens seized
Bolt Pharmacy has published five checks to help the public spot an illegal seller of weight-loss injections, after the MHRA and West Midlands Police seized more than 12,000 fake pens from a Birmingham industrial unit on 14 October.
Officers seized more than 12,000 pens labelled retatrutide and tirzepatide, plus packaging for around 30,000 more products, according to the MHRA. Tim Duffield, Head of Intelligence at the MHRA's Criminal Enforcement Unit, said the goods were worth around £2 million and came from a 'filthy' warehouse. He said there is 'no guarantee of what they contain or whether they have been contaminated with harmful substances'.
Retatrutide has not been authorised for use in the UK, and products sold as retatrutide outside legitimate clinical trials are being supplied illegally, according to the MHRA. The Birmingham raid was the MHRA's third of the year, Pharmacy Business reported. In May, a raid on a Northamptonshire country estate led to two arrests and the recovery of around 12,000 doses, the publication said.
The risks are documented. In 2023 the MHRA said it had received reports of a very small number of people admitted to hospital after using potentially fake pens. Some had hypoglycaemic shock and coma, which the regulator said indicated the pens may have contained insulin rather than semaglutide.
The five checks draw on official guidance. First, find the seller's GPhC registration number, usually in the 'About us' section or at the bottom of the homepage, according to the GPhC, and look it up: the GPhC says its register is the only way to confirm a pharmacy is legally operating in Great Britain, and that if a pharmacy is not listed, people should not use it. Second, walk away from anyone selling without a prescription; the MHRA says prescription-only medicines should never be bought without one and that GLP-1 medicines should only be supplied after a clinical assessment. The MHRA also warns against buying weight-loss products from unregulated websites or through social media. Third, treat anything sold as retatrutide as illegal. Fourth, check how it arrives: weight-loss pens should be delivered in packaging designed to keep them cool. Fifth, report suspicious websites or products to the MHRA's Yellow Card scheme, as the regulator asks.
The MHRA advises that anyone considering GLP-1 treatment should speak to a healthcare professional and only obtain medicines from a registered pharmacy against a valid prescription.
Comment from Bolt Pharmacy
"A fake pen can look identical to the real thing in a photo, so the checks need to happen before you pay, not after the parcel arrives. A legitimate online pharmacy will clearly show that it's registered with the relevant regulator, such as the GPhC for pharmacies in Great Britain, with its prescribing service registered with a regulator such as the CQC in England. Check those details on the official registers yourself. It should carry out a proper consultation, asking about your medical history, other conditions, current medicines and your weight, and checking that information rather than relying on a tick box. If you ask, it should be able to tell you who your prescriber is and how to check their professional registration. If a seller can't show you any of this, or is selling through social media or messaging apps, do not buy from them," said Phuong Nguyen, Superintendent Pharmacist at Bolt Pharmacy.
"When a parcel does arrive, look at it before you use anything. If a pen arrives warm, not packed to keep it cool, with a broken seal or with unfamiliar or misspelt labelling, don't use it. If you think it may be fake, keep it and report it through the MHRA Yellow Card scheme. If it came from a registered pharmacy, contact them straight away."
Notes to editors
- MHRA press release, GOV.UK, 2026-10-15: https://www.gov.uk/government/news/counterfeit-weight-loss-pens-worth-2-million-seized-by-mhra-and-west-mids-police
- Pharmacy Business, 2026-10-15: https://www.pharmacy.biz/birmingham-raid-fake-weight-loss-pens/
- General Pharmaceutical Council, 'How to check an online pharmacy is on the register', 2026-07-28: https://www.pharmacyregulation.org/how-check-online-pharmacy-register
- MHRA press release, GOV.UK, 2025-12-29: https://www.gov.uk/government/news/mhra-urges-public-to-avoid-illegal-online-weight-loss-medicines-this-new-year
- MHRA press release, GOV.UK ('MHRA warns of unsafe fake weight loss pens'), 2023-10-26: https://www.gov.uk/government/news/mhra-warns-of-unsafe-fake-weight-loss-pens
About Bolt Pharmacy
Bolt Pharmacy is a GPhC-registered online pharmacy (registration 9013085) operated by Bolt Healthcare Ltd. Prescribing is provided by AIOS Technology Ltd, which is registered with the Care Quality Commission.
