UK Pharmacies Face Cloned Sites Selling Fake Weight Loss Injections

Criminals in the United Kingdom are cloning websites and social media profiles of legitimate online pharmacies to sell counterfeit weight loss injections, according to a survey released by the National Pharmacy Association. The association, which represents around 6,000 pharmacies across Britain, polled 100 online pharmacies and found that one in 10 had their digital presence duplicated by illicit sellers over the past year.

The survey also revealed that nearly two in five pharmacies had encountered patients who unknowingly purchased fake weight loss drugs in the previous 12 months. A overwhelming 95.2 percent of respondents expressed concern over the illegal sales and the health risks they pose. In one reported case, a pharmacy learned of the cloning after a patient bought counterfeit Mounjaro, a popular appetite-suppressing injection, from a fraudulent site posing as the legitimate business. The fake product was priced at a quarter of the usual cost, and several counterfeit operations have replicated official logos from regulators such as the General Pharmaceutical Council and the Care Quality Commission to appear authentic.

Sehar Shahid, a board member of the association and...