Underground Weight-Loss Pills Offer Dangerous Health Implications, Pharmacists Warn
In recent years, Ireland has seen a significant increase in the circulation of counterfeit weight-loss products, posing serious health risks to consumers. The Health Products Regulatory Authority (HPRA) seized a staggering 7,815 counterfeit weight loss drugs in May 2025, nearly five times higher than the total 1,582 seized in all of 2022.
These counterfeit products, often sourced from unverified online pharmacies, can contain harmful chemicals, be ineffective, or even devoid of active ingredients. Popular counterfeit drugs include weight loss treatments such as Ozempic and Mounjaro, as well as products like Botox, with over 1,700 counterfeit units seized in 2024.
The Irish Pharmacy Union (IPU) strongly advises against purchasing medicines from unverified websites. By doing so, consumers bypass Ireland's highly regulated supply chain, which guarantees medicine safety and efficacy. The allure of cheaper or more accessible weight-loss medications is not worth the considerable risks posed by counterfeit products.
The HPRA has intensified seizures, reflecting efforts to combat the rising black market trade in counterfeit medicines. There was a general 14% increase in the seizure of illegal medicines in 2024, with over a million illegal units seized that year overall.
The increased circulation of counterfeit weight loss products undermines public health, risks patient safety, and could lead to broader healthcare costs due to adverse effects and treatment failures. Ireland, which has one of the highest obesity levels in Europe, with 60% of adults classified as overweight or obese, is particularly vulnerable to such risks.
Tom Murray, president of the IPU, stated that purchasing these products is not worth the risk. He added that taking drugs from unregistered pharmacies could result in ingesting something completely ineffective or dangerously toxic. If the medicine purchased is not from a registered pharmacy, it should not be taken, according to Murray.
The legal prescriptions for weight loss drugs Wegovy, Ozempic (from Novo Nordisk), and Mounjaro (from Eli Lilly) cost approximately €220 per month. These weight loss drugs are not available free to medical card holders in Ireland as a treatment for obesity, nor are they currently included in the HSE's Drug Payment Scheme, which limits monthly medicine costs to €80.
Given the potential health risks, the public is urged to think twice before purchasing medicines from unverified websites. The IPU has warned that counterfeit weight-loss products pose serious risks to an individual's health. There are no safety checks, no oversight, and no guarantees about what is actually in the counterfeit medicines. Purchasing medicines from unregulated websites is a potential disaster waiting to happen, according to Murray.
- The surge in counterfeit weight-loss products, including popular treatments like Ozempic and Mounjaro, could potentially harm consumers' mental health and overall health-and-wellness due to the absence of regulatory oversight and unspecified active ingredients.
- Counterfeit weight management products, if ingested without proper inspection, can jeopardize an individual's health by incorporating harmful chemicals or being devoid of active ingredients, as demonstrated by the increased seizures by the Health Products Regulatory Authority (HPRA) in Ireland.
