Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to (a) help tackle illegal sales of semaglutide and (b) regulate unlicensed pharmacists.

The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) is responsible for the regulation of all medicines and medical devices in the UK by ensuring they work and are acceptably safe. This also includes applying the legal controls on the retail sale, supply and advertising of medicines which are set out in the Human Medicines Regulations 2012.

Public safety is the number one priority for the MHRA and its Criminal Enforcement Unit (CEU) works hard to prevent, detect and investigate illegal activity involving medicines and medical devices. This year, the CEU and its partners have seized millions of doses of illegally traded medicines, including weight loss products.

The MHRA also works closely with web-based sales platforms and the internet industry to identify and remove non-compliant medicines and medical devices where possible. This has included the suspension of hundreds of websites and social media listings linked to the sale of weight loss products over the last two years.

The MHRA works tirelessly to develop new and innovative ways to tackle the trade in illegal medicines. This includes:

- enhanced collaboration with search engine and UK internet service providers aimed at blocking harmful online content;

- boosted collaboration with Home Office Border Force allowing the MHRA to grow its operational footprint at the border and increase the interdiction rates of illegally trafficked medicines;

- the launch of an online checker that allows users to search if a website offering medicines has been deemed fraudulent by the MHRA;

- implementation of a web-based reporting scheme allowing users to report suspicious websites, online marketplace listings and social media channels directly to the MHRA; and

- the use of cutting-edge technology to identify, track and seize the proceeds of crime, including cryptocurrency.

The MHRA’s FakeMeds campaign provides advice to people in the UK who are considering buying medication online, outlining how products can be accessed from safe and legitimate sources.

Anyone who believes they have had a side effect from a medicine, or think they’ve received falsified stock, can report it to the MHRA’s Yellow Card scheme.

Most legitimate weight loss products are prescription-only medicines, meaning that a consultation with a doctor or qualified healthcare professional is needed to assess the patient's suitability for the treatment and consider any potential risks. Usually, they should only be obtained from a registered pharmacy against a valid prescription. The General Pharmaceutical Council is responsible for the regulation of pharmacies and pharmacists licensed to practice in Great Britain.