You’re being reminded to only ever buy your medication from a reputable pharmacy and with a prescription from your GP.
It comes as there’s been a massive spike in the illegal sale of weight loss drugs in Ireland. Over 8 thousand unauthorised products were seized in just one month, four times more than in all of last year.
Health regulators are warning the public not to trust so-called weight loss injections, pills or patches sold online. Some even misuse the official HPRA logo, and in some cases, the advertised products don’t even exist.
The HPRA says buying these drugs without a prescription is dangerous and illegal and scammers are targeting vulnerable people with fake ads and bogus doctor profiles.
Always consult your GP when it comes to medication.
Minister of State at the Department of Health with special responsibility for Public Health Jennifer Murnane O’Connor told KCLR news that ”it’s very concerning, these unauthorised products are dangerous and high risk. You don’t know what ingredients are in these fake products nor does the regulator and they are not safe. It’s like playing Russian roulette with your life.”
