The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) enforces the Human Medicines Regulations 2012 on behalf of the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care. Buying any medicinal product, including second generation glucagon-like peptide 1 weight management medications, from illegally trading online suppliers significantly increases the risk of getting a product which is either falsified or not licensed for use in the United Kingdom. The MHRA continues to work with social media and online sales platforms to build strong partnerships to identify and quickly remove illegal medicines from sale and to identify those unlawfully trading in medicines. We work with partners to remove web content where we can, and to block harmful URLs and domain names.<\/p>
The MHRA works to prevent false customer feedback from promoting illegal online suppliers and has arrangements in place with major search engine providers to delist offending domain names. The MHRA also works with payment providers to disrupt the processing of payments via illegal sites. The MHRA will take appropriate enforcement action, including, where necessary, prosecuting those who put public health at risk.<\/p>"} , "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4044", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Andrew Stephenson"} } , "answeringMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Pendle"} , "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Andrew Stephenson"} , "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2023-11-28", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2023-11-28T13:00:15.443Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} ]} , "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "17"} , "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "Health and Social Care"} , "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "Health and Social Care"} , "date" : {"_value" : "2023-11-22", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "Diabetes and Obesity: Drugs"} , "houseId" : {"_value" : "1"} , "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25259", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Commons"} } ], "questionText" : "To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether her Department is taking steps to prevent second generation GLP-1 weight management medications being available for purchase online without prescription.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4488", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Martyn Day"} } , "tablingMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Linlithgow and East Falkirk"} , "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Martyn Day"} ], "uin" : "3293"} , {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1672416", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Department of Health and Social Care"} ], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1672416/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : "
The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) has the same powers available to other regulatory organisations and law enforcement agencies when addressing offending online. MHRA takes proportionate action, on a case-by-case basis, to enforce the Human Medicines Regulations 2012 in respect of the illegal sale and supply of second generation glucagon-like peptide 1 weight management medications and other potentially hazardous medications. In cases of serious non-compliance, the agency has the power to undertake formal criminal investigations and, where appropriate and evidentially supported, prosecution through the Crown Prosecution Service.<\/p>
As this is primarily an online threat, MHRA works closely with social media providers, search engines and the broader internet industry to prevent and disrupt illegal sales and to identify and bring those responsible into compliance with the regulations.<\/p>
Through its #Fakemeds campaign, MHRA uses social media and other channels to share safety advice and guidance with the public. The aim is to help patients protect their health by offering quick and easy tools and resources to help them avoid fake medical products when shopping online. With practical tips on how to recognise illegally trading websites and case studies of commonly falsified medicines, it also aims to educate the public on the dangers of buying unlicensed or fake medicines and empower them to make the right choices for their health.<\/p>"} , "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4044", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Andrew Stephenson"} } , "answeringMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Pendle"} , "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Andrew Stephenson"} , "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2023-11-28", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2023-11-28T12:27:40.537Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} ]} , "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "17"} , "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "Health and Social Care"} , "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "Health and Social Care"} , "date" : {"_value" : "2023-11-22", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "Diabetes and Obesity: Drugs"} , "houseId" : {"_value" : "1"} , "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25259", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Commons"} } ], "questionText" : "To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will make an assessment of the adequacy of the powers of the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency to prevent the illegal online (a) marketing and (b) sale of (i) second generation GLP-1 weight management and (ii) other potentially hazardous medications.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4488", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Martyn Day"} } , "tablingMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Linlithgow and East Falkirk"} , "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Martyn Day"} ], "uin" : "3295"} , {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1672417", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Department of Health and Social Care"} ], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1672417/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : "
To date, no prosecutions have been brought against those involved in the illegal sale of glucagon-like peptide 1 medicines although the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) and Humberside Police were involved in executive action as recently as 23 November 2023 following an MHRA investigation into the alleged illegal supply of these products. During the last 12 months, MHRA has completed nine investigations involving the online sale of hazardous medicines. These investigations are at different stages within the criminal justice system.<\/p>"} , "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4044", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Andrew Stephenson"} } , "answeringMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Pendle"} , "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Andrew Stephenson"} , "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2023-11-28", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2023-11-28T12:26:11.967Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} ]} , "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "17"} , "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "Health and Social Care"} , "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "Health and Social Care"} , "date" : {"_value" : "2023-11-22", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "Diabetes and Obesity: Drugs"} , "houseId" : {"_value" : "1"} , "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25259", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Commons"} } ], "questionText" : "To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many prosecutions have been brought against sellers of (a) second generation GLP-1 weight management medications and (b) other potentially hazardous medications on the internet over the last 12 months.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4488", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Martyn Day"} } , "tablingMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Linlithgow and East Falkirk"} , "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Martyn Day"} ], "uin" : "3296"} ], "itemsPerPage" : 10, "page" : 0, "startIndex" : 1, "totalResults" : 3, "type" : ["http://purl.org/linked-data/api/vocab#ListEndpoint", "http://purl.org/linked-data/api/vocab#Page"]} }