Fake Weight-Loss Pens Warning: Five Checks Before Buying Medicines Online

A seizure of counterfeit weight-loss medicines in Birmingham has highlighted why checking an online pharmacy’s credentials matters far more than its slick website or tempting prices.

On 14 October, the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA), working with West Midlands Police, seized over 12,000 fake weight-loss pens from an industrial unit in the city. 

Worth approximately £2 million, the haul also included packaging for around 30,000 additional products.

For people seeking help with their weight, the warning is clear: convincing packaging and professional branding cannot establish whether a medicine is genuine.

Tim Duffield, Head Intelligence at the MHRA’s Criminal Enforcement Unit told That'sd Health: "We are tackling the organised criminal gangs whose illegal trade in unauthorised medicines puts people at risk of serious harm.

"Our officers seized around £2 million worth of fake weight loss medicines from a filthy warehouse on an industrial estate. These products have not been assessed for safety, quality or effectiveness, and there is no guarantee of what they contain or whether they have been contaminated with harmful substances.

"Retatrutide has not been authorised for use in the UK. Products being sold as retatrutide outside legitimate clinical trials are being supplied illegally and could pose serious risks to public health.

"We urge people to avoid buying weight-loss medicines from unregulated sources. Anyone considering GLP-1 treatment should speak to a healthcare professional and only obtain medicines from a registered pharmacy against a valid prescription."

Boo Dhaliwal, pharmacist and chief executive of Pharmacy Planet, told us online pharmacies can make healthcare more accessible, convenient and discreet. However, patients need to understand the difference between a registered pharmacy and an illegal seller.

“If the trainers are fake, you've wasted your money. If the medicine is fake, you could be putting your health, or even your life, at risk,” he warns.

Counterfeit products may contain incorrect doses, undeclared substances or harmful contaminants. Their contents cannot be trusted, however closely they resemble legitimate treatments.

Before ordering medicines online, take these five precautions:

1. Check the pharmacy’s registration. For pharmacies in England, Scotland and Wales, use the General Pharmaceutical Council’s official register. In Northern Ireland, check with the Pharmaceutical Society of Northern Ireland. Never rely solely on a logo displayed on a seller’s website.

2. Expect a proper clinical assessment. Prescription-only weight-loss medicines require a valid prescription. A prescriber should assess whether treatment is appropriate, consider your medical history and discuss benefits and risks. Offers to bypass these checks are a warning sign.

3. Identify the business. Look for a registered pharmacy address and accessible contact details. Check that these match the regulator’s records.

4. Question unrealistic promises. Guaranteed results, unusually cheap treatments and pressure to buy immediately should prompt caution.

5. Avoid informal sellers. Do not buy weight-loss injections through private messages, unregulated social media accounts or other sellers whose credentials you cannot verify. The MHRA advises obtaining these medicines through legitimate pharmacies following consultation with a healthcare professional.

Safe online healthcare includes professional advice, appropriate prescribing and ongoing support. Those safeguards matter just as much online as they do at your local pharmacy.

If you suspect a medicine is counterfeit, seek advice from a pharmacist or doctor. Consult the MHRA’s #FakeMeds guidance and report suspected counterfeit products or side effects through its Yellow Card scheme.

https://fakemeds.campaign.gov.uk

Remembering Mia: A Call to Make Eating Out Safer for People with Allergies

Mia Shay St Hilaire was 12 when she died after drinking a milkshake contaminated with hazelnut residue.

At the inquest, the coroner concluded that a Twix milkshake Mia ordered at a Bermondsey café had been made in a blender that had not been cleaned after it was used to prepare a Kinder Bueno milkshake.

Mia had a nut allergy. She suffered a rapidly progressing allergic reaction and, despite extensive emergency treatment and care in intensive care, died in hospital on 30 August 2023.

It is difficult to imagine the grief her family continue to live with. Their account of Mia also makes clear that she was far more than the circumstances of her death. She was adventurous and curious about the world, loved music and played several instruments, including the flute, drums and guitar. 

She was learning Mandarin, Latin and French, and dreamed of travelling. Her family describe a young person who embraced life and its possibilities.

Following the inquest, Mia’s parents thanked the coroner for investigating what happened and called for changes to help protect people living with food allergies. 

They want a clear, comprehensive framework for allergy management, stronger guidance and training for local authority inspectors, better support and training for food businesses, and a dedicated allergy safety rating to help customers make informed choices.

A standard food hygiene rating can tell customers about a business’s hygiene standards, but Mia’s family say it does not show how well that business manages allergens. Their proposal is intended to give people with allergies clearer information when deciding where to eat.

There are practical safeguards food businesses can put in place. The Food Standards Agency advises businesses to keep allergen information accurate and up to date, train staff to handle allergy enquiries, and clean utensils and equipment between uses to reduce the risk of cross-contamination.

For people with food allergies and their families, eating out should not have to mean accepting avoidable uncertainty. Mia’s parents hope that lessons from the inquest will lead to stronger protections and help prevent another family from experiencing such a loss.

Remembering Mia means recognising her love of music, learning and adventure, and listening to the changes her family are asking for in her name.

Mia's family are represented by specialist law firm Leigh Day https://www.leighday.co.uk

That's Christmas 365: This Christmas, Give the Men in Your Life the Gift...

That's Christmas 365: This Christmas, Give the Men in Your Life the Gift...: Forget the idea that skincare is just for women. Men of every age deserve to look good, feel good and take pride in their appearance.  And s...

Shock Figures Reveal 96% of us Aren't Getting Enough!

Millions of adults and children in the UK are falling short of the recommended amount of fibre in their diets. Government figures cited by Linwoods Health Foods suggest that 96% of adults consume too little, with average daily intake at just 16g, around half the recommended 30g.

The picture is similar among young people: 96% of 11 to 18-year-olds are also said to be missing the daily recommendation. 

Linwoods is highlighting this “fibre gap” with GP, author and television doctor Dr Amir Khan, who says that small, sustainable changes to everyday eating can help.

“Fibre is an essential part of a healthy, balanced diet, yet the vast majority of adults in the UK aren’t getting enough of it,” Dr Khan told That's Health.

“Small changes to our everyday eating habits can make a real difference.”

Fibre supports digestive health and feeds beneficial bacteria in the gut. It can also help people feel fuller for longer. Higher fibre intake has been associated with a lower risk of conditions including heart disease, type 2 diabetes and bowel cancer, making it an important part of a balanced diet.

Linwoods says the average adult is around 14g short of the recommended daily amount. Its new Boost range includes Fibre Boost, designed to be added to foods people already enjoy. A 20g serving provides 8g of fibre: 4g soluble and 4g insoluble. Stir it into porridge, yoghurt, smoothies or savoury dishes, following the pack instructions.

Managing director Patrick Woods says the range was developed to make it easier to add fibre to everyday meals. The company advises starting with less than a full serving and gradually increasing the amount over one to two weeks. Mix it into food or liquid rather than eating it dry, and drink around 300ml of fluid with each serving.

There are plenty of other ways to boost fibre intake, too. Try choosing wholegrain bread instead of white, adding seeds to breakfast, eating more beans and other pulses, and including a wider variety of fruit and vegetables. Making changes gradually can help you find options that fit your usual routine.

Linwoods Boost products are gluten-free and suitable for vegan and vegetarian diets. The range is available at Tesco, Waitrose, Morrisons, Holland & Barrett, Dunnes Stores, Whole Foods, Grape Tree, Ocado and Booths.

For product information or online orders, visit linwoodshealthfoods.com.

UKHCA conference to focus on protecting hearing in a changing world

The changing ways we work, listen to music and experience noise will be at the heart of the UK Hearing Conservation Association’s (UKHCA) annual conference in Manchester on 3 November.

Organised with the British Occupational Hygiene Society (BOHS), UKHCA 2026: Hearing Conservation – Making an Impact will bring together specialists from regulation, occupational health, audiology, academia and industry to explore ways to protect hearing at work and in everyday life.

The focus is shifting from measuring noise exposure to preventing harm through stronger risk management, effective hearing protection, health surveillance and public awareness. The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) will update delegates on its new workplace noise campaign, setting out the regulator’s priorities and what they mean for employers.

The programme also looks beyond traditional workplace noise. Sessions will consider recreational noise and young people’s hearing, ways to engage Gen Z with hearing protection, and how the World Health Organization’s Global Standard for Safe Listening can be put into practice at music venues and events.

Other topics include hearing protection effectiveness, the value of training, occupational health and audiology practice, safe noise exposure for hearing aid users, and the business case for noise risk management. The programme will also consider how case law has influenced claims for hearing damage.

The wider effects of hearing loss will be addressed too, including research into the association between hearing impairment and depression among older adults.

Clare Forshaw, UKHCA founder and director, told That's Heath that protecting hearing means understanding how people encounter sound, use protection and identify damage early. People should value their hearing before it is affected.

The conference will feature contributions from the HSE, RNID, the British Society of Audiology, the Ministry of Defence and Tinnitus UK, alongside researchers from UK and international universities.

For the first time, the event will also host the UKHCA Hearing Conservation Champions Awards, recognising people and organisations making a positive contribution to hearing conservation.

Professor Kevin Bampton, chief executive of BOHS, explained that noise-induced hearing damage is preventable, but effective prevention means treating hearing as worth protecting throughout working and wider life, not simply meeting compliance requirements. He added that collaboration between occupational hygiene, audiology, acoustics, occupational health, research and regulation is essential to turn knowledge into better prevention.

For the full programme and booking details, visit the UKHCA 2026 conference page.

https://www.bohs.org/

As a personal note even though I spent the six years in the mid to late 1970s in a noisy industrial working environment wearing hearing protection I still suffered some hearing loss.

That's Christmas 365: Send a Christmas eCard and Support Clean Water and...

That's Christmas 365: Send a Christmas eCard and Support Clean Water and...: Christmas greetings can do more than spread festive cheer this year. A new collaboration between Hope Spring eCards and SuS Pads is bringing...

That's Christmas 365: Give the Gift of Good Sight This Christmas. A Pres...

That's Christmas 365: Give the Gift of Good Sight This Christmas. A Pres...: Christmas is a wonderful time for giving presents, but finding something genuinely useful, thoughtful and appreciated isn't always easy....