HPRA warns of fake online ads promoting unapproved and dangerous medicines

Grainne Power, director of compliance with the regulatory body, said: 'A number of these purport to be genuine prescription medicines when in fact the products as presented do not exist as an authorised product in any market.' File picture

The Health Products Regulatory Authority (HPRA) has warned of a surge in recent weeks in online adverts promoting fake or unauthoritised medicines and products that could be potentially dangerous.

The adverts are even using the health watchdog's logo to falsely claim the are "endorsed by the HPRA". It said other regulatory bodies around the world have been targeted in a similar way in recent weeks.

"As the independent regulator, the HPRA will never endorse or promote any specific health product or brand," the HPRA pointed out.

"In May alone, the HPRA has observed a surge in misleading website activity. The websites, which are hosted outside of Ireland by the e-commerce platform Shopify, are being directly promoted to consumers via fake Facebook profiles and ads."

The HPRA said that, to date, some 155 Shopify product listings, 124 Facebook profiles, and 414 Facebook advertisements have been identified making false claims with many also fraudulently stating that the product or brand is endorsed by the HPRA.

The HPRA has advised Shopify and Meta of this fraudulent activity and of the public health risks associated with illegal prescription medicines and other unregulated health products sold online. 

"It has requested Shopify and Meta to intercede to proactively identify and remove product listings, fake profiles and adverts from their platforms."

Grainne Power, director of compliance with the regulatory body, said in all the fake and misleading online posts, despite what is being claimed, they are all manufactured and sourced outside of Ireland. “We know that a lot of people are being duped into purchasing fake and illegal products via these sites," she said.

"Working with Revenue’s Customs Service, we have detained a significant number of products at point of entry to the country. A number of these purport to be genuine prescription medicines when in fact the products as presented do not exist as an authorised product in any market."

The HPRA said one notable example of the products are transdermal delivery microneedle patches which, it is claimed, contain semaglutide or tirzepatide and, featuring the Irish flag, are supposedly made in Ireland.

"In addition to references to the HPRA, there are also claims these products are endorsed nationally by charities, hospitals and individual healthcare professionals. All these claims are untrue. Microneedle patches containing semaglutide, tirzepatide or any GLP-1 type medicine are not available as approved medical treatments," it said.

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The HPRA said its advice to consumers is that if online sources feature a HPRA logo or suggest a HPRA endorsement, then this is actually a clear sign the consumer is engaging with a dubious site and seller.

"At best you are wasting your money with these online scams but at worst you could be seriously endangering your health," it said. "We are advising that when it comes to prescription medicines, ensure that the product is prescribed by a healthcare professional and sourced from a local pharmacy. All medicines, medical devices and cosmetics should be purchased through trustworthy, reliable and recognised sources."

A spokesperson for Meta said: "We don’t allow fraudulent activity on our platforms and have removed the ads that were reported to us by HPRA. Scammers are relentless and constantly evolving their tactics to evade detection, which is why we continue to invest in technology to improve our detection and enforcement. If someone believes they have spotted content or an account they believe to be fake, they can report it using our in-app tools." –

In 2024, 2,553 websites, e-commerce listings and/or social media pages were amended or shutdown by the HPRA.