Illegal weight-loss drugs among 400,000 units impounded by HPRA in six months

HPRA director of compliance Gráinne Power with examples of the 382,395 dosage units of falsified and other illegal medicines impounded by the HPRA, working with Revenue and customs officers. File picture: Julien Behal

Nearly 400,000 units of illegal medicines  — including sedatives, anabolic steroids, and unauthorised medicines promoted online as “weight-loss injections” and “skinny jabs” — were seized by the Health Products Regulatory Authority (HPRA) in the first six months of this year.

The HPRA, working with Revenue and customs officers, detained some 382,395 dosage units of falsified and other illegal medicines during that period.

The most significant categories of products detained included sedative medicines (114,916 units), anabolic steroids (62,751 units), erectile dysfunction medicines (60,184 units), Glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) type products (11,350 units), and analgesics (17,454 units).

According to the HPRA, GLP-1 type medicines are prescription medicines authorised for the treatment of diabetes or for weight management under certain conditions, or both. The brand names and active substances associated with authorised GLP-1 medicines include those that have been in the headlines such as Ozempic, Wegovy, and Mounjaro.

Anabolic steroids also feature among the vast haul of falsified and other illegal medicines seized by the Health Products Regulatory Authority, working with Revenue and customs officers, in the first half of this year. Picture: Julien Behal 

The HPRA says all of these products are prescription-only medicines which should only be used under medical supervision.

Of the GLP-1 type products detained by the HPRA, 533 included unauthorised tablets, pens, and vials containing powder or clear liquid, while the remaining 10,817 items contained transdermal delivery microneedle patches.

The HPRA said microneedle patches containing semaglutide, tirzepatide, or any GLP-1 type medicine “are not available as approved medical treatments”, adding that samples of the patches it tested did not contain semaglutide, despite false claims made in their promotion and packaging.

The HPRA said these items have “no proven efficacy, and should not be used under any circumstances”.

It said that, as GLP-1 type medicines have gained popularity in media and online discourse in recent years, criminals have been drawn to their illegal trade as they presents an opportunity to exploit high demand and limited supply.

Their proliferation online is also borne out in the number of units detained by the HPRA: Just 716 units of such items were detained during the second half of 2024, compared to over 11,000 this year.

Safety warning

The HPRA said these illegal products show “no regard for the health and safety of those who use these substances”.

It also said that, though online monitoring, it became aware of promotions of the products “making claims as to HPRA approval as well as endorsement from national charities, hospitals, and individual healthcare professionals”, all which are false.

HPRA director of compliance Gráinne Power said she is “deeply concerned by the risks that consumers are taking when they attempt to obtain illegal medicines online and from other unregulated sources”.

Ms Power said prescription medicines obtained online or from unregulated sources may be “counterfeit, falsified or contaminated”, factors which pose “a serious threat to the health of anyone who uses them”.

“The HPRA strongly advises the public to safeguard their health by only using prescription medicines under the guidance of a qualified healthcare professional and by sourcing products authorised for the Irish market from a registered pharmacy,” she added.

“We urge anyone who has purchased prescription medicines from unauthorised sources to stop using them immediately and seek advice from a healthcare professional if they have any concerns.”