Website advertising of Prescription-Only Medicines for weight loss – December 2022
Published 15 March 2023
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The following companies have amended their advertising following MHRA action on complaints to ensure that Prescription-Only Medicines (including advertising a particular medicine to treat conditions for which is not licensed) are not promoted to the public:
- Hexpress Healthcare Ltd t/a healthexpress
- Juniper Technologies UK Ltd t/a Juniper
- Private Specialist GPS Ltd t/a My Specialist GP
We advised relevant companies above that images of, or information about, medicines that are not licensed for weight loss should not be presented as such on their webpages. We reminded them that the suitability of a particular product as part of a weight-management service should be a professional prescribing decision based on a consultation to identify the suitability of any product or treatment for an individual.
The following companies have amended their website advertising to Persons Qualified to Prescribe or Supply medicines to ensure that Prescription-only Medicines are listed in therapeutic categories for which they are licensed:
- BJ Pharma (UK) Ltd (t/a Refine Pharma)
The lists relate to specific advertising action taken on a particular date and is no endorsement of the ongoing practices of the websites.
You can see details of MHRA guidance for providers that offer medicinal treatment services for the general public in Appendix 6 of the MHRA Blue Guide. Details for how to advertise to Persons Qualified to Prescribe or Supply can be found in chapter 6 of the Guide.