Major UK pharmacies including Boots, Superdrug, and Rowlands have introduced stricter online safety measures to prevent people from lying about their weight to obtain slimming injections such as Mounjaro, Ozempic, and Wegovy. The move follows concerns from doctors about rising numbers of slim women being hospitalised after falsely claiming to be overweight to pass eligibility checks.
Under the new protocols, patients must now submit front and side full-body photographs with a visible date, attend half-hour video calls via Teams, and provide mandatory follow-up photographic proof of progress. Boots, for instance, requires 'fitting clothing' in dated images, while Superdrug demands 'date verified photographs to evidence their BMI'. Pharmacy2U, the UK's largest digital pharmacy, asks for two separate images to verify identity and current weight.
The crackdown comes after a Times reporter in June obtained Wegovy from Superdrug and Boots by falsely adding three stone to her weight online. Although the drugs required in-store collection, no in-person checks were made. Boots now also requires GP details and contacts the patient's doctor before approving prescriptions. Superdrug similarly mandates GP details and uses a secure platform for ongoing check-ins.
Under NHS guidelines, Wegovy should only be prescribed to patients with a BMI over 35, or a BMI of 30 with a weight-related health condition. The UK's drugs regulator removed 150 social media posts selling fake weight-loss injections last year. The new rules aim to prevent misuse and reduce the risk of serious side effects such as pancreatitis, which contributed to the death of a 58-year-old nurse after two low doses of Mounjaro.
