Revealed: Online pharmacies use 'TikTok stars' to shift discount weight loss jabs
C+D found several online pharmacies appearing to flout regulations by giving influencers discount codes for weight loss services, including prescription drugs like Wegovy and Mounjaro, to share with followers.
Online pharmacies appear to be using “paid partnerships” with social media influencers to promote sales of prescription only medicines and weight loss services, C+D can reveal.
It comes after the pharmacy regulator exclusively told C+D last week (July 25) that pharmacies “should not create or use discount codes for POMs”, including the creation of codes “for other advertising for example by social media influencers”.
But a C+D investigation focusing on TikTok found online pharmacies offering discount codes for weight loss drug Mounjaro, with one TikToker telling followers to “order Mounjaro” with code LIZ25 “for 25% off” from online pharmacy Habitual.
The same influencer posted a video with the hashtag “#tryHabitual” in which she shared that her “Mounjaro journey” had led her to “feel confident enough to wear” a crop top. C+D approached Habitual for comment.
Another influencer told her followers she had started getting the drug from “The Family Chemist” as it was “cheaper” than her previous supplier.
“If anyone is looking to start Mounjaro or…to change providers, get in touch and I have a discount code you can use,” she said.
Another TikToker shared codes “discount codes Sarah5 and SOCIAL5” for The Family Chemist.
The Family Chemist told C+D on Monday (July 29) it does “not engage in any financial transactions or affiliation agreements with influencers”. Read its full statement below.
Meanwhile, online pharmacy Right Angled gave an influencer the discount code “ZARA10”. Using the code meant “Mounjaro [worked] out at £134.99”, she advised her followers.
Right Angled told C+D yesterday (July 31) “any new patients who receive a shared discount code will still undergo our thorough medical assessment before being eligible to place an order”. Read its full statement below.
Another content creator said she had got the drug through Curate Health. She added the pharmacy was “registered with the General Pharmaceutical Council (GPhC)”. Another shared “discount code MCUK15” for the online pharmacy.
Curate Health told C+D this week (July 29) that it “does not promote POMs and adheres strictly to guidance from the GPhC and the MHRA”. Read its full statement below.
As of this week (July 29) all TikToks were publicly visible.
“Anyone found a code for this month?”
C+D also found Reddit chat forums in which users share and trade codes to get the best discounts on weight loss services that include POMs.
As of this week (July 29), a 1,700-member strong Reddit forum “R/WegovyUK” featured questions like “I don’t suppose anyone has found a code for this month?” and “does anyone know of any voucher codes”? Others have asked plainly for the “cheapest place to purchase” Wegovy.
C+D found codes for a further six online pharmacies being traded and shared on this forum.
The same forums are also used to share tips to get around safety checks.
One user shared that they were “deflated” after being refused Wegovy due to their weight being “lower than [the] threshold”.
The user admitted that their “plan” was “applying to another provider and lying about [their] weight”.
“Other online pharmacies use discount codes”
“Influencers who mention our services do so independently, without any form of compensation from us,” The Family Chemist told C+D this week.
“We have made it explicitly clear to all influencers mentioning our pharmacy that they must not offer POMs to their followers,” it said.
It added that “in instances where influencers have promoted POMS and our website, we have requested the removal of such content to maintain transparency and integrity”. The TikToks seen by C+D were still online as of yesterday (July 31).
It said its discount codes were “in line with GPhC and Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) guidelines” as the discount are not “for specific POMS” but instead applied for its “overall service offerings” which include Mounjaro.
The Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) told C+D this week (July 29) if a pharmacy was not able to show that a discount was specifically for a consultation then it would risk that the ad could be directly or indirectly advertising POMs, which would break its rules.
In November 2021, the regulator banned an ad for a discount on erectile disfunction treatments for promoting POMs. The ad didn’t specifically mention a medicine, just “treatment”, but the ASA still found that it was promoting POMs by not clearly promoting non-POM treatment.
The Family Chemist said that its “reputation on social media stems from our commitment to excellent patient care and continuous engagement with our patients”, who are asked to “complete thorough identity checks”.
“It is worth noting that many other online pharmacies also use discount codes,” it said.
"Proud of the online community”
Meanwhile, Curate Health told C+D that it was “proud of the supportive online community [it has] built through partnerships with key stakeholders”.
“We utilise various promotional mediums to inform consumers about our weight loss programs while maintaining competitive pricing to ensure accessibility,” it said.
“Curate does not promote POMs and adheres strictly to guidance from the GPhC and the MHRA. Every patient undergoes a rigorous vetting process to ensure eligibility and safety, reflecting our commitment to high standards of care.”
Read more: Wegovy: 'I really hope the NHS crack down on this. I am forever traumatised by what happened'
Yesterday (July 31), Right Angled told C+D that it does “provide discount codes to our existing patients for use on purchases from our store” and that “discounting is a common practice in retail pharmacies”.
“However, any new patients who receive a shared discount code will still undergo our thorough medical assessment before being eligible to place an order,” it said, adding that “if they pass the assessment and are eligible, they can then use the discount code at checkout”.
“It's important to note that all orders requiring a prescription or assessment will undergo the same clinical review, regardless of the discount code used,” the online pharmacy said.
“It’s a paid partnership”
One contractor told C+D last week (July 26) that he had been approached by an influencer who said they would “promote” a weight loss services in exchange for free medication.
“No influencer is going to just give a discount code out just to be nice. It’s a paid partnership,” they said.
“It seems like it's proliferated online in a very aggressive way, using not only just coupon codes directly from pharmacies, but also paying Instagramers and Tiktok stars to push people to their sites with discounts.”
They said these partnership “push medication to a bigger group. Not just people who need it, just to anyone who watches these videos [that come] onto their feed”.
“Pharmacies and our adverts are regulated. But no one can control whether influencers with a discount code are giving correct information,” they added.
They stressed that they would “like to see the GPhC take action against them to really stamp this out”.
Regulation crackdown?
Reacting to C+D findings last week (July 25), the GPhC said that offering discount codes “is a form of promotion of POMs” and that pharmacies “should not create or use” them.
“This includes the creation of codes for use by the pharmacy itself (e.g. on its own website) or for other advertising, for example by social media influencers,” it said.
“We expect pharmacies and pharmacy owners to follow Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) guidance on the promotion of POMs at all times,” it added.
It added that it “takes concerns about the illegal promotion of prescription weight-loss medicines to the public very seriously”.
But despite the GPhC’s clear condemnation of discount codes for POMs, its action on the issue appears scant.
C+D found that one online pharmacy inspected by the GPhC last year was using "promotional offers and discounts...relating to POMs", according to its inspector.
While the pharmacy did not meet all of the regulator’s standards, the GPhC’s follow up “improvement action plan” did not include any requirement to stop using the codes.
