GPhC 'looking into’ two online pharmacies after influencer concerns
The pharmacy regulator has said investigations into two online pharmacies are “active” after concerns about pharmacies using influencers to sell prescription medication on social media were raised.
The General Pharmaceutical Council (GPhC) has told C+D it is “currently looking into” online pharmacies Curate Health and MedExpress, after C+D learnt that it had received claims they were using illicit influencers discount-codes to sell prescription-only medicines (POMs).
It refused to comment further because the investigations are “currently active".
But C+D understands the GPhC received a complaint via email which said “pharmacies shouldn’t incentivise any POMs” or exploit “loopholes” by claiming discount codes are for a weight-loss service when they “actually use people to promote selling the medication."
The email attached screenshots of TikTok influencers promoting discount codes for different strengths of weight-loss drug Mounjaro on Curate Health.
But Curate Health told C+D yesterday that the concerns are “historic and no longer active”.
“Taken control of all marketing”
It said it had “reviewed” the comments “and previous to this have already taken control of all marketing activities back in house”.
It added that the concerns raised “are historic and no longer active” and that while the screenshots “showcase the Curate domain name, these are not internally connected to the company”.
“Whilst we do offer discount codes out for the Curate website, the Curate website offers more than just POMs i.e. supplements,” it told C+D.
And it stressed that “Curate strives itself on patient protection.”
“Free drugs for advertising”
C+D understands the GPhC also received a complaint claiming online pharmacy Medexpress was offering “free drugs for advertising”.
They said the pharmacy was offering discount codes to influencers “and if enough people use them, the influencer gets free medication from MedExpress”.
They included screenshots seen by C+D that seem to show one social media user explaining that if “so many people” use a code for £40 off a weight-loss drug, the person sharing the code is “eligible for a free pen” of the drug.
C+D has approached MedExpress for comment.
Regulation crackdown?
Meanwhile, earlier this month a C+D investigation 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.
At the time, the GPHC exclusively told C+D 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”.
Read more: Wegovy: 'I really hope the NHS crack down on this. I am forever traumatised by what happened'
The Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) also told C+D that 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 news came after C+D exclusively revealed last month that a “young girl” had to be treated in A&E after presenting with life threatening symptoms after taking weight loss drug Wegovy obtained through Boots Online Doctor.
