The public has been warned not to fall victim to criminals selling fake weight-loss medication, following a significant spike in demand which has seen people turning to unregulated or unapproved sources.

The Department of Health's Medicines Regulatory Group (MRG) has highlighted unscrupulous websites, social media sellers and locally based illicit sources as those which have established falsified and unlicensed injectable weight-loss medication in circulation throughout Northern Ireland, leading to some people suffering adverse reactions and hospitalisation.

Peter Moore, the Senior Medicines Enforcement Officer with the Department of Health, said: "Buying prescription-only weight-loss medicines online or on the black market without a prescription poses a direct danger to health. MRG has received reports of several people who have been hospitalised after using potentially fake and unlicensed medication.

"Whilst we continue to recover fake and unlicensed pre-filled multi-dose weight-loss pens, we are now seeing criminals selling 'DIY kits' that include the active ingredient in powdered form alongside syringes so customers can inject themselves but must first mix the ingredients together before use. The mixing of ingredients and use of such kits can present additional risks to the public."

Mr Moore reaffirmed the Department's commitment to "an ongoing programme of monitoring, investigation, enforcement action and partnership working to tackle the issue," highlighting how over the past three years, MRG has conducted 34 investigations focusing on the unlawful possession, advertisement and/or supply of counterfeit or unlicensed weight-loss medicinal products. These investigations have resulted in the recovery of 600 units of medicinal products and five successful prosecutions.

Aaron McKendry, Interim Head of the Medicines Regulatory Group, added: "It is extremely important that people take prescription only medicines after consultation with their GP, pharmacist or other healthcare professional who have access to patient health records and can consider the risks and benefits associated with every medicine.

"Medicines obtained through unregulated or unapproved sources will often not have been prescribed by a healthcare professional, may not have been subject to the normal safety and quality controls on manufacture and, as such, may not be of the required quality or be of the nature described."

Mr McKendry concluded: "The risk to public safety posed by the unlawful distribution and misuse of unauthorised medicinal products within the non-surgical cosmetic sector in Northern Ireland is a serious issue. Such breaches relating to Northern Ireland can be referred to the Department's Medicines Regulatory Group via counterfeit.mrg@health-ni.gov.uk for investigation under the Human Medicines Regulations 2012."

Any person who suspects a medicine has been falsified should discuss the matter with a healthcare professional such as a pharmacist or GP and report the matter via the Yellow Card reporting system.