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Pharmacists and pharmacy owners in the UK have been reminded by the General Pharmaceutical Council not to advertise or promote prescription-only medicines for weight management otherwise they will face the regulatory consequences.

In a joint enforcement notice issued today alongside the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) and Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency, pharmacy’s regulator said adverts for POMs on platforms including social media were prohibited.

The bodies also warned “influencer marketing”, where individuals recommend brands to their followers, and sponsored adverts on search engines such as Google were forbidden.

The ASA uses artificial intelligence-based advertising monitoring systems to scan for ads that breach the enforcement notice, which named seven medicines that have appeared in advertising.

These include Saxenda (liraglutide), Ozempic (semaglutide), Wegovy (semaglutide), Rybelsus (semaglutide), Mounjaro (tirzepatide), Mysimba (naltrexone/bupropion) and Victoza (liraglutide).

“Pharmacy owners and the superintendent pharmacist, if there is one, must follow the law and guidance on the advertising and promotion of medicines,” the GPhC said.

“Failing to comply with these standards could result in the GPhC taking enforcement action. This could be against the pharmacy, the pharmacy owner, the superintendent pharmacist or all three.

“They could also investigate the fitness-to-practise of all the pharmacy professionals involved.”

The GPhC’s chief enforcement officer Dionne Spence said its inspectors “will continue to inspect pharmacies” to ensure its standards are being met “and will be looking for evidence” its guidance for registered pharmacies is being followed.

“It is vital that people receive prescription-only medicines, such as those used for weight management, only after having an appropriate consultation, and when their prescriber has independently verified that the medicines are clinically appropriate for them,” she said.

“We will be working closely with our regulatory partners to ensure that prompt and proportionate action is taken where necessary to protect the public.”