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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Black market WLIs

34 replies

bridgetreilly · 14/05/2026 14:19

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cm2pvl56l72o

Would you support a move that said they can only be prescribed in-person, not online? I’m not sure how we can stop idiots buying things completely off license from non-medical professionals, but at least if online pharmacy prescriptions were stopped, there would be fewer underweight people getting them.

A generic image of a person standing on a pair of silver weight scales. You can see their bare legs and feet.

'I nearly died after buying weight loss jab from friend of friend'

A woman is warning others of the dangers of unregulated jabs after one dose of a black market pen.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cm2pvl56l72o

OP posts:
SilenceInside · 14/05/2026 18:05

I have seen people on MN discuss people they know who have self diagnosed asthma and buy inhalers online. It’s not as widespread as the interest in WLI but there will be people who do these things.

As @IsItSnowing says, it would be very much more expensive to require a face to face in person appointment for each prescription. That would price many people out, and some will then move to the black market in non-legitimate medication that’s imported criminally into the UK.

I don’t think it would have the effect that you’re hoping for.

Binus · 14/05/2026 18:12

SilenceInside · 14/05/2026 18:05

I have seen people on MN discuss people they know who have self diagnosed asthma and buy inhalers online. It’s not as widespread as the interest in WLI but there will be people who do these things.

As @IsItSnowing says, it would be very much more expensive to require a face to face in person appointment for each prescription. That would price many people out, and some will then move to the black market in non-legitimate medication that’s imported criminally into the UK.

I don’t think it would have the effect that you’re hoping for.

Yes, OP has entirely failed to address any of the definite downsides of this.

It always interests me how little thought is given to healthcare system capacity when people want to mess with existing systems. It's not just about pricing people out of private prescriptions either. As it was pointed out upthread, if you want to add more HCP/pharmacist scrutiny in the private sector, that doesn't just hatch out of an egg. I could, and would, still afford my WLIs even if I also had to cover the costs of regular, in person appointments. And I can pay more the NHS do. There's lots like me.

ToffeeCrabApple · 14/05/2026 18:15

I do think weight/bmi should be verified in person. I know quite a lot of women who are very open that they've lied & successfully been prescribed them online. Old photos etc.

BlueMum16 · 14/05/2026 18:18

bridgetreilly · 14/05/2026 17:42

  1. I’m not anti-WLIs. I have been taking them for a year.
  2. I did read the article and, as I say clearly in my OP, I know this wouldn’t solve the problem of black-market drugs from non-authorised prescribers.
  3. There is, however, a problem indicated in the article, which is that everyone thinks they ought to be able to get WLIs, whatever their health and weight. If people aren’t stupid enough to go to the black-market, they will still lie to get them online.
  4. Even the actual drugs are not without potential problems, especially for those who are not significantly overweight.

I would suggest that having to have an in-person appointment with a medical professionals might help the kind of thinking that treats them as no more than a self-prescribed supplement they can make informed decisions about without any real medical input.

It is different from a lot of other medications, precisely because there is such a demand for it from people who do not have a clinical need for it. I don’t see anyone being tempted to fake diabetes in order to get metformin, or fake asthma to get an inhaler. But people regularly fake their weight to get WLIs. That’s why I would like to see them having more regulation around their prescription, so that there is a clearer understanding in the general population that these are proper medical drugs, not to be messed around with.

She didn't fake anything to get a prescription.

She bought from the black market.

The controls you are suggesting would not stop that.

Lavender14 · 14/05/2026 18:19

SilenceInside · 14/05/2026 14:23

This is nothing to do with online prescriptions, this woman bought the medication from a friend, she didn’t get it prescribed to her via an online pharmacy. I don’t see how making people have an in person appointment would stop them passing the medication on like this?

Do you want all online prescriptions stopped for all medications or just this one type?

This^

This is no different than getting a script directly from your gp and then selling it on for profit. It's nothing to do with the online pharmacies.

People know they're proper drugs. They also know there's money to be made in there.

SilenceInside · 14/05/2026 18:19

@ToffeeCrabApple there are about 2 million people in the UK getting online prescriptions for WLI. The practical and cost implications of making all of us have monthly in person weight verification is substantial. Probably impossible for many pharmacies. The cost to the patient would soar and access would reduce, which would mean a huge number of people who are legitimately and responsibly using these medications would no longer be able to access them. That doesn’t seem proportionate to me.

Safarisagoody · 14/05/2026 18:33

bridgetreilly · 14/05/2026 17:42

  1. I’m not anti-WLIs. I have been taking them for a year.
  2. I did read the article and, as I say clearly in my OP, I know this wouldn’t solve the problem of black-market drugs from non-authorised prescribers.
  3. There is, however, a problem indicated in the article, which is that everyone thinks they ought to be able to get WLIs, whatever their health and weight. If people aren’t stupid enough to go to the black-market, they will still lie to get them online.
  4. Even the actual drugs are not without potential problems, especially for those who are not significantly overweight.

I would suggest that having to have an in-person appointment with a medical professionals might help the kind of thinking that treats them as no more than a self-prescribed supplement they can make informed decisions about without any real medical input.

It is different from a lot of other medications, precisely because there is such a demand for it from people who do not have a clinical need for it. I don’t see anyone being tempted to fake diabetes in order to get metformin, or fake asthma to get an inhaler. But people regularly fake their weight to get WLIs. That’s why I would like to see them having more regulation around their prescription, so that there is a clearer understanding in the general population that these are proper medical drugs, not to be messed around with.

Righr you want to make it much more difficult for the many due to the few.

how very logical of you op.

Safarisagoody · 14/05/2026 18:35

SilenceInside · 14/05/2026 18:19

@ToffeeCrabApple there are about 2 million people in the UK getting online prescriptions for WLI. The practical and cost implications of making all of us have monthly in person weight verification is substantial. Probably impossible for many pharmacies. The cost to the patient would soar and access would reduce, which would mean a huge number of people who are legitimately and responsibly using these medications would no longer be able to access them. That doesn’t seem proportionate to me.

Absolutely. Can you imagine the resource requirements to see 2 million people to prescribe in person. The size of the buildings, required, the infrastructure. The amount of prescribers. The hassle for people.

righr now you need to take pics. The issue is not legitimate drugs, it’s the black market.

what a crazy post the op made.

AgnesMcDoo · 14/05/2026 19:37

Prescribing in person won’t stop black market sales.

It will just make it more inconvenient and costly for those who buy legally.

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