Why does MN permit posts advertising weight loss medicines?

[SnakesAndArrows]

There are many posts on here advertising prescription-only weight loss medicines. This is both against site policy and the law. Reporting them seems to have no effect. Why not?

MN have provided a specific board for people to post referral codes so they clearly don't have an issue with it.

Reports will get posts moved or deleted if they are in the wrong place.

There are frequently posts that are not from genuine posters. I’ve reported these as spam - and advertising prescription only medicines is illegal in the U.K., regardless of what Mumsnet thinks - but they are still up.

I’d quite like MN to explain why.

Facebook is currently flooded with adverts for weight loss jabs, a company called SheMed amongst others - I hope they haven't infiltrated here, as well. I'm sure they are some sort of scam. People are asked to pay upfront for a blood test then subscribe to a 12 month programme.

I've been wondering this since I noticed they've been awarded their own board. I wonder if we'll soon have designated boards for flogging MLMs.

What are MLMs?

How is it against the law, theres ads on the telly for them?

Surely its no different to advertising any medicine?

Pyramid schemes

Multi level marketing

It is illegal to advertise prescription only medication to the general public.

How is it on the telly then?

What prescription medicine have you seen advertised on TV?

What one is being advertised?

Don't watch TV so haven't seen them

I dont know the name of it, its prescription though. I will google

The regulators are investigating them as they are illegal.

Those Orlistat tablets that make you shit yourself if you eat fat aren’t the same as weight loss injections (Ozempic, Monjaro) which it sometimes feels like 80% of MN are on!

Orlistat can be bought OTC from pharmacies at a lower dose than on prescription.

There are 2 ads that Ive seen, one features one woman talking about herself, I cant remember the company

Then another one where there are a number of different women and the voiceover talking about how overweight people can stop being accused or are fed up of being accused of beig greedy and lazy. I think one woman is doing exercise on the floor or another is looking in the fridge. I cant remember the company again

To be honest TV ads are wasted on me, I couldnt tell you what companies advertise what!

You can advertise any over-the-counter medicine, general sales list and pharmacy medicines, to the general public.
You can’t advertise prescription-only medicines (POMs) to the general public but you can promote them to healthcare professionals and others who can prescribe or supply the product.

https://www.gov.uk/guidance/advertise-your-medicines#overview

I wonder what these ads are about then, they said about being prescribed?

Well now I need to see what they actually say and whether Ive remembered right.

My mum goes on about it.

May be Orlistat as suggested above by @SoScarletItWas as in low dosages they can be bought over the counter in Boots etc without prescription.

But you can promote weight loss services, which is the loophole

That’s really interesting. Juniper is advertised all over the place! With celebrity endorsement too.

I get regular YouTube ads for juniper. Is that a prescription drug?

Yep - well it’s a weight loss programme with online coaching, diet and exercise advice and wegovy or mounjaro - both prescription only medications.

That's really surprising. I can't say I've paid much attention to the ads (usually just waiting to skip them) but I didn't think you'd be able to advertise that. Especially not on a platform used by all ages.

Well that law needs changing then. It might be okay if people could rely on the NHS to say what medications are available even if they don't provide them. But that's not the case and lots of prescribers wouldn't even know about what is available. The NHS almost never suggests drugs they don't provide. So the average patient is relying on adverts to find out what is available before they can even start to source it.
As things stand only the most diligent and tbh intelligent patients are finding out what actually exists. And not just with weight loss meds.

I wonder if this is what Ive seen, the name rings a bell now you mention it

Now Im keeping my eye out for it you can bet i'll never see it again