ASA cracks down on online pharmacies advertising weight loss injections

Online pharmacies are no longer allowed to run adverts for weight loss injections, the advertising watchdog has ruled, as part of a crackdown on what has been described as a “wild west” culture of online selling.

In the UK, advertising prescription-only medications (POMs) – which includes all weight loss jabs such as Wegovy and Mounjaro – to the public is illegal. However, a Guardian investigation previously found some online pharmacies either breaking these rules outright, or exploiting grey areas to peddle the medications to the public.

Now the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) has released nine new rulings that, it says, will set clear precedents for advertisers.

The ASA said the new rulings meant that while pharmacies could continue to mention weight loss injections on their websites, provided they were not shown on homepages or landing pages from other links, adverts were banned from using the phrases “weight loss injections” and “weight loss pen”, and the treatments must instead be marketed as part of a wider service, including a consultation and prescription.

Experts say the ban on the advertising of POMs protects the public by preventing people from being exposed to undue commercial pressure, ensuring safe prescribing, and avoiding over-medicalisation of everyday concerns.

“Part of our overall strategy is protecting vulnerable people from harm, and nothing’s so harmful as powerful prescription-only medicines,” said Nicky Morgan, chair of the ASA.

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Source: The Guardian, 9 July 2025