Almost two thirds of people worry their medication is fake, study reveals

Almost two thirds of people worry that their medication could be fake, a new international survey has found.

The survey of 5,000 people across the UK, the USA, France and Germany revealed ‘widespread concern’ about counterfeit medication, with six-in-10 respondents saying they worry about their prescribed drugs being fake or substandard.

More than a third (34%) of all respondents – and 40% of those from the UK – also said they were concerned about the legitimacy of online pharmacies, the survey by digital solutions provider Avery Dennison found.

Related Article: Timeline for pharmacy MenB vaccination service set out in NHS England guidance  

World Health Organisation (WHO) figures suggest that around 10% of medicines sold worldwide are estimated to be fake or counterfeit, while the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) seized nearly £45 million-worth of illegally traded medicines in 2025.

The MHRA has also carried out several major enforcement operations targeting counterfeit weight-loss medicines, including a raid on a country estate near Northampton involving 12,000 doses of unlicensed retatrutide, tirzepatide, and peptide products.

The new survey comes as The Care Pharmacy reported an increase in customers who have been offered weight-loss medication outside regulated channels and been made aware of people trying to source or sell counterfeit products.

In response, the online pharmacy has launched a new patients safety campaign to raise awareness of the risk of fake and unregulated weight-loss medicines.

Mohammed Ismail Lakhi, owner of The Care Pharmacy said: ‘We want patients to know that health advice around weight-loss medication should come from healthcare professionals and not social media algorithms.

Related Article: Hierarchy of harm: nicotine alternatives in a post-tobacco era

‘Responsible prescribing is about far more than supplying medication. Patients require suitability assessments, ongoing monitoring, education around side effects and long-term support.’

The campaign highlights the role regulated pharmacies play in safeguarding patients through structured clinical pathways.

The Care Pharmacy is also encouraging healthcare professionals to continue promoting responsible prescribing standards and report suspected illegal supply activity.

Related Article: Drug that delays the onset of type 1 diabetes, recommended by NICE

Dr Donald Grant, senior clinical advisor at The Independent Pharmacy, has previously warned patients and pharmacy staff to be wary of medicine packaging with spelling mistakes, unusual logos, poor-quality printing, broken seals or missing patient information leaflets as well as any weight-loss service offering instant approval without a consultation process.