Buying Weight Loss Drugs Online Without a Prescription? Study Says Beware

Key Takeaways

• For a new study, researchers tried to buy semaglutide without a prescription from six illegal online pharmacies.
• Half the time, the sellers tried to scam the researchers out of more money for "customs fees," and didn't ultimately deliver anything.
• In the semaglutide that did show up, dosages were up to 39 percent higher than listed, and one order contained dangerous contaminants.

Surging demand and high out-of-pocket costs for diabetes and weight loss drugs like Ozempic and Wegovy may be leading some people to make a dangerous choice: buying these medicines without a prescription from an illegal online pharmacy.

These injected medicines aren't approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for nonprescription use. But a new study found they're readily available online without a prescription, and that there's a good chance consumers who buy Ozempic and Wegovy this way will receive fake products - or possibly pay for drugs they don't receive at all.

"I'm not surprised that some of these sellers simply scam people and send no product, while others sell product that is not authorized," says a coauthor of the study, Tim Mackey, PhD , a professor of global health at the University of California in San Diego.

"This is a common occurrence in online drug sales from websites that don't require a prescription," Dr. Mackey adds. "Buyer beware."

Illegal Online Pharmacies Cash In on Desperation for Ozempic

For the study, the authors searched online for websites advertising semaglutide, the active ingredient in Ozempic and Wegovy, without a prescription in July 2023. Search results turned up more than 1,000 links, including 317 sites for online pharmacies. More than 2 in 5 of these online pharmacies were illegal, according to study findings published in JAMA Network Open .

Researchers then bought semaglutide from six of these online pharmacies, all of which made claims about obesity and weight loss. Prices for the smallest doses and quantities ranged from $113 to $360.

Only three orders arrived. The other vendors engaged in scams requesting extra payments ranging from $650 to $1,200 to purportedly clear customs. Researchers confirmed with customs authorities that these requests were fraudulent.

Lab tests of the three orders researchers did receive found that all the products contained too much semaglutide in each injection dose - with concentrations up to 39 percent too high. One sample had evidence of endotoxin, a poisonous substance found in E. coli and other bacteria that can cause infections in humans.

The remaining websites identified in the study weren't offering medicine for sale, and included 615 news and information sites as well as 148 telemedicine sites requiring a consultation to obtain a prescription before purchase.

What Are the Risks of Buying Semaglutide From an Illegal Source?

For consumers who order from illegal online pharmacies, the main risk is getting a product that is unsafe or ineffective because it doesn't have the recommended dose of semaglutide, says Adam Gilden, MD , an associate professor and the associate director of the weight management and wellness clinic at the University of Colorado School of Medicine in Aurora.

"If the product is contaminated, that introduces risk of infection, which is more serious," says Dr. Gilden, who wasn't involved in the new study.

One limitation of the study is that scientists tested so few semaglutide samples, the researchers noted. Beyond this, researchers bought products only from online pharmacies that were classified as "rogue," or not recommended by leading pharmacy industry groups, making it possible that results might not apply to some other websites. They also purchased the cheapest products available, another potential way that the findings might not be representative of all online pharmacies.

Even so, the findings should serve as a reminder to patients to steer clear of any online pharmacies selling semaglutide without a prescription, says Jody Dushay, MD , an assistant professor at Harvard Medical School and an endocrinologist at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in Boston who wasn't involved in the new study.

"Against the background of high out-of-pocket cost and limited or no insurance coverage, these websites can seem very, very attractive," Dr. Dushay says. "Many look professional and legitimate, and some have accompanying TV ads. Many use the words ‘same active ingredient as Ozempic.'"

But consumers should avoid any company that claims to sell semaglutide without a prescription and ongoing medical oversight, Dushay says. These products may be compounded - or custom blended - to include different forms of semaglutide, such as semaglutide salt, which could have different side effects than Ozempic or Wegovy, be contaminated, or trigger an allergic reaction.

The FDA has previously warned consumers against buying compounded semaglutide from online pharmacies for all these reasons, Dushay notes.

"Definitely stay away from any company that sells ‘semaglutide' without a prescription and ongoing medical oversight, or that manufactures the product outside the U.S.," Dushay says. "If you get a doctor's prescription for compounded semaglutide, be sure the pharmacy you go to is licensed and in the U.S."

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Sources

1. Ashraf AR et al. Safety and Risk Assessment of No-Prescription Online Semaglutide Purchases. JAMA Network Open . August 2, 2024.

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Lisa Rapaport

Author

Lisa Rapaport is a journalist with more than 20 years of experience on the health beat as a writer and editor. She holds a master's degree from the UC Berkeley Graduate School of Journalism and spent a year as a Knight-Wallace journalism fellow at the University of Michigan. Her work has appeared in dozens of local and national media outlets, including Reuters, Bloomberg, WNYC, The Washington Post, Los Angeles Times , Scientific American , San Jose Mercury News , Oakland Tribune , Huffington Post, Yahoo! News, The Sacramento Bee , and The Buffalo News . See full bio See Our Editorial Policy Meet Our Health Expert Network