MHRA, ASA and GPhC issue updated enforcement notice on advertising rules for prescription weight-loss medicines
The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA), together with the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) and the General Pharmaceutical Council (GPhC), has issued an updated joint enforcement notice to clarify the rules on advertising prescription-only medicines (POMs) for weight management. The notice, directed primarily at pharmacies, provides guidance on prohibited advertising practices. Advertisers must avoid: (1) using terms referring to POMs such as ‘weight-loss injection’, ‘obesity treatment jab’ or ‘GLP-1’; (2) including imagery likely to be interpreted as denoting prescription medicines; and (3) advertising general weight-loss products and services in a way that directs consumers to other advertisements, such as website landing pages, that promote POMs. The MHRA confirmed that it has already taken action against more than 25 businesses in 2025 for promoting prescription-only weight-loss medicines to the public.