Politics Home | Safeguarding health: combatting counterfeit and illegally traded medicines

Credit: Adobe

This article has been paid for and developed by Lilly UK.

The digital world offers convenience and connectivity, including access to healthcare. However, it has also enabled the rise of the illegal trade in medicines,¹ which generates up to $200bn a year globally in illicit proceeds.² Legitimate medicines are rigorously tested and evaluated before they are approved, and patients obtaining medicines through legitimate channels have assurances that they are receiving genuine medicines.³ Whereas medicines from unregulated sources like social media have no safety controls⁴ and may contain incorrect ingredients or doses or harmful contaminants.⁵

New Ipsos research commissioned by Lilly UK suggests that around one in ten UK adults* have considered purchasing prescription‑only medicines without a prescription.** The research suggested the main drivers for this are: convenience, lack of time to attend healthcare appointments, and discomfort when engaging with healthcare professionals.⁶  

The need for concerted action is clear.

On 11th March, Lilly will host a parliamentary event, Safeguarding Health: Combatting Counterfeit Medicines in the UK, to discuss challenges and solutions to tackle trafficking in medicines. Interested parliamentarians can RSVP via [email protected].

We believe every patient deserves real, UK-approved medicine, not a dangerous imitation. To support the campaign and constituents:

• Attend the event to hear directly from key stakeholders and share constituency insights.
• Support the work of the MHRA’s enforcement capabilities and improved intelligence sharing by the pharmaceutical industry to take action against illicit online sellers.
• Raise public awareness of the risks associated with purchasing medicines from unregulated sources and encourage the safe purchase of medicines online.

Trafficked medicines are a growing threat to public health. We are ready to partner with stakeholders to take action.

CMAT-08170 February 2026

* This finding is based on 403 respondents to an online survey conducted in the UK with a sample of n=2,000 individuals aged 18-75 years old, plus an additional sample of n=2,000 individuals aged 18-60. Participants were recruited from access panels. Weighting has been applied to align the sample to ensure national representation with the known population profile. Fieldwork was conducted from 30th October – 17th November 2025

** Following an in-person or virtual healthcare professional consultation

References

Advertisement
1. World Health Organisation. Substandard and falsified medical products. Available at: https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/substandard-and-falsified-medical-products [Last accessed January 2026
2. Ziavrou KS, Noguera S, Boumba VA. Trends in counterfeit drugs and pharmaceuticals before and during COVID-19 pandemic. Forensic Science International. 2022; 338, 111382.
3. General Pharmaceutical Council. Buying medicines online – FAQ. Available at: https://www.pharmacyregulation.org/patients-and-public/standards-you-can-expect-using-pharmacy-services/buying-medicines-online-faq [Last accessed January 2026]
4. MHRA. MHRA seizes 7.7 million doses of illegal medicines and removes hundreds of illegal online listings as part of Operation Pangea. Available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/news/mhra-seizes-77-million-doses-of-illegal-medicines-and-removes-hundreds-of-illegal-online-listings-as-part-of-operation-pangea [Last accessed January 2026]
5. FDA, Counterfeit medicine. Available at: https://www.fda.gov/drugs/buying-using-medicine-safely/counterfeit-medicine [Last accessed January 2026]
6. Eli Lilly and Company. Data on File: Ipsos UK Counterfeit Medicine Consumer Survey. 2026