Over 750,000 units of illegal medicines detained by the HPRA in 2025

Individual consignment detentions increase threefold (180%)

Over three quarters of a million dosage units of falsified and illegal medicines were detained by the Health Products Regulatory Authority (HPRA) in 2025. Announcing its annual enforcement figures today, the HPRA confirms that it detained a total of 763,027 dosage units* which included just under 14,000 individual packages each linked to a separate purchase by a member of the public of illegal or falsified medicines. This represents a threefold (180%) increase of individual consignments since 2024**. A significant proportion of these were presented as GLP‑1 products for personal use.

Announcing the figures, the HPRA reiterated the serious health risks associated with sourcing prescription medicines online or through any unauthorised channels. It emphasised that the supply of such products into or within Ireland is illegal and warned that consumers have no assurance regarding the safety, quality, or authenticity of prescription medicines obtained outside the regulated pharmacy setting. The HPRA advises consumers not to take risks with their health and to stop using any prescription medicines obtained from unregulated sources immediately. Anyone with concerns about their health is urged to seek advice from a healthcare professional.

In the 12 months of 2025, the most significant categories of illegal products detained included sedatives (27%), erectile dysfunction medicines (14%), anabolic steroids (12%), diabetes/slimming (9%) and analgesics (5%).  The breakdown is as follows:

• Sedative medicines – 205,270 units detained
• Erectile dysfunction – 103,185 units detained 
• Anabolic steroids – 94,647 units detained 
• Diabetes/Slimming – 65,148 units detained
• Analgesic medicines – 40,669 units detained 

The HPRA highlights the substantial increase in the volume of GLP-1 type medicines detained, rising from 1,582 in 2024 to 48,752. Authorised GLP-1 prescription-only medicines are intended for specific medical purposes such as diabetes or weight management under certain conditions. The majority of the detained products were promoted as containing semaglutide or tirzepatide and were presented primarily as GLP‑1 drops (27,329 items) or microneedle patches (17,170 items).

Despite claims made in the promotion of these products, GLP‑1 drops or patches are not authorised as approved medical treatments and there is no evidence to support their use. Testing conducted by the HPRA on a sample of the transdermal patches detained in 2025 found that they did not contain semaglutide, contrary to the claims on their packaging and promotional materials. The remaining illegal GLP‑1 medicines detained were presented in other forms, including tablets, pens, and vials containing either powder or clear liquid.

Pregabalin is another product that saw a significant increase in detentions in 2025, rising from 23,442 in 2024 to 59,905. This represents the fifth consecutive year‑on‑year increase and reflects a wider global trend in the illegal, non‑medical use of this product.

The HPRA also continues to monitor online activity promoting prescription medicines and other substances and routinely intervenes to disrupt this promotion. Such activity is often linked to the use of substances for aesthetic and body image purposes. In 2025, the HPRA,

• Initiated a prosecution relating to the manufacture and distribution of GLP-1 medicines;
• Shutdown or amended 4,762^ websites, e-commerce listings and/or social media pages.

Commenting on the 2025 data, Jennifer McCartan, Compliance Manager at the HPRA, expressed her concern about the risks individuals continue to take when attempting to purchase prescription medicines from unauthorised suppliers.

“Sourcing prescription medicines outside of a registered pharmacy and without appropriate medical supervision poses a significant risk to your health. Products obtained through online or other unauthorised channels fall outside the regulated supply chain, meaning their quality, safety, and origins cannot be assured. These medicines may be counterfeit, mislabelled, or contain harmful or ineffective ingredients. Using such products can result in serious adverse effects and represents a real but fully avoidable danger to public health.

“While we welcome a decrease in overall detentions this year (763,027 units in 2025 compared to 1,000,984 dosage units in 2024), data for a single year should not be interpretated as an indication that demand for certain products has reduced. More than three‑quarters of a million dosage units of illegal medicines is really concerning and we are also seeing some evidence of packages containing smaller quantities of drops, patches or vials. This pattern is reflected in the overall consignment figures”.

According to Ms McCartan, the public may be taking risks in sourcing falsified medicines and unauthorised substances for a variety of reasons.

“There are numerous reasons why consumers may turn to the internet and other unregulated sources of prescription medicines. For many it is the knowledge or expectation that a healthcare professional may not consider these products clinically appropriate, while others may be motivated by privacy concerns, ease of access or perceived cost savings,” Ms McCartan concluded.

The HPRA will initiate prosecution cases where it considers that there is a significant risk to public health or where there are persistent non-compliances. The HPRA also supports prosecutions brought by the Director of Public Prosecutions in relation to the illegal supply of medicines. Before initiating a prosecution, the HPRA will typically engage with an offender, detain product and may formally caution the individual to ensure any illegal activity is ended. In 2025, 14 voluntary formal cautions were issued.

The HPRA works in close co-operation with colleagues from An Garda Síochána and Revenue’s Customs Service. There continues to be significant inter-agency collaboration to combat the illegal supply of health products into and within Ireland. The HPRA also co-operates and shares intelligence with other regulatory and law enforcement agencies across Europe and worldwide to prevent the illegal manufacture, importation and distribution of medicines, medical devices, and cosmetics.

The HPRA welcomes reports of suspicious activities linked to the supply of medicines and other health products. Anyone can report in confidence to the HPRA at  reportacase@hpra.ie or at 01 6343871.

ENDS

For further information

Káno Communications: (01) 679 8600

Siobhán Molloy/Sinead Brassil: (086) 817 5066/(086) 057 9298

Notes to editors

• The HPRA has published information on its website about the  Dangers of buying prescription medicines online. Translated versions of this information was recently made available by the HPRA and it is now published in 10 further languages in addition to English and Irish.  
• In 2025, we continued to run a digital information and advertising campaign, highlighting the risks of buying prescription medicines online.  
• *Dosage units = individual tablets, capsules, vials, etc. 
• **2025: 13,898 consignments (763,027 units detained) 
• 2024: 4,950 consignments (1,000,984 units detained) 
• 2023: 4,407 consignments (874,945 units detained) 
• 2022: 5,171 consignments (956,263 units detained) 
• 2021: 10,596 consignments(1,604,589 units detained) 
• ^ 2,755 of these URL removals are linked to the warnings the HPRA issued in 2025 in relation to fraudulent websites and adverts promoting illegal medicines 

Yearly detention figures

Units detained: Special interest products

^ Includes 1,971 units presented as containing Botox

* Includes 47,514 units presented as containing Semaglutide or Tirzepatide