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Asda Pharmacy has launched a “judgement-free” disposal scheme for medications that may have been bought from unregulated sources.
In a statement published on 18 June 2026, Asda said the scheme has been designed to encourage “anyone who may have purchased an unregulated product to safely dispose of it in one of its 230 pharmacies and seek professional advice”.
Asda went on to cite results of a survey of 267 GPs, carried out online by Research Without Borders between 1 and 10 May 2026, which have indicated a rise in patients being offered unregulated medication.
“Over 4 in 5 GPs (86%) have seen an increase in patients being offered unregulated medication over the past 12 months,” the statement said.
“One in four GPs (25%) say they have encountered patients who required hospital care following complications — underlining the importance of accessing support through regulated healthcare providers.”
It added that 45% of respondents have highlighted “worries about inappropriate advice from non-clinical sellers”.
The survey results also suggested that some products are being purchased in settings such as gyms, beauty salons and social media.
Faisal Tuddy, head of Asda Pharmacy, said: “We know lots of our customers are looking for help managing their weight, and it’s really important they feel confident they’re getting safe, trusted support.
“At Asda Pharmacy, we’re here to make that journey simpler — offering friendly, professional advice and clinically appropriate options that are tailored to each individual, with support every step of the way.
“If anyone is unsure about something they’ve bought, we’d always encourage them to pop in and have a chat with a pharmacist. Our new service is all about giving customers peace of mind — helping them feel supported, informed and able to make safer choices, without any judgement.”
Tase Oputu, president of the Royal College of Pharmacy, said: “We welcome any initiative that encourages people to seek advice about medicines obtained from unregulated sources.
“Medicines obtained outside regulated supply chains can pose significant risks to patient safety, as there’s no assurance of their quality, safety or effectiveness. Anyone who has concerns about a medicine they have obtained should speak to a pharmacist for reliable, professional advice.”
Roz Gittins, chief pharmacy officer at the General Pharmaceutical Council (GPhC), said: “We are very concerned about people getting medicines for weight management from unregulated sources.
“In Great Britain, if the medicines aren’t supplied by a pharmacy that is registered with the GPhC, then the medicines may be fake, and this is a major patient safety concern.
“All legitimate pharmacies must be registered with the GPhC and meet our standards. Before making any purchases we would urge the public to always check if an online pharmacy is on our pharmacy register which is available at www.pharmacyregulation.org.”
In April 2026, seven men were sentenced after the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) seized 130,000 doses of unauthorised medicines.
The sentencing followed another raid in October 2025, in which the MHRA seized more than 2,000 unlicensed weight-loss pens, plus raw chemical ingredients from a warehouse in Northamptonshire, in what it said was “believed to be the largest single seizure of trafficked weight-loss medicines ever recorded by a law enforcement agency worldwide”.
