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Standards for registered pharmacies are not always met when weight management services are provided, according to a General Pharmaceutical Council (GPhC) review.
As part of its review, published on 16 April 2026, the regulator analysed 77 pharmacy inspection reports that made reference to weight management services or associated medicines between January 2024 and December 2025. Of these inspection reports, 2,002 individual standards or 26 per pharmacy were assessed.
While standards were met in the vast majority of cases, 106 standards (5.3%) were recorded as ‘not met’ or ‘requiring improvement’, the review said.
Examples of where the regulator’s standards were not met included that pharmacy teams did not independently verify a person’s weight and BMI, as well as provide appropriate documentation of clinical consultations and prescribing decisions.
The review also revealed that there was a lack of evidence that processes for regular service audit and review were followed.
The GPhC also set out actions that pharmacy owners and superintendent pharmacists should undertake as part of weight management services, including documented risk assessments. It also advised that any third-party clinics or prescribers involved should be registered with relevant regulators.
The report also recommended that weight management medicines should be supplied according to UK national and local prescribing guidelines and good practice guidance.
The GPhC emphasised that prescribers must independently verify patients’ BMI, rather than rely on questionnaire responses.
In 2025, the GPhC said it received 1,099 concerns related to weight management services, just over three-quarters of which (76%, n=835) came from members of the public. The rest were from pharmacy team members or other healthcare stakeholders.
Between January 2024 and December 2025, the GPhC received 1,307 concerns involving weight management medicines and services. The largest proportion of concerns (27%, n=353) received in this period were around prescribing practice, which included a lack of independent verification of BMI, even for patients with a history of eating disorders, the review found.
The review also revealed that 17% of concerns raised (n=222) between January 2024 and December 2025 pertained to the advertising of weight-loss services and medicines, including reports that pharmacies paid influencers to promote weight management medicines via discount codes.
In April 2025, the GPhC, Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency and Advertising Standards Authority published a joint enforcement notice, which warned that advertisements for named prescription-only medicines for weight-management are prohibited.
Roz Gittins, chief pharmacy officer at the GPhC, commented: “Our review will help pharmacies and prescribers understand what is working well and where improvements are needed. Sharing learning from our inspections and concerns allows us to promote good practice and support continuous improvement across the sector.”
Tase Oputu, president of the Royal College of Pharmacy, said: “As weight management services continue to expand in pharmacies, it’s right that there is a clear reminder of the professional standards and safeguards that underpin safe, effective care. The findings in this review show that while the vast majority of inspected services are meeting expectations, consistency around clinical checks, record‑keeping and governance is essential.
“We welcome the GPhC’s call for strengthened oversight and improvement. Pharmacy teams play an important role in supporting people to manage their weight, but this must always be done with robust clinical decision‑making and in the best interests of patients. The Royal College of Pharmacy will continue to support pharmacy teams as these services evolve.”
