A Co Tyrone woman has been fined £3,300 after being found with unlicensed weight loss medication.
Shaunagh McElroy, of Fardross Road, Clogher, pleaded guilty at Dungannon Magistrates’ Court to 18 charges after unlicensed weight loss medication and prescription medication was seized from her home, where she also ran her SHB Hair and Beauty business.
Weight loss medication was also seized by Border Force in packages going to the defendant’s address through the postal system.
The court heard that in March 2023 and March 2024, enforcement officers from the Department of Health’s Medicines Regulatory Group (MRG) visited the defendant’s address and found and seized significant quantities of the medication.
Peter Moore, Senior Medicines Enforcement Officer with the Department of Health who directed the investigation said: “This conviction sends a clear message that there are serious consequences if a person attempts to bypass the regulated system and controls which are in place to ensure public safety and integrity of the medicines supply chain.
“I would urge people to consider the implications of buying drugs online or from dubious sources, there is no way of knowing what you are buying is what you think it is, and this can have serious consequences for your health.
“Of particular concern to MRG is the use of unregulated weight-loss injections outside the normal healthcare arena. This investigation has confirmed unlicensed medication in circulation, which presents a real risk of adverse health effects. We continue to monitor the marketplace and will take effective action where this is necessary.”
Canice Ward, Head of Medicines Regulatory Group added: “The risk to public safety posed by the unlawful distribution and misuse of both authorised and unauthorised medicinal products within the non-surgical cosmetic sector in Northern Ireland is a serious issue. Patients should not be fooled by professional looking websites or social media websites offering medicines without prescription. Taking short cuts and using these medicines could expose you to a dangerous counterfeit or substandard medicine.
“It is extremely important that people take prescription only medicines after consultation with their GP, pharmacist or other healthcare professional who have access to patient health records and can consider the risks and benefits associated with every medicine. Medicines obtained through unregulated or unapproved sources will often not have been prescribed by a healthcare professional, may not have been subject to the normal safety and quality controls on manufacture and, as such, may not be of the required quality or be of the nature described.
“The Department is committed to taking all possible steps to stop illegal promotion, supply or misuse of medicines and when appropriate, to alerting the public about the dangers of using medicines outside of the regulated supply chain.”
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