GPhC issues first enforcement action over prescription‑only medicine advertising

The General Pharmaceutical Council (GPhC) has taken its first enforcement action against a pharmacy business for breaching rules on advertising prescription‑only medicines (POMs), according to reporting by Chemist+Druggist.

The regulator issued an improvement notice to PharmacyOnline.co.uk after finding that the company had promoted POMs directly to the public – an activity prohibited under UK medicines advertising law. The Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) told C+D that the business had “been given ample opportunity to get its house in order” but had failed to comply with repeated warnings.

The GPhC’s action marks the first time it has formally used its enforcement powers in relation to POM advertising. The regulator has increasingly focused on online pharmacy compliance, particularly around weight‑loss medicines and testosterone‑related products, following a series of ASA rulings against multiple providers. Recent cases include decisions against Phlo Technologies, Numan and BioID Health for ads that promoted POMs or made unsubstantiated clinical claims.

The enforcement notice requires PharmacyOnline.co.uk to make specific improvements within a set timeframe. Failure to comply could lead to further regulatory action, including conditions on registration or referral into the GPhC’s fitness to practise processes.

This development underscores the regulator’s tightening stance on digital advertising and the responsibilities of online pharmacies to meet legal and professional standards. It also signals that enforcement action—rather than guidance alone—is now firmly part of the GPhC’s regulatory toolkit.

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