How to check an online pharmacy is legitimate in the UK

To check an online pharmacy is legitimate in the UK, look for its General Pharmaceutical Council (GPhC) registration number on the website, then search for it on the official GPhC register. A genuine pharmacy also names its owner, its superintendent pharmacist and a real street address. It will never supply a prescription-only medicine unless a registered prescriber has properly assessed you.

Why checking matters

Getting medicines online is now common. The UK government’s #FakeMeds campaign reports that 44% of UK adults aged 18 to 30 have bought a medicine or medical product online. It also warns that fake medical products bought online can seriously harm your health.

Illegal sellers are not a rare problem. In June 2025 the MHRA reported seizing 7.7 million doses of illegal medicines during Operation Pangea, worth an estimated 17.2 million pounds. Between December 2024 and May 2025 it also removed 367 websites and social media accounts offering medical products illegally. The seized products included powerful painkillers, anti-depressants and sleeping pills.

Some cases involve the medicines this blog covers. In July 2026, four people were sentenced after an MHRA investigation called Operation Lamborghini. The group had supplied almost two million doses of medicines online, including controlled drugs such as diazepam and zopiclone. A product from an unregulated website may contain the wrong dose, the wrong ingredient or nothing useful at all.

Step 1: check the GPhC register

The GPhC says its register is the only way to confirm a pharmacy is legally operating in Great Britain. Every legitimate pharmacy in England, Scotland and Wales must be on it, including those that only work online.

1. Find the pharmacy’s GPhC registration number. It is usually on the home page, in the footer or on the “About us” page.
2. Open the GPhC online registers and search for the pharmacy by its number or name.
3. Check that the name and address on the register match the details on the website.
4. Search for the superintendent pharmacist named on the site. Pharmacists have their own entries on the same register.

If the number is missing, or the register shows a different business or address, do not go ahead.

Checking the prescriber too

Many online services link a pharmacy with a separate prescribing service. The GPhC’s page on checking registration for online health services says professionals should give you their full name and registration number. Doctors are registered with the General Medical Council (GMC). Nurses are registered with the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC). Pharmacist prescribers are on the GPhC register.

If you live in Northern Ireland

Pharmacies and pharmacists in Northern Ireland are regulated by the Pharmaceutical Society of Northern Ireland, which keeps its own public registers. The #FakeMeds campaign also points Northern Ireland readers to the MHRA register of authorised online sellers of medicines.

What a registered online pharmacy must show

In February 2025 the GPhC published guidance for pharmacies providing services at a distance, including on the internet. It says the website or app must prominently display:

• the pharmacy’s GPhC registration number
• the name of the owner of the pharmacy
• the name of the superintendent pharmacist, if there is one
• the name and physical address of the pharmacy that supplies the medicines, with phone numbers and email addresses
• how to check the registration of the pharmacy and its pharmacists
• how to give feedback or raise a concern, and a privacy policy

If you have an online consultation, the same guidance says you should be told the prescriber’s name and registration number. You should also be told which country they are registered in, whether they are a doctor or another type of prescriber, and how to check their registration.

How a proper online consultation should work

A legitimate service treats an online request like any other prescription decision. Under the GPhC guidance, the prescriber should not base the decision on a questionnaire alone. Instead, they independently verify what you tell them. This may mean speaking with you, looking at your records or contacting your GP.

Pharmacy staff must also confirm you are who you say you are, with an identity check suited to the medicine. Do not be surprised if a genuine service asks for photo ID or permission to contact your GP. These are safety steps, not obstacles.

Medicines that need extra safeguards

The GPhC says some medicines are not suitable to be prescribed through a questionnaire model alone. Its examples include:

• antimicrobials, such as antibiotics
• medicines liable to misuse, such as opioids, sedatives, gabapentinoids and stimulants
• medicines with a higher risk of serious harm in overdose
• medicines that need ongoing monitoring, such as those for diabetes, asthma, epilepsy, heart conditions and mental health conditions
• medicines that are part of a pregnancy prevention programme
• medicines used for weight management

This matters for medicines such as tapentadol, a strong opioid, and zopiclone, a sedative sleeping tablet. Both are controlled drugs in the UK. A website that supplies them after a few ticked boxes is not following GPhC guidance. The GPhC also warns there are significant extra risks when prescribers are not registered with a UK regulator, or when the prescribing service is not based in the UK.

Red flags of an illegal website

The MHRA’s guide to spotting a fake website lists warning signs. Be cautious if a site:

• offers prescription-only medicines and tells you that you will not need a prescription
• shows prescription-only medicines and their prices on its home page, which is illegal in the UK
• uses a medicine’s name in its web address
• makes claims such as “100% safe”, “no side effects” or “quick results”
• promises unusually fast delivery
• has no physical or street address
• takes payment in cryptocurrency, or asks you not to name the medicine or website in your bank reference
• has poor spelling, broken design or lots of pop-up adverts

Other warning signs include medicine strengths that are not licensed in the UK, posting from abroad and contact only through social media or messaging apps. A seller offering a medicine for a use outside its licence, such as modafinil for studying, is another concern. Read more about the law on modafinil in the UK.

Do not rely on a logo

Some older guides still tell you to look for the EU common logo. According to GOV.UK guidance on the distance selling logo, online sellers in England, Scotland and Wales have not needed to display it since 1 January 2021. The GPhC’s 2025 guidance adds that the last day the logo applied in Northern Ireland was 31 December 2024.

Logos and “verified” badges are easy to copy. Always click through to the official register yourself, rather than trusting a badge or a link on the seller’s own site.

Signs a medicine may be fake

If something has already arrived, the #FakeMeds guide suggests checking for:

• poor quality capsules or crumbly tablets
• packaging missing a “UK Only” label
• active ingredients not listed on the packet
• a missing patient information leaflet
• a missing or past expiry date

If you notice any of these, do not take the medicine. Keep it and its packaging, and speak to a pharmacist or your GP.

How to report a suspicious seller

• Report the website: use the MHRA’s service to report a suspicious online seller of medicines. Anyone can report, and you can do it anonymously. Have the web address or social media name ready, plus screenshots or receipts if you have them.
• Report a suspected fake medicine or a side effect: use the MHRA Yellow Card scheme.
• Concerns about a registered pharmacy: contact the GPhC in Great Britain or the Pharmaceutical Society of Northern Ireland.

This article is for information only and does not replace advice from your doctor or pharmacist. Read our medical disclaimer.