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The National Pharmacy Association (NPA) has warned the public that unregulated suppliers are using sophisticated methods to sell weight loss injections as it released the results of a poll showing 3.3 million people in the UK are likely to use the treatment in the new year.

The poll, commissioned by the NPA and conducted by YouGov, indicated six per cent of adults will use the jab, two and-a-half times higher than the 1.5 million people who took weight loss injections in March last year, based on data from IQVIA on sales of GLP-1 injections.

The NPA said its poll also suggested nine per cent of 25 to 49 year-olds are likely to take weight loss jabs in the next 12 months. It urged the public not to buy injections from unregulated sellers “posing as medical professionals as well as from social media and beauty salons”.

“There have been reports that unregulated sellers have been become more sophisticated in recent months to lure patients, setting up websites that look very similar to legitimate regulated online pharmacies or online doctors,” the NPA said.

“Unregulated suppliers may be selling medicine that is fake, does not meet UK safety standards or has been swapped for other medication, such as insulin. This can have a serious impact on a patient’s health.”

The NPA said unregulated suppliers do not provide regular checks or “wraparound support for patients” such as lifestyle support and making sure a patient is eligible for treatment.

It urged patients to ensure an online pharmacy selling weight loss injections is regulated by the General Pharmaceutical Council. NPA chair Olivier Picard said he expected “a surge in the number of patients looking to start weight management treatments in the new year” and warned “unscrupulous fake sellers” were looking “to cash in”.

“Not only are unregulated sellers breaking the law, they can cause serious damage to your health,” he said. “With these scams becoming more sophisticated, it is really important that patients wanting to explore starting weight management treatment only go to regulated pharmacies, either online or in person on your high street.

“Community pharmacies can provide a patient with the care they need to achieve a sustainable weight loss, through wrap around support and careful lifestyle changes, where a patient is eligible for treatment.”