More than 750,000 units of illegal medicines were seized by the Health Products Regulatory Authority (HPRA) last year.
Figures released by the HPRA confirmed that a total of 763,027 dosage units were detained in 2025.
Almost 14,000 individual packages were found to be linked to a separate purchase by a member of the public of illegal or falsified medicines, a threefold (180%) increase of individual consignments since 2024.
A significant proportion of these were presented as GLP‑1 products for personal use, which increased from 1,582 in 2024 to 48,752 in 2025.
Authorised GLP-1 prescription-only medicines are intended for specific medical purposes, such as diabetes or weight management under certain conditions.
Common GLP-1 brands include Ozempic, Mounjaro and Saxenda.
Testing conducted by the HPRA on a sample of the transdermal patches detained in 2025 found that they did not contain semaglutide.
Other samples were found to contain either powder or clear liquid.
The majority of the detained GLP-1 products were promoted as containing semaglutide or tirzepatide and were presented primarily as GLP‑1 drops (27,329 items) or microneedle patches (17,170 items).
In the 12 months of 2025, the most significant categories of illegal products detained included sedatives (27%), erectile dysfunction medicines (14%), anabolic steroids (12%), diabetes/slimming medication (9%) and analgesics (5%).
The HRPA has warned the public of the serious health risks associated with sourcing prescription medicines online, which is illegal.
"Sourcing prescription medicines outside of a registered pharmacy and without appropriate medical supervision poses a significant risk to your health," HPRA Compliance Manager Jennifer McCartan said.
She added: "Products obtained through online or other unauthorised channels fall outside the regulated supply chain, meaning their quality, safety, and origins cannot be assured.
"These medicines may be counterfeit, mislabelled, or contain harmful or ineffective ingredients. Using such products can result in serious adverse effects and represents a real but fully avoidable danger to public health.''
Pregabalin is another product that saw a significant increase in detentions in 2025, rising from 23,442 in 2024 to 59,905.
This represents the fifth consecutive year‑on‑year increase and reflects a wider global trend in the illegal, non‑medical use of this product.
The HPRA said it will initiate prosecution cases where it considers that there is a significant risk to public health or where there are persistent non-compliances.
The authority also co-operates and shares intelligence with other regulatory and law enforcement agencies across Europe and worldwide to prevent the illegal manufacture, importation and distribution of medicines, medical devices, and cosmetics.
A full list of the seized medicines include:
- Sedative medicines - 205,270 units detained
- Erectile dysfunction - 103,185 units detained
- Anabolic steroids - 94,647 units detained
- Diabetes/Slimming - 65,148 units detained
- Analgesic medicines - 40,669 units detained
The HPRA regulates medicines and devices for the benefit of people and animals.
The products under its remit include human and veterinary medicines, medical devices, blood and blood components, tissues and cells, organs for transplantation, and cosmetics.
