Hay fever sufferers have been warned against buying unlicensed jabs online amid a surge in the number of people seeking relief for symptoms.
The National Pharmacy Association (NPA) has told patients not to buy the medicine Kenalog.
It found nearly half of pharmacists have been asked for the jab since the spring, when pollen counts increased.
But its license for the treatment of hay fever was withdrawn years ago over side effects including vision problems, increased blood pressure, severe abdominal pain, depression and mood swings.
It contains triamcinolone acetonide, which is a steroid injection licensed for several conditions such as arthritis, but not for hay fever.
In 2022, the regulator the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) and the Committees of Advertising Practice (CAP) issued a joint enforcement notice about the advertising of Kenalog injections.
They told all organisations offering Kenalog as a hay fever treatment to stop advertising it on any of their social media or website advertising.
The NPA said some of the medication being sold online is fake, could be swapped for other medication, or does not meet UK safety and quality standards.
Its snapshot survey of over 350 pharmacies found 45% have recently had queries from patients about using Kenalog as a treatment for hay fever.
Most (96%) had also seen a significant increase in patients seeking help for hay fever symptoms since the start of April.
NPA chairman Olivier Picard said: ‘We know that hay fever season is well and truly upon us and as these findings show, pharmacies are reporting increased numbers of patients visiting them to help treat their symptoms.
‘Kenalog is not licensed in the UK for the treatment of hay fever and we are clear that patients should not seek it online or request it from their community pharmacy.
‘We’re urging people to avoid using unlicensed treatments, which could pose a serious risk to their health, and instead speak with their pharmacist about other options for managing hay fever symptoms.
‘Pharmacists are well placed to provide safe licensed alternatives, such as antihistamines or steroid nasal sprays.
‘Medication from unregulated sellers could be fake, swapped for an alternative medication and not meet rigorous safety standards we have in the UK.
‘Instead, patients experiencing hay fever should visit their local pharmacy on their doorstep, who can quickly and safely provide treatments to relieve their symptoms.
‘If people are unsure about medication bought online, they should check with their pharmacist.’
The NPA is also urging regulators to reintroduce rules that made it mandatory for a list of regulated online UK medicine sellers to be made publicly available.
Previous EU rules required this to happen, but these were scrapped when the UK left the EU.
The NPA argues patients should be able to easily identify a regulated online pharmacy and avoid sellers who are not regulated in the UK.
Mr Picard said reintroducing the previous rules would ‘provide a helpful tool for patients to understand how to find a regulated, safe online pharmacy’.
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