How to check a UK online pharmacy is registered
A registered pharmacy has a number on the General Pharmaceutical Council register. Checking takes about a minute.
Find the GPhC registration number on the pharmacy website, then search the number on the General Pharmaceutical Council register. The name and address on the register should match the pharmacy you are ordering from.
Three steps
- Find the number. Look at the foot of the pharmacy website or the about page. GLP Index also shows the number on each pharmacy page.
- Search the register. Open the General Pharmaceutical Council registers, choose pharmacy and enter the number.
- Match the details. Check the name and address on the register against the pharmacy website. If they differ, ask the pharmacy before you order.
What GLP Index shows
80 of the 80 pharmacies on GLP Index list a GPhC registration number in our database. Each pharmacy page shows the number with a link to the register. 4 registration numbers are shared by more than one brand, and the pharmacy page names the other brands.
Other checks worth a minute
- A prescriber should review your answers before any order is approved. Every treatment on GLP Index is a prescription only medicine.
- The website should give a UK address and a way to contact a pharmacist.
- Read the official advice: buying medicines safely online from the General Pharmaceutical Council.
Sources and checks
- General Pharmaceutical Council registers: check any pharmacy by registration number.
- General Pharmaceutical Council: buying medicines safely online.
- NHS England: weight management injections.
- GLP Index methodology: how each price is recorded, checked and ranked.
Questions
What is a GPhC number?
The registration number the General Pharmaceutical Council gives a pharmacy. Every registered pharmacy in Great Britain has one.
Does GLP Index check each pharmacy?
We record the registration number each pharmacy publishes and show the number on the pharmacy page. We do not inspect pharmacies. Use the register to confirm a number yourself.
Why do two pharmacies show the same GPhC number?
Several brands can use one dispensing pharmacy. GLP Index says so on the pharmacy page when two brands list the same number.
What about pharmacies in Northern Ireland?
The Pharmaceutical Society of Northern Ireland keeps the register there. The General Pharmaceutical Council covers England, Scotland and Wales.
More guides
- First order price vs ongoing price
- How to compare weight loss treatment prices
- How price rises with each dose step
- All guides