Dante Carrillo
Boots offers a variety of weight loss treatments, including prescription medicines and food supplements. In 2019, a BBC report revealed that the company had sold diet pills to a 17-year-old without checking for ID, breaking its own policies. Since then, Boots has emphasized its commitment to helping customers lose weight responsibly and providing pharmacist advice on using diet aids safely. The company offers prescription weight loss treatments, such as Mounjaro, Wegovy, Orlistat, and Xenical, which can be obtained through Boots Online Doctor. Additionally, Boots Triple Action Weight Support, a multivitamin food supplement, is available over the counter to support customers in managing their diet and metabolism.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Diet Pills Sold to Teenagers | In 2019, a BBC investigation found that Boots sold diet pills to a 17-year-old without checking for ID. |
| Response to Findings | Boots stated that it offers products and services to help customers lose weight responsibly, with trained staff providing advice on using diet aids safely. |
| Prescription Weight Loss Treatments | Boots Online Doctor offers prescription weight loss treatments, including capsules and injections, such as Mounjaro, Wegovy, Orlistat, and Xenical. |
| Multivitamin Food Supplement | Boots Triple Action Weight Support is a multivitamin food supplement with potato extract, kelp, and green tea to help manage your diet and support metabolism. |
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What You'll Learn
Boots sells diet pills to teenagers without ID
In 2019, a BBC report revealed that UK stores, including Boots, Superdrug, and Holland & Barrett, sold diet pills to a 17-year-old without asking for ID. The teenager, who was sent by BBC Watchdog, visited six branches of these stores and was able to buy diet pills in 17 out of 18 stores. This incident brought to light the broken policies and the need for better enforcement and staff training to prevent underage sales of diet pills.
More recently, in March 2025, a similar incident involving Boots came to light. A 16-year-old girl, still legally a child, managed to buy weight-loss drugs from Boots twice. She ordered the drugs online without age verification and then collected them in person. This incident was part of an undercover probe by Channel 4 Dispatches, which aimed to highlight the ease of access to weight-loss medication for minors. The probe also found that Boots failed to contact the patient's GP, despite promising to do so as an additional safety measure.
Following this incident, Boots issued a statement emphasizing patient safety as their top priority and stating that their policy is not to prescribe weight-loss medications to those under 18, even though the drug in question, Wegovy, is licensed for patients aged 12 and over. They have since strengthened their ID policy to only accept official photographic ID and will be reviewing their processes in consultation with relevant healthcare regulatory bodies.
These incidents highlight the challenges faced by retailers and pharmacies in ensuring proper age verification and the potential risks associated with selling diet pills to minors. While it is not illegal to sell diet pills to minors, retailers like Boots, Superdrug, and Holland & Barrett have implemented policies to restrict sales to those under 18 due to potential health risks. The National Medical Director of NHS England, Stephen Powis, expressed concern about the potential effects of diet pills on young people's mental health, given the pressure they face regarding body image.
To conclude, while Boots has policies in place to restrict the sale of diet pills to minors, there have been instances where these policies were not effectively enforced, leading to underage individuals accessing potentially harmful medications. These incidents underscore the importance of rigorous age verification processes and highlight the need for ongoing vigilance to protect vulnerable individuals.
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Boots Online Doctor offers prescription weight loss treatments
In 2019, a BBC report revealed that UK stores, including Boots, sold diet pills to a 17-year-old without checking for ID. In response to these findings, Boots emphasised its commitment to helping customers lose weight in a "responsible way" and highlighted the presence of pharmacists and trained staff who can provide advice on using diet aids safely.
Boots offers various weight loss treatments, including prescription medicines and food supplements. Prescription weight loss treatments available through Boots Online Doctor include Mounjaro, Wegovy, Orlistat, and Xenical. These treatments can be injected or taken as capsules, and work by reducing appetite and curbing cravings.
Mounjaro (tirzepatide) is a once-weekly injection that helps reduce hunger and has been shown to be effective in clinical trials. Similarly, Wegovy (semaglutide) and Saxenda (liraglutide) are injected under the skin using an injection pen, with Mounjaro and Wegovy injected once a week and Saxenda injected daily. Orlistat and Xenical help the body eliminate extra fat and require accompanying dietary and lifestyle changes.
Boots also offers over-the-counter food supplements like the Boots Triple Action Weight Support, a multivitamin supplement containing potato extract, kelp, B vitamins, and green tea. These supplements aid in releasing energy from food and supporting metabolism when paired with a reduced-calorie diet and increased physical activity. It is important to note that food supplements should not replace a balanced and varied diet or a healthy lifestyle.
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Boots Triple Action Weight Support tablets
Boots UK sells prescription weight loss treatments such as Mounjaro, Wegovy, Orlistat, and Xenical. However, this response focuses on the Boots Triple Action Weight Support tablets, also known as Boots Triple Action SlimAid.
Product Description
Boots Triple Action Weight Support is a multivitamin food supplement containing standardised potato extract, kelp, B vitamins, and green tea with sweetener. The formula also includes a bulking agent (microcrystalline cellulose and dicalcium phosphate), white tablet coating, anti-caking agents, stabilisers, ascorbic acid (vitamin C), and other vitamins and minerals. The product is free from artificial colours, flavours, and preservatives and gluten-containing ingredients. It is also lactose-free and suitable for vegetarians and those following a vegan diet.
Dosage
The recommended dosage is one tablet per day, taken with plenty of liquid approximately half an hour before a main meal. It is intended for adults and children aged 18 years and over.
Benefits and Effects
Boots Triple Action Weight Support helps manage your diet and maintain your desired weight. Kelp contributes to satiety, making you feel fuller. B vitamins aid in energy production from food, supporting your energy levels. Green tea (ECGC: Epigallocatechin gallate) helps with weight control and fat metabolism.
Lifestyle Recommendations
Boots Triple Action Weight Support should be used in conjunction with a reduced-calorie diet and appropriate levels of physical exercise to support your lifestyle changes effectively. It is important to note that food supplements should not replace a varied and balanced diet and a healthy lifestyle.
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Boots' policies for selling diet pills
In 2019, a BBC investigation found that Boots broke its own policies by selling diet pills to a 17-year-old without checking for ID. In response, Boots stated that they follow all the relevant guidance from the Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) for the sale of diet pills. They also said that they would review how their colleagues communicate with customers to better meet their needs when buying these products.
Boots' website states that only registered customers who have confirmed their date of birth can buy age-restricted products online. They also plan to implement shelf signs in all stores that sell diet products to inform customers of their age restriction policy.
In 2025, a Channel 4 Dispatches investigation found that a 16-year-old undercover reporter was able to purchase weight loss injections from Boots pharmacies on two separate occasions despite their policy of not prescribing to under-18s. The teenager gave a false date of birth on their online application and verbally confirmed their date of birth in-store, without being asked for photo ID.
In response to the Channel 4 investigation, Boots stated that patient safety is their number one priority and that they had strengthened their ID policy following updated guidance. They also urged people not to falsify health information to obtain prescription medicine.
Boots offers prescription weight loss treatments in the form of capsules and injections, which can be obtained through their online doctor service and picked up in-store or delivered for free.
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Boots' response to BBC Watchdog's findings
In 2019, a BBC Watchdog investigation found that diet pills were being sold to a 17-year-old without ID in 17 out of 18 stores visited, including Boots. In response to these findings, Boots stated that it offered a range of products and services to help customers lose weight in a "responsible way". The company highlighted that it had pharmacists and trained staff who could advise customers on using diet aids safely. Boots also emphasized that the products were regulated by the Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) and that they followed the relevant guidance for their sale.
Boots acknowledged the importance of effective communication between their colleagues and customers to ensure that the products were sold responsibly. They stated that they were reviewing their in-store sales processes to ensure alignment with the guidance for these products. Additionally, Boots mentioned their online policies, highlighting that only registered customers who had confirmed their date of birth could purchase age-restricted products on their website. Furthermore, they expressed their commitment to educating customers about age restrictions and their plans to implement shelf signs in stores to inform customers about their policies.
Boots emphasized that their weight-loss products should be used alongside healthy lifestyle changes. They offer free online webinars and resources through their Boots Online Doctor service, providing expert advice on weight loss and healthy habits. Boots also offers prescription weight-loss treatments, such as Mounjaro, Wegovy, Orlistat, and Xenical, which can be prescribed online and picked up in-store or delivered for free. These treatments work by reducing appetite and making individuals feel fuller, alongside a reduced-calorie diet and increased physical activity.
Boots Triple Action Weight Support is another product offered by the company, which is a multivitamin food supplement containing potato extract, kelp, B vitamins, and green tea. This supplement is designed to support metabolism and energy release and can be used as part of a reduced-calorie diet and increased physical activity. However, Boots emphasizes that their food supplements should not be considered a substitute for a balanced and varied diet or a healthy lifestyle. Customers are advised to consult their doctor or pharmacist if they have any medical conditions or are taking medication before taking these supplements.
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Frequently asked questions
Yes, Boots sells prescription weight loss treatments in the form of capsules and injections. They also sell over-the-counter diet pills, which are food supplements intended to support a healthy diet and exercise regime.
Prescription weight loss treatments include Mounjaro, Wegovy, Orlistat and Xenical. Boots Triple Action Weight Support is an over-the-counter diet pill.
Boots has a policy in place to ensure that minors cannot buy diet pills. However, an undercover BBC investigation in 2019 found that a 17-year-old was able to buy diet pills in 5 out of 6 branches visited. In response, Boots said it had pharmacists and trained staff who could give advice on using diet aids safely and that it follows all relevant MHRA guidance for their sale.
