Morrisons Clinic's weight-loss ad pointed shoppers at prescription drugs

A paid Facebook ad promoted the Morrisons Clinic weight-loss service, run with Phlo Technologies, for 'From £79 a month'. It showed an image claiming 'Why pay more for weight loss? Morrisons Clinic Together with phlo £79. Market average weight loss service £103'.

The ad did not name any medicine. But clicking through led to landing pages that did. One page, part-way down, described an 'At-home, self-injectable pen designed to aid weight loss' and showed an order confirmation for 'Mounjaro KwikPen 5mg'. Another option compared Mounjaro (tirzepatide) and Wegovy (semaglutide) — both prescription-only medicines.

UK advertising rules ban advertising prescription-only medicines to the public. The advertiser argued the ad was for a service, not a drug, and that users reached the named treatments only after choosing a further route.

The ASA disagreed. It treated the ad's landing pages as akin to a home page under the MHRA's Blue Guide, and found consumers who clicked either pathway were actively presented with prescription-only medicines. The MHRA itself expressed concern the ad was likely to lead to use of a prescription medicine. The claim breached CAP Code rule 12.12 and the ad must not appear again.