The Federal Criminal Police Office (BKA), the interior ministry of the south-western state of Baden-Württemberg and the National Association of Statutory Health Insurance Funds has all reported a rise in cases, although no exact figures are available.
A 2024 security report from the Baden-Württemberg Interior Ministry points to “supra-regional criminal groups of Eastern European origin” as often being behind the offences.
The BKA says forged prescriptions typically involve drugs susceptible to abuse, such as those covered under Germany’s Narcotics Act.
In the case of weight loss drugs, high demand, limited access for patients and the high cost of the medication are likely contributing factors, a BKA spokesman said.
Thomas Preis, president of the Federal Union of German Associations of Pharmacists, told dpa that rising interest in the drugs was being fueled by media coverage and influencer marketing — a trend that, in his view, is making them increasingly appealing to criminals.
Source: dpa