Peptides Explained

Start here: what to know before you use a peptide

In short

About 9 minutes for the short version; 14 with every detail open.

  • Many peptides sold outside pharmacies were never tested well in people. Their effects and risks are not known.
  • A product that did not come from a pharmacy has not been checked by a regulator.
  • In the Netherlands, selling a medicine that has no licence is against the law.
  • A few peptide medicines, such as semaglutide, are well tested. A doctor can prescribe them.
  • If you decide to use one, learn the warning signs. Get help fast if something feels wrong.
Last reviewed
An old wooden signpost on a green hillside, with arms pointing along different paths.
Photo: Eirian Evans, Geograph Britain and Ireland (Wikimedia Commons) CC BY-SA 2.0 Image details

Each section starts with the short answer. The rest is folded under “In detail”.

Who is this page for?

For anyone who is thinking about a peptide, or already uses one. We do not judge you.

This page does not tell you what to do. It gives you six things to know, in the order you need them. It gives no doses and names no sellers. Every fact links to its source, so you can check it.

1. Most have never been tested properly in people

Have these peptides been tested in people?

Most have not. Only a few, such as semaglutide, went through large trials.
One approved peptide was tested in thousands of people. Three others, not approved, were not. Semaglutide compared with BPC-157, TB-500 and KPV. Checked on 22 October 2026.
Semaglutide (an approved medicine)BPC-157, TB-500 and KPV (experimental)
Tested in large, fair trials in people?Yes One weight trial alone had 1,961 adults.1No No study of KPV, or of TB-500 alone, in people is published. BPC-157 had two small trials, known only from short conference abstracts.2,3,4
Side effects counted, with how often they happen?Yes They are on the official label, with how often each one happens.5No No proper study has counted them.4,3,2
Safety followed over years?Yes One trial followed 17,604 adults for more than three years on average.6No The formal safety tests of BPC-157 with daily doses, in rats and dogs, lasted 28 days.7,4
Benefits and risks weighed by a regulator?Yes Before it was approved in the EU.5No None of them is an approved medicine.4,3,2,8

“Never tested properly” does not mean “certain to harm you”. It means nobody knows. Nobody knows if it works in people. Nobody knows which side effects it causes, or how often. Nobody knows what months of use do. Most research on these three peptides was done in cells, rats and mice, not in people.4,3,2

In detail Why animal results are not enough

A result in rats is a reason to test something in people. It is not proof that it works in people. Lab results also often fail when other scientists repeat them. Scientists at one company could confirm only 6 of 53 key cancer studies.9,10 See the translation gap.

Even after trials in people have started, most attempts to bring a medicine to patients fail. A study counted each medicine for one illness as one attempt. Only about 1 in 7 of these attempts ended in approval.11

Most attempts that reach trials in people never lead to an approved medicine

13.8%

of drug programmes that started human trials were approved in the end: about 1 in 7

What was counted 41,040 industry drug programmes (one drug for one illness) with trials from 2000 to 2015 (Wong 2019) Source Wong et al. (2019)11

For KPV, the FDA found no study in people at all. For TB-500 it found no human data. Two small reports gave people TB-500, or a related “TB4”, only together with other substances.2,3,12,13

BPC-157 has been studied in people a little. In the 2000s, two small controlled trials tested it as an enema. One was in 32 healthy men, one in 53 people with bowel inflammation (ulcerative colitis). The results exist only as conference abstracts: short summaries for a meeting.4 Four small reports on 33 people in total were published later. None had a comparison group. In two of them, some or all people also got other substances.13,14,15,12 See BPC-157, TB-500 and KPV.

2. The vial is not the molecule

Is a vial from outside a pharmacy the same as the medicine?

No. No regulator has checked what is in it, how much, or whether it is free of germs.

The picture shows what may be wrong with a vial that did not come from a pharmacy.

What may be wrong with a vial bought online

Key

  1. May not be what the label says The FDA warns that one name can cover different salt forms, or even a different active substance. A French lab found that products sold as TB-500 did not always match their description.
  2. The amount may differ from the label A 2026 study in Australia tested 3 products sold as retatrutide. They held from about half to almost twice the amount on the label. The TB-500 certificates the FDA saw did not check the amount.
  3. May hold near-copies and leftover chemicals Making a peptide can leave chains that are too short or slightly wrong, plus leftover solvents and other chemicals. Most certificates the FDA saw gave the purity but did not say which impurities were there.
  4. May not be tested for bacterial toxins (endotoxin) For anything injected, the FDA says this test is key. The certificates it saw for BPC-157 and TB-500 did not have it.
  5. May not be tested for germs For injections, the FDA says germ tests are key too. The certificates it saw for BPC-157, KPV and TB-500 showed no germ tests.
  6. Clumps may make immune reactions more likely Peptides can stick together into clumps. The FDA says clumps and impurities may raise the risk of an immune reaction, from harmless to life-threatening. No study has tested this for BPC-157, KPV or TB-500.
In words

The picture shows one small glass vial with a grey rubber stopper and some white powder at the bottom. It has no label. Six numbers show what may be wrong with a vial like this when it is bought online. Number 1, on the glass where a label would be: it may not be what the label says. The FDA warns that one name can cover different salt forms, or even a different active substance. A French lab found that products sold as TB-500 did not always match their description. Number 2, on the powder: the amount may differ from the label. A 2026 study in Australia tested 3 products sold as retatrutide. They held from about half to almost twice the amount on the label. The TB-500 certificates the FDA saw did not check the amount. Number 3, on the powder: making a peptide can leave chains that are too short or slightly wrong, plus leftover solvents and other chemicals. Most certificates the FDA saw gave the purity but did not say which impurities were there. Number 4, inside the vial: it may not have been tested for bacterial toxins, called endotoxin. For anything injected, the FDA says this test is key, and the certificates it saw for BPC-157 and TB-500 did not have it. Number 5, inside the vial: it may not have been tested for germs. For injections the FDA says germ tests are key too, and the certificates it saw for BPC-157, KPV and TB-500 showed no germ tests. Number 6, on the powder: peptides can stick together into clumps. The FDA says clumps and impurities may raise the risk of an immune reaction, from harmless to life-threatening. No study has tested this for BPC-157, KPV or TB-500. That is why number 6 has a different colour: it is a possible risk, not a proven one.

Based on: FDA Briefing Document for BPC-157-Related Bulk Drug Substances (BPC-157 (free base) and BPC-157 acetate), Pharmacy Compounding Advisory Committee meeting, 23–24 July 2026; FDA Briefing Document for KPV-Related Bulk Drug Substances (KPV (free base) and KPV acetate), Pharmacy Compounding Advisory Committee meeting, 23-24 July 2026; FDA Briefing Document for TB-500-Related Bulk Drug Substances (TB-500 (free base) and TB-500 acetate), Pharmacy Compounding Advisory Committee meeting, 23–24 July 2026; Piatkowski et al. (2026); Delcourt et al. (2023)

AI-generated illustration (gpt-image-2.5-sunburst-2026-09-08, 21 October 2026) CC BY 4.0 Image details The picture contains no text; the numbers and labels are added by this site.

This is true even when the name is right. Semaglutide is an approved medicine. But “research semaglutide” sold online is not that medicine: no regulator has checked it.16,17 Clean technique cannot fix what is inside a vial. See product risk.

In detail What can be wrong, with real examples
  • The wrong amount. In 2026, researchers in Australia tested three products sold as retatrutide. They held from about half to almost twice the amount on the label.18
  • The wrong substance. In 2023, fake pens sold as Ozempic in Germany held insulin, not semaglutide.19 Insulin can make blood sugar fall too low.20 Someone who thinks they are injecting semaglutide does not expect that.
  • Germs before the vial is opened. In the United States in 2012, injections made by one pharmacy were contaminated with a fungus. Fungus was found in vials that had never been opened. By July 2013, 749 people were ill and 61 had died.21 Careful technique by the people who gave the injections could not have prevented it.

The Dutch health inspectorate (IGJ) says that a medicine ordered online can hold too much active substance, too little, or none. If it is contaminated, it can damage your organs.22

In detail What you can check yourself, and what you cannot

You can read the label and any paper that came with the product. You cannot see what is inside the vial, or how much of it. Without the checks that come with a doctor or pharmacist, you cannot know what you are getting.22

  • Is there a lab certificate? It is often called a certificate of analysis. It lists the tests a lab did, and their results.4
  • Does it test for germs and bacterial toxins? For anything injected, the FDA calls three tests key: no germs (sterility), no bacterial toxins (endotoxin) and no loose particles.4,3
  • Does it give more than purity? Purity alone does not say which impurities are there, or how much peptide is in the vial.4,3
  • Does the name match exactly? One name can cover different salt forms, or even a different substance.3

The FDA looked at certificates for BPC-157, TB-500 and KPV. Most of the ones it found gave little more than a purity result. None showed a test for germs.4,3,2 Our page on product risk goes further.

3. The law in plain words

Is it legal?

In the Netherlands, only medicines with a licence may be sold. BPC-157, TB-500 and KPV have none.
An approved peptide comes on prescription from a pharmacy. An unapproved one has no normal legal route. The rules in the Netherlands, checked on 22 October 2026. Other countries have their own rules.
An approved peptide medicine (for example Wegovy)An unapproved peptide (for example BPC-157)
Licensed to be sold as a medicine?Yes Approved in the EU since 2022.5No Not approved in the EU or anywhere else.8,4
A legal way to get it?Yes With a doctor’s prescription, from a pharmacy.23,5No Selling, supplying or importing it is against the law. The few exceptions, such as a clinical trial, are narrow.24
Allowed in competitive sport?Yes Semaglutide is not banned. The anti-doping agency keeps track of its use.25No Banned at all times.26

A licence to sell a medicine is called a marketing authorisation. Sellers often write “for research use only” on their products. That does not make a product a licensed medicine. It does not make it fit to inject, either.24,17 The rules in other countries differ: see Germany, Belgium, the UK, the EU and the US.

In detail What Dutch law says, in more detail

The main law is the Medicines Act (Geneesmiddelenwet).

  • What counts as a medicine. A substance meant or presented to treat or prevent illness is a medicine. So is a substance meant to change how the body works, by acting on its chemistry or immune system.27 Whether a product sold “for research” counts is a legal question: see research use only.
  • No licence, no sale. A medicine without a marketing authorisation may not be sold, offered, supplied, kept in stock or imported. The few exceptions include medicines for clinical trials and an exemption from the inspectorate for one patient.24
  • Prescription medicines come from a pharmacy. A pharmacist may not hand them over without a prescription.23
  • No prescriptions from strangers online. A doctor may not prescribe over the internet to someone they have never met, do not know, or whose medicine history they cannot see.28

What this means for someone who orders a product for their own use is on our page on Dutch law. We do not give legal advice. For the legal routes, see legal routes to treatment.

4. The real promise, and the real uncertainty

Is there real promise?

Yes, for some. A few peptide medicines work well. For many others, the promise is only in animals.
How far six peptides have come, from the lab to an approved medicine. Checked on 22 October 2026.
PeptideHow far it has comeWhat that means for you
SemaglutideLarge trials in people, then approved in the EU5,1Effects and side effects are well known. A doctor can prescribe it.
TirzepatideLarge trials in people, then approved in the EU29Effects and side effects are well known. A doctor can prescribe it.
RetatrutideLarge trials in people, but not approved anywhere yet30,31,32Weight loss in trials was large, but no regulator has weighed the results yet. In the Netherlands, in practice only available inside a trial.33
BPC-157Mostly rats; a few small reports in people4Nobody knows if it works in people, or what harm it can do.
TB-500Lab and animal studies; no study of TB-500 alone in people3Nobody knows if it works in people, or what harm it can do.
KPVCells and mice only2Nobody knows if it works in people, or what harm it can do.

Well-tested peptide medicines can do a lot. In a fair trial of 1,961 adults with obesity or overweight, without diabetes, people on semaglutide lost about 15% of their weight on average after 68 weeks, against 2.4% with a dummy injection .1 For BPC-157, many rat studies report faster healing . But most of these studies come from one group in Zagreb, and BPC-157 has not been tested properly in people.4,34 See the Croatian lab.

In detail Slow rules have real costs, and so do skipped trials

Waiting for trials has real costs. Some people suffer while the evidence is collected. In the Netherlands, Wegovy is approved, but it is not paid for by basic health insurance for obesity. The Zorginstituut called it effective for weight loss, but advised against payment in July 2024. It pointed to unclear health gain and high costs.35 So people who use it for weight loss usually pay for it themselves. A new assessment was under way in October 2026.36

Skipping trials has costs too. Without a fair trial with a comparison group, nobody can tell which harms a product causes, or how often. Without a check on quality, nobody can be sure what is in the product. Our position on reform says what we think should change. That page is an opinion, kept apart from the facts here.

Retatrutide shows both sides. In a fair trial of 2,339 adults with obesity, without diabetes, average weight loss after 80 weeks was 17.6% to 25.0%, depending on the dose, against 3.9% with a dummy injection .30 On 5 October 2026 it was not on the EU list of medicines under review.31 Until a regulator approves it, a product sold as retatrutide is an unchecked product. See retatrutide.

5. Bring a doctor into it

Should I tell a doctor?

Yes. A doctor can check your risks, look for an approved option, and help if something goes wrong.
Five things a doctor can do for you, even if they disagree with your plan
A doctor canWhy it matters
Check whether you should not use these products at allSome health problems and medicines raise the risk. For example, semaglutide together with insulin can make blood sugar fall too low.5 See before you consider a peptide.
Tell you about approved options for your goalDutch law says your doctor must explain the risks, and other possible treatments.37
Do checks, such as blood testsChecks show how your body is doing, not only how you feel. See monitoring.
Treat side effects earlyA skin infection called cellulitis needs antibiotics. Without them, it can spread.38 See the warning signs.
Report a side effectDoctors and patients can report side effects to Lareb, also for products bought online.39

In the Netherlands, your doctor must keep what you say private.40,41 The Dutch GPs’ website for patients says you can come if you have thought of a way to treat yourself, but are not sure it is right.42 Our page on talking to your doctor has words you can use.

6. If you decide to go ahead

What if I decide to go ahead?

Check the product, use clean steps, never share, know the warning signs, and get checked.

If your product did not come from a pharmacy: check before you use it

These checks can show that something is wrong. None of them can show that a product is good or free of germs.22,43,21

Tick each box when you have checked it.

  • The seal and the vial are whole

    A broken cap or seal, or a cracked vial, can let germs in. Then do not use it.44,45,46

  • The label shows the name, amount, batch number and expiry date

    In the EU, a medicine must show all four, even on a small vial. If one is missing, or the date has passed, that is a warning sign. Take a photo of the label.47,44

  • It looks right

    A liquid, or a powder after mixing, should be clear and colourless, with no bits. Is it cloudy, has it changed colour, or do you see bits? Then do not use it.48,5

  • A lab report proves little if:

    • its batch number is not the one on your vial;
    • it does not name the lab, or has no date or signature;
    • it shows only purity (HPLC), with no test of what it is, such as mass spectrometry;
    • it has no test for germs (sterility) or for toxins from germs (endotoxin).

    Even a full report covers only one sample. A report from the seller comes from someone who gains if it looks good. It cannot show that your vial is clean.49,50,4,3,51

    What a certificate of analysis shows, and what it does not

  • It was kept as the label says

    Heat, freezing and sunlight can damage a peptide. Did it arrive warm, or was it frozen? Then do not use it. Often nobody can tell you how it was kept on the way. If you cannot know, you cannot rule out damage. When in doubt, throw it out.5,17,52,46

    When to throw a vial away

  • Clean steps, and a new sterile needle and syringe every time

    Wash your hands and wipe the rubber top with alcohol. Never share a needle, a syringe or a vial.46,53,17

    Sterile technique, step by step

  • Keep the vial, its label and any papers

    Keep them, even when the vial is empty, until you know you feel well. If you need a doctor, bring them. A lab can test what was inside.54,55

    If something goes wrong

  • Tell a doctor, and agree which checks fit you

    A doctor can help you choose blood tests that fit what you use. In the Netherlands, your doctor must keep what you say private.42,56,40

    Which checks matter, and whyTalking to your doctor

  • Know the warning signs before you start

    Spreading redness, fever, a swollen face or hard breathing need help fast. If it is severe, call your local emergency number.38,57,58

    All warning signs, and how fast to act

Read thisBecause
Before you consider a peptideSome people should not use these products at all.
Sterile technique and injection safetyClean steps prevent many infections.
Product riskWhat can be wrong with the product itself.
MonitoringWhich checks make sense, and why.
Sharps disposalUsed needles can hurt and infect other people.
If something goes wrongWhat to do, and who to call.

Clean steps prevent many infections. They cannot fix a product that had germs in it before you opened it.46,21 Never share needles, syringes, vials or pens.46,59

These signs need help, whatever you used. The full list is on the warning signs page.

Stop-now warning signs

Call your local emergency number now

  • Confusion or slurred speech, very fast breathing, or pale, blue or blotchy skin, often with fever or shivering These can be signs of sepsis: the body's reaction to an infection has started to damage its own organs.
  • Fainting and not waking up within a minute, or fainting with chest pain, a racing heart or a fit This can be a dangerous heart rhythm or a severe allergic reaction.

Get medical help today

  • Fever, shivering or feeling very ill in the days after an injection Germs from the needle, the skin or the product may have reached your blood. If you also have a fast heartbeat or fast breathing, call your local emergency number.

Stop and contact a doctor

  • You fainted, but woke up quickly and now feel well Fainting is often harmless, but a doctor should check the cause.
  • A new mole, or a mole that changes size, shape or colour, itches or bleeds A changing mole can be skin cancer, and tanning peptides such as melanotan II have been linked to new and changing moles in case reports.

Questions people ask

What do people often ask?

Here are short, honest answers to common questions. Each one links to more.

Is it legal to get peptides online in the Netherlands?

Selling, supplying and importing a medicine without a licence is against Dutch law.24 BPC-157, TB-500 and KPV have no licence.8,4 What this means for a person who orders for their own use is explained on our page on Dutch law.

Did the FDA approve BPC-157 in 2026?

No. On 23 July 2026, an advisory committee of the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) voted on BPC-157. As reported from the public meeting, it voted 8 to 6, with one abstention, to recommend BPC-157 for the “503A list”. That list names substances that US pharmacies may use to make medicines on prescription. The committee looked at seven peptides. By the same reports, it recommended six: BPC-157, KPV, TB-500, MOTS-c, Semax and epitalon. The vote was only advice, and it went against the FDA staff’s own advice.60,61,62 US pharmacies may not legally make these peptides until the FDA accepts the advice and makes a formal rule.63 None of them is an approved medicine in the EU, the UK or the US. Semax is registered as a medicine in Russia.64,8 A listing would not make them approved medicines. It says nothing about whether they work. It changes nothing in the EU or the Netherlands.65,66,67

My product came with a lab certificate. Does that prove it is clean?

No. A certificate shows only the tests that were done. The FDA looked at certificates for BPC-157, TB-500 and KPV. Most of the ones it found gave little more than a purity result, and none showed a test for germs.4,3,2 A product ordered online also gets no check like the one a doctor or pharmacist gives.22 See what you can check yourself and product risk.

Will my doctor tell the police or my employer?

No. Dutch doctors must keep what you tell them secret. They may also refuse to answer questions from the police.68,41 The rare exceptions include serious danger to other people, child abuse or domestic violence, and some infectious diseases.68

I compete in sport. Can I use peptides?

Most unapproved peptides are banned at all times.26 If a banned substance is found in your body, that counts as a doping offence, even if you did not mean to take it.69,70 A product with the wrong contents can end a career. See sport and doping.

Why does this site not give doses?

Because for unapproved peptides, nobody knows a safe or useful amount for people. For BPC-157, for example, the FDA called the few studies in people small and short, with amounts that were probably just a first try.4 Amounts used in rats cannot simply be scaled up to people. See the translation gap and our editorial policy.

Where can I report a side effect?

In the Netherlands, anyone can report a side effect to Lareb, also for a product bought online. Lareb does not pass your report on to your doctor.39 If you feel unwell, see a doctor as well.

Sources

Every claim on this page links to one of these sources. Scholarly sources link to their DOI; regulatory sources to the regulator's own page.

In detail All 70 sources, numbered as in the text
  1. Wilding JPH, Batterham RL, Calanna S, Davies M, Van Gaal LF, Lingvay I, et al. (2021). Once-weekly semaglutide in adults with overweight or obesity. New England Journal of Medicine 384:989-1002. Clinical trial doi:10.1056/NEJMoa2032183 ↩
  2. U.S. Food and Drug Administration (2026). FDA Briefing Document for KPV-Related Bulk Drug Substances (KPV (free base) and KPV acetate), Pharmacy Compounding Advisory Committee meeting, 23-24 July 2026. Regulator fda.gov — accessed 20 October 2026 ↩
  3. U.S. Food and Drug Administration (2026). FDA Briefing Document for TB-500-Related Bulk Drug Substances (TB-500 (free base) and TB-500 acetate), Pharmacy Compounding Advisory Committee meeting, 23–24 July 2026. Regulator fda.gov — accessed 20 October 2026 ↩
  4. U.S. Food and Drug Administration (2026). FDA Briefing Document for BPC-157-Related Bulk Drug Substances (BPC-157 (free base) and BPC-157 acetate), Pharmacy Compounding Advisory Committee meeting, 23–24 July 2026. Regulator fda.gov — accessed 20 October 2026 ↩
  5. European Medicines Agency (2026). Wegovy (semaglutide): EPAR — overview and product information. Official product information ema.europa.eu — accessed 20 October 2026 ↩
  6. Lincoff AM, Brown-Frandsen K, Colhoun HM, Deanfield J, Emerson SS, Esbjerg S, et al. (2023). Semaglutide and cardiovascular outcomes in obesity without diabetes. New England Journal of Medicine 389:2221-2232. Clinical trial doi:10.1056/NEJMoa2307563 ↩
  7. Xu C, Sun L, Ren F, Huang P, Tian Z, et al. (2020). Preclinical safety evaluation of body protective compound-157, a potential drug for treating various wounds. Regulatory Toxicology and Pharmacology 114:104665. Research article doi:10.1016/j.yrtph.2020.104665 ↩
  8. European Medicines Agency (2026). Medicines (search of centrally authorised medicines and EPARs). Regulator ema.europa.eu — accessed 20 October 2026 ↩
  9. Begley CG, Ellis LM (2012). Drug development: Raise standards for preclinical cancer research. Nature 483:531-533. Research article doi:10.1038/483531a ↩
  10. Errington TM, Mathur M, Soderberg CK, Denis A, Perfito N, Iorns E, Nosek BA (2021). Investigating the replicability of preclinical cancer biology. eLife 10:e71601. Research article doi:10.7554/eLife.71601 ↩
  11. Wong CH, Siah KW, Lo AW (2019). Estimation of clinical trial success rates and related parameters. Biostatistics 20:273-286. Research article doi:10.1093/biostatistics/kxx069 ↩
  12. Froum S, Estrin N, Pico G, Yakubov M, Ahmad P, et al. (2026). Case Report: Regenerative peptides for Inferior alveolar nerve injury: a narrative review with hypothesis-generating three clinical cases. Frontiers in Oral Health 7:1907109. Research article doi:10.3389/froh.2026.1907109 ↩
  13. Lee E, Padgett B (2021). Intra-Articular Injection of BPC 157 for Multiple Types of Knee Pain. Alternative Therapies in Health and Medicine 27:8-13. Research article PMID 34324435 ↩
  14. Lee E, Walker C, Ayadi B (2024). Effect of BPC-157 on Symptoms in Patients with Interstitial Cystitis: A Pilot Study. Alternative Therapies in Health and Medicine 30:12-17. Research article PMID 39325560 ↩
  15. Lee E, Burgess K (2025). Safety of Intravenous Infusion of BPC157 in Humans: A Pilot Study. Alternative Therapies in Health and Medicine 31:20-24. Research article PMID 40131143 ↩
  16. College ter Beoordeling van Geneesmiddelen (CBG-MEB) (2026). Standpunt: Gebruik diabetes- en afslankmedicijnen alleen zoals ze bedoeld zijn. Regulator cbg-meb.nl — accessed 20 October 2026 ↩
  17. U.S. Food and Drug Administration (2026). FDA's concerns with unapproved GLP-1 drugs used for weight loss. Regulator fda.gov — accessed 20 October 2026 ↩
  18. Piatkowski T, Craven A, Cornell S, Ferris J (2026). Composition and Labelling Accuracy of Products Sold as Retatrutide in Australia. Drug and Alcohol Review 45:e70231. Research article doi:10.1111/dar.70231 ↩
  19. Bundesinstitut für Arzneimittel und Medizinprodukte (BfArM) (2024). Fälschung des Arzneimittels Ozempic® (updates 11.10.2023 – 15.02.2024). Regulator bfarm.de — accessed 20 October 2026 ↩
  20. NHS (England) (2023). Low blood sugar (hypoglycaemia). Web page nhs.uk — accessed 20 October 2026 ↩
  21. Smith RM, Schaefer MK, Kainer MA, Wise M, Finks J, et al. (2013). Fungal infections associated with contaminated methylprednisolone injections. The New England Journal of Medicine 369:1598-1609. Research article doi:10.1056/NEJMoa1213978 ↩
  22. Inspectie Gezondheidszorg en Jeugd (IGJ) (2026). Online medicijnen. Regulator igj.nl — accessed 22 October 2026 ↩
  23. Staten-Generaal / Koninkrijk der Nederlanden (2007). Geneesmiddelenwet, artikel 61 (wie UR-geneesmiddelen mag afleveren; geen aflevering zonder recept). wetten.overheid.nl (BWBR0021505), version in force from 9 September 2025. Law wetten.overheid.nl — accessed 22 October 2026 ↩
  24. Staten-Generaal / Koninkrijk der Nederlanden (2007). Geneesmiddelenwet, artikel 40 (verbod op geneesmiddelen zonder handelsvergunning, en de uitzonderingen). wetten.overheid.nl (BWBR0021505), version in force from 9 September 2025. Law wetten.overheid.nl — accessed 22 October 2026 ↩
  25. World Anti-Doping Agency (2025). The 2026 Monitoring Program. Regulator wada-ama.org — accessed 20 October 2026 ↩
  26. World Anti-Doping Agency (2025). World Anti-Doping Code International Standard: Prohibited List 2026. Regulator wada-ama.org — accessed 20 October 2026 ↩
  27. Staten-Generaal / Koninkrijk der Nederlanden (2007). Geneesmiddelenwet, artikel 1, eerste lid, onder b (definitie van geneesmiddel). wetten.overheid.nl (BWBR0021505), version in force from 9 September 2025. Law wetten.overheid.nl — accessed 22 October 2026 ↩
  28. Staten-Generaal / Koninkrijk der Nederlanden (2007). Geneesmiddelenwet, artikel 67 (geen recepten via internet voor onbekende patiënten). wetten.overheid.nl (BWBR0021505), version in force from 9 September 2025. Law wetten.overheid.nl — accessed 22 October 2026 ↩
  29. European Medicines Agency (2026). Mounjaro (tirzepatide): EPAR — overview and product information. Official product information ema.europa.eu — accessed 20 October 2026 ↩
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