The question "is HGH legal in the UK" covers three points: whether having it is a crime, whether it can be bought or posted, and whether a doctor can prescribe it. Two bodies of law answer them. Medicines law makes somatropin, the medicine usually meant by "HGH", prescription-only. Drugs law makes it a Class C controlled drug, with exceptions of its own. Sources were checked in September 2026.
The short answer
Somatropin is legal in the UK when prescribed by an appropriate practitioner, such as a doctor, and dispensed for that patient. Outside that route:
- Selling or supplying it other than in accordance with a prescription is an offence under the Human Medicines Regulations 2012, subject to specific exemptions in those Regulations.
- As a Class C drug under the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971, supplying it unlawfully or possessing it with intent to supply carries up to 14 years' imprisonment on indictment.
- In England, Wales and Scotland, possession alone is not an offence under the 1971 Act, and import offences are excluded only for importation in person, for administration to that person.
- WADA prohibits growth hormone in sport at all times.
What "HGH" means in UK law
HGH is human growth hormone, a peptide hormone released by the pituitary gland. Somatropin is the medicine: recombinant human growth hormone, given by injection.
The Class C list in the 1971 Act does not use the term HGH. Paragraph 1(e) of Part III of Schedule 2 names somatotropin, somatrem and somatropin, alongside chorionic gonadotrophin (HCG), non-human chorionic gonadotrophin, clenbuterol, zeranol and zilpaterol. Paragraphs 1(b) to 1(e), covering the anabolic steroids and somatropin's group, were added from 1 September 1996 by the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971 (Modification) Order 1996; zeranol and zilpaterol followed in December 2009. Paragraphs 2 to 4 extend control to stereoisomers, salts and any preparation or product containing a listed substance.
Medicines law: why somatropin is prescription-only
Under regulation 5 of the Human Medicines Regulations 2012 and Part 1 of Schedule 1, a product for parenteral administration, such as an injection, is available only on prescription. So is a product that is a controlled drug under the 1971 Act, unless its UK marketing authorisation classes it as a pharmacy or general sale medicine. Somatropin is both.
Regulation 214(1) provides that a prescription-only medicine may not be sold or supplied except in accordance with a prescription given by an appropriate practitioner, such as a doctor. The rule is subject to the exemptions in Chapter 3 of Part 12, for example a doctor supplying their own patient. Regulation 214(2) bars parenterally administering a prescription-only medicine to another person except by, or on the directions of, an appropriate practitioner. Under regulation 255, breaching either rule, or possessing such a medicine intending to supply it without a prescription, is an offence carrying up to two years' imprisonment, a fine or both on indictment.
Regulation 46 also bars selling, supplying or offering to supply an unauthorised medicinal product, one with no UK marketing authorisation or equivalent, subject to the Part 10 exceptions.
Drugs law: Class C, with Schedule 4 Part II exceptions
The 1971 Act prohibits importing or exporting a controlled drug (section 3), producing or supplying it (section 4) and possessing it (section 5), subject to regulations. Somatropin's exceptions come from its listing in paragraph 4 of Part II of Schedule 4 to the Misuse of Drugs Regulations 2001. Northern Ireland has its own Misuse of Drugs Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2002, which the 2012 amendments described below did not cover, so its text should be checked separately.
Possession
Regulation 4(3)(a) disapplies section 5(1), the ban on possession, for any drug specified in Part II of Schedule 4, so possession alone is not an offence under the 1971 Act. Section 5(3) still applies: it is an offence to have a controlled drug in one's possession, "whether lawfully or not", with intent to supply it to another.
Supply and production
Regulation 4 gives Part II drugs no exception from section 4. Producing somatropin, supplying it or offering to supply it is therefore an offence under section 4(2) or 4(3) unless the 2001 Regulations authorise it.
Importing and exporting
Regulation 4(2) excludes the import and export offences, including the related customs offences under the Customs and Excise Management Act 1979 (CEMA), only where the importation or exportation "is carried out in person for administration to that person". A parcel sent by post, courier or freight service, or a drug brought in for someone else, falls outside the exception, so the section 3 prohibition and the related customs offences apply unless the import is made under a licence issued by the Secretary of State (section 3(2)(b)).
Why older guidance says something different
Before 23 April 2012, both exceptions applied only to a Part II drug "contained in a medicinal product", and the import exception covered importation "by any person for administration to himself", with no in-person requirement. The Misuse of Drugs (Amendment No.2) (England, Wales and Scotland) Regulations 2012 changed both points, so older pages can be wrong.
Offences and maximum penalties at a glance
| Activity | Provision | Position |
|---|---|---|
| Selling or supplying without a prescription | HMR regs. 214(1) and 255; MDA s. 4(3) | Offence: up to 2 years (HMR), up to 14 years (MDA) |
| Possessing with intent to supply | MDA s. 5(3); HMR reg. 255(4) | Offence: up to 14 years (MDA), up to 2 years (HMR) |
| Possession alone | MDR reg. 4(3)(a) | No offence under the 1971 Act |
| Importing in person, for administration to that person | MDR reg. 4(2) | Import offences excluded |
| Importing by post, courier or freight | MDA s. 3; CEMA 1979 | Outside the exception; prohibited unless licensed |
| Injecting another person | HMR regs. 214(2) and 255 | Offence unless by, or on the directions of, an appropriate practitioner |
HMR: Human Medicines Regulations 2012. MDA: Misuse of Drugs Act 1971. MDR: Misuse of Drugs Regulations 2001 (England, Wales and Scotland). CEMA: Customs and Excise Management Act 1979. Penalties are maximums on indictment, with or instead of a fine.
Is it legal to buy HGH online in the UK?
For an individual, the lawful route is a prescription from an appropriate practitioner. A website supplying somatropin without one breaches regulation 214(1) and, unless authorised under the 2001 Regulations, commits an offence under section 4(3) of the 1971 Act. A parcel posted from abroad also falls outside the in-person import exception.
Quality is a further problem. Researchers at the University of Pécs, Hungary, examined websites promoting somatropin for sale direct to patients between June and August 2014 (Vida 2017). Of 17 vendor sites, 94% did not require a valid prescription and none displayed a regulatory body logo. All samples obtained online contained significantly less somatropin than labelled, and the authors concluded that unprofessional distribution and handling was likely to cause degradation.
When somatropin is prescribed
Two NICE technology appraisals set out when somatropin is recommended. Both have been reviewed without change to their recommendations, TA188 in 2022 and TA64 in 2014.
Children: NICE TA188
TA188 (2010) recommends somatropin as a treatment option for children with growth failure associated with growth hormone deficiency, Turner syndrome, Prader-Willi syndrome, chronic renal insufficiency, SHOX deficiency, or being born small for gestational age with growth failure at 4 years or later. A paediatrician with specialist expertise starts and monitors treatment, which should stop if, for example, growth velocity increases by less than 50% from baseline in the first year.
Adults: NICE TA64
TA64 (2003) recommends somatropin for adults with growth hormone deficiency only if all three criteria are met: severe deficiency, defined as a peak GH response below 9 mU/litre (3 ng/ml) in an insulin tolerance test or a cross-validated equivalent; a score of at least 11 on the QoL-AGHDA questionnaire; and treatment already in place for any other pituitary hormone deficiencies. Separate provisions cover deficiency that develops in early adulthood. A consultant endocrinologist with a special interest in growth hormone disorders starts treatment, which should stop if the score has improved by less than 7 points at nine months.
Both appraisals recommend somatropin only for the conditions they list; neither covers sport, ageing or body composition in healthy people. Anyone concerned about growth or pituitary function should see a GP.
Health risks recorded in research
Two systematic reviews of randomised trials cover growth hormone in healthy adults. In older people (220 GH recipients who completed their trials, mean age 69), those given GH were significantly more likely to have soft tissue oedema, joint pain, carpal tunnel syndrome and gynaecomastia, and somewhat more likely to develop diabetes or impaired fasting glucose. Fat mass fell and lean mass rose by about 2 kg each, weight did not change significantly and bone density did not change. Most trials were small, and the reviewers concluded that GH could not be recommended as an anti-ageing therapy (Liu 2007).
In young, fit adults (303 participants given GH), lean body mass rose by about 2 kg but strength and exercise capacity did not seem to improve, and soft tissue oedema and fatigue were more frequent. The reviewers concluded that claims that GH enhances physical performance are not supported and that it may worsen exercise capacity, although few studies measured performance (Liu 2008).
Somatropin in sport: the WADA position
The 2026 WADA Prohibited List bans growth hormone, its analogues and its fragments, such as AOD-9604 and hGH 176-191, at all times under class S2.2.3, and growth hormone releasing factors, including secretagogues, under S2.2.4. A prescription does not change that; an athlete with a medical need can apply for a Therapeutic Use Exemption. A new list takes effect each 1 January, so the current version should be checked.
"HGH peptides", MK-677 and ipamorelin: a different legal category
Searches such as "HGH UK peptides" often confuse somatropin with compounds that stimulate the release of growth hormone. MK-677 (ibutamoren, C27H36N4O5S) is a small synthetic molecule that Merck researchers described in 1995 as a growth hormone secretagogue (Patchett 1995). Ipamorelin (C38H49N9O5) is a synthetic five-amino-acid peptide that Novo Nordisk researchers described in 1998 as a selective growth hormone secretagogue (Raun 1998). Neither is growth hormone, and their legal position compares with somatropin's as follows:
| Legal point | Somatropin | MK-677 and ipamorelin |
|---|---|---|
| Misuse of Drugs Act 1971 | Class C controlled drug | Not named in Schedule 2 to the Act or Schedule 4 to the 2001 Regulations; not controlled drugs |
| Human Medicines Regulations 2012 | Prescription-only medicine | Not licensed medicines, so not to be sold or supplied as medicines |
| WADA 2026 list | Prohibited at all times (S2.2.3) | Prohibited at all times (S2.2.4), listed alongside ghrelin as secretagogues |
Neither compound is a food supplement. Free Muscle sells both only for laboratory research, to adults aged 18 or over, and not for human use. Neither is a substitute or alternative for somatropin or any prescribed treatment. The pharmacology is compared in MK-677 vs ipamorelin vs HGH, and the MK-677 legal status page covers that compound.
Common questions
Is it illegal to have HGH in the UK?
Possession alone is not an offence under the 1971 Act in England, Wales or Scotland, because regulation 4(3)(a) of the Misuse of Drugs Regulations 2001 disapplies the section 5(1) ban on possession for somatropin and other Part II drugs. Possession with intent to supply remains an offence carrying up to 14 years. Northern Ireland has separate regulations.
Can HGH be sent to the UK by post?
Not within the exception that applies in England, Wales and Scotland, which covers only importation "carried out in person for administration to that person" (regulation 4(2) of the 2001 Regulations). A posted or couriered parcel is not carried in person, so the section 3 prohibition and related customs offences apply unless a Secretary of State licence covers the import.
What is the penalty for selling HGH in the UK?
Supplying or offering to supply a Class C drug, or possessing one with intent to supply, carries up to 14 years' imprisonment, a fine or both on indictment under Schedule 4 to the 1971 Act. Selling a prescription-only medicine without a prescription is a separate offence under regulation 255 of the 2012 Regulations, with up to two years, a fine or both.
Is HGH a steroid?
No. Somatropin is a peptide hormone, while anabolic steroids are manufactured medicines that copy the effects of male hormones such as testosterone. Both were added to Class C by the same 1996 order and both sit in Part II of Schedule 4 to the 2001 Regulations, so they share the same possession and import rules.
Can a private doctor prescribe somatropin?
Regulation 214 of the Human Medicines Regulations 2012 requires a prescription from an appropriate practitioner, such as a doctor, and does not distinguish NHS from private prescriptions. NICE recommends that a specialist starts treatment: a paediatrician with expertise in growth hormone disorders for children, and a consultant endocrinologist with a special interest in growth hormone disorders for adults.
How much does HGH cost in the UK?
We do not publish prices or buying guidance for somatropin. Licensed somatropin injections are prescription-only medicines, and for children NICE advises that, where more than one product is suitable after discussion between the clinician and the family, the least costly should be chosen. Anyone who thinks they may need growth hormone treatment should speak to a GP.
Related reading
- MK-677 vs ipamorelin vs HGH compared
- Is MK-677 legal in the UK?
- MK-677 research collection
- Lab tests and certificates of analysis
General information on UK law, not legal, medical or dosing advice. Anyone with a medical concern about growth hormone should see a doctor. MK-677 and ipamorelin are sold for laboratory research use only, to adults aged 18 or over. They have not been evaluated by the MHRA, EMA or FDA and are not for human consumption.
References
- Misuse of Drugs Act 1971 (c. 38), sections 3, 4 and 5; Schedule 2, Part III, paragraphs 1(e) and 2 to 4; Schedule 4. Revised text, legislation.gov.uk: https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/1971/38 (accessed 27 September 2026). Misuse of Drugs Act 1971 (Modification) Order 1996 (SI 1996/1300).
- The Misuse of Drugs Regulations 2001 (SI 2001/3998), regulation 4 (as amended by the Misuse of Drugs (Amendment No.2) (England, Wales and Scotland) Regulations 2012, SI 2012/973) and Schedule 4, Part II. Revised and as-made texts, legislation.gov.uk: https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2001/3998 (accessed 27 September 2026).
- The Misuse of Drugs Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2002 (SR 2002/1), regulation 4 and Schedule 4, Part II. legislation.gov.uk: https://www.legislation.gov.uk/nisr/2002/1 (accessed 27 September 2026).
- The Human Medicines Regulations 2012 (SI 2012/1916), regulations 5, 46, 214 and 255 and Schedule 1, Part 1. Revised text, legislation.gov.uk: https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2012/1916 (accessed 27 September 2026).
- National Institute for Health and Care Excellence. Human growth hormone (somatropin) for the treatment of growth failure in children. Technology appraisal guidance TA188. Published 26 May 2010. https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/ta188 (accessed 27 September 2026).
- National Institute for Health and Care Excellence. Human growth hormone (somatropin) in adults with growth hormone deficiency. Technology appraisal guidance TA64. Published 27 August 2003. https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/ta64 (accessed 27 September 2026).
- World Anti-Doping Agency. The 2026 Prohibited List, section S2 (S2.2.3 and S2.2.4). https://www.wada-ama.org/en/prohibited-list (accessed 27 September 2026).
- NHS. Anabolic steroid misuse. Page last reviewed 16 January 2026. https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/anabolic-steroid-misuse/ (accessed 27 September 2026).
- NHS. Restricted growth (dwarfism). Page last reviewed 12 March 2025. https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/restricted-growth/ (accessed 27 September 2026).
- Liu H, Bravata DM, Olkin I, et al. Systematic review: the safety and efficacy of growth hormone in the healthy elderly. Ann Intern Med. 2007;146(2):104-115. PMID: 17227934.
- Liu H, Bravata DM, Olkin I, et al. Systematic review: the effects of growth hormone on athletic performance. Ann Intern Med. 2008;148(10):747-758. PMID: 18347346.
- Vida RG, Fittler A, Mikulka I, et al. Availability and quality of illegitimate somatropin products obtained from the Internet. Int J Clin Pharm. 2017;39(1):78-87. PMID: 27888454.
- Patchett AA, Nargund RP, Tata JR, et al. Design and biological activities of L-163,191 (MK-0677): a potent, orally active growth hormone secretagogue. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 1995;92(15):7001-7005. PMID: 7624358.
- Raun K, Hansen BS, Johansen NL, et al. Ipamorelin, the first selective growth hormone secretagogue. Eur J Endocrinol. 1998;139(5):552-561. PMID: 9849822.