"Between 2021 and 2025, the MHRA's criminal enforcement unit, working closely with Border Force to intercept shipments, seized about 19.5m doses of erectile dysfunction medicines, equivalent to a single dose for three in every four adult men in the UK. Many of the pills seized contained no active ingredient, the wrong dose, hidden drugs or toxic ingredients, the MHRA said."
"Erectile dysfunction medicines remain one of the most frequently seized illegally traded medicines in the UK, with yearly seizures more than doubling since 2022. Stigma and embarrassment are being exploited by criminals selling fake medicines that can seriously harm your health, said Andy Morling, the head of the MHRA's criminal enforcement unit. These seizures show the sheer scale of the illegal market for erectile dysfunction medicines in the UK and the risks people are taking without realising."
"Alongside major seizures, the MHRA's criminal enforcement unit said it had stepped up action against online sellers. Working with internet service providers, the regulator said it disrupted more than 1,500 websites and social media accounts illegally selling medical products to the public in 2025 and removed more than 1,200 social media posts. Any medicine not authorised for sale in the UK can be unsafe or ineffective and there is no way of knowing what is in them or the negative health effects they can have, Morling said. These pills may look genuine but many are potentially dangerous."
About 19.5 million doses of erectile dysfunction medicines were seized between 2021 and 2025, roughly enough for a single dose for three in every four adult men in the UK. Many seized pills contained no active ingredient, incorrect doses, concealed drugs or toxic substances. Yearly seizures have more than doubled since 2022, making erectile dysfunction medicines one of the most frequently illegally traded medicines in the UK. Criminals exploit stigma and embarrassment to sell fake medicines that can seriously harm health. The regulator disrupted over 1,500 websites and social media accounts and removed over 1,200 posts in 2025. Unauthorised medicines can be unsafe or ineffective and carry unknown health risks.
Read at www.theguardian.com
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