Criminals exploit ‘stigma and embarrassment’ to sell fake erectile dysfunction drugs

Men have been warned against buying illegal erectile dysfunction pills online after nearly 20m pills – enough to fill two doubledecker buses – were seized in the last five years.The “stigma and embarrassment” of erectile dysfunction is being “exploited by criminals”, according to the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA).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.“I’m incredibly pleased we’ve taken almost 20m doses of unauthorised erectile dysfunction medicines off the streets, including 4.4m last year alone, in what was a record-breaking year of total seizures for the MHRA. Each and every one of those products was potentially dangerous to the public.”Erectile dysfunction is a very common condition, affecting around half of men aged 40 to 70. Research suggests two in five men would avoid seeking medical advice, with some turning to unregulated online sellers.Prof Victoria Tzortziou Brown, the chair of the Royal College of GPs, said: “We would strongly advise against patients buying any prescription medication, including treatments for erectile dysfunction, from unregulated online sources. Ultimately, they do not know what they are buying – or how it may interact with any other medication they are taking – and this can be dangerous.”Unlicensed erectile dysfunction medicines can be especially dangerous for people with heart disease or high blood pressure, or those taking other medications, and they can raise the risk of heart attack, stroke and dangerously low blood pressure.Tzortziou Brown said GPs were trained to have sensitive and confidential conversations about the subject – and did so frequently. “Erectile dysfunction can sometimes be an early warning sign of other underlying health issues, including heart disease, diabetes or high blood pressure, so in trying to address it without seeking medical advice, people risk missing these,” she said.The MHRA advises avoiding buying medicines from social media or unknown websites and to visit the #FakeMeds website for information on how to obtain medicines safely online. It is also possible to check whether online pharmacies based in Great Britain are registered on the General Pharmaceutical Council’s (GPhC) website. The advice is to speak to a GP or pharmacist about safe and effective treatment options.