Males who purchase illegally-traded erectile dysfunction (ED) capsules on-line have been warned they’re playing with their well being – after authorities confiscated greater than 4 million doses final yr.
The Medicines and Healthcare merchandise Regulatory Company (MHRA) mentioned criminals have been exploiting “stigma and embarrassment” and plenty of capsules had no energetic ingredient, the unsuitable dose, or poisonous elements.
The UK watchdog warned unlicensed capsules have been particularly harmful for males with coronary heart illness, hypertension or these taking different medicines.
Working alongside Border Power brokers, the MHRA confiscated 4.4 million doses final yr and about 19.5 million between 2021 and 2025 – sufficient to fill two double-decker buses.
Andy Morling, head of the MHRA’s prison enforcement unit, mentioned the capsules would possibly appear like real manufacturers however are “doubtlessly harmful”.
“These merchandise could include no energetic ingredient, the unsuitable dose, hidden medicine or poisonous elements,” mentioned Mr Morling.
He added: “These seizures present the sheer scale of the unlawful marketplace for erectile dysfunction medicines within the UK – and the dangers individuals are taking with out realising.”
Seizures of unlawful erectile dysfunction medicine have greater than doubled since 2022, in response to the MHRA, which is working with web companies to dam web sites and social media accounts promoting the rogue medicine.
It mentioned greater than 1,500 web sites and 1,200 social media posts illegally promoting medical merchandise had been eliminated final yr.
Mr Morling mentioned: “These seizures present the sheer scale of the unlawful marketplace for erectile dysfunction medicines within the UK – and the dangers individuals are taking with out realising.”
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Viagra (the model identify for sildenafil) grew to become out there with out a prescription within the UK in 2018, with generic variations and different ED medicine now out there over-the-counter and by way of on-line pharmacies.
The MHRA mentioned consumers ought to solely use UK-registered websites displaying an official inexperienced cross brand and {that a} checklist of registered on-line pharmacies may be discovered on the General Pharmaceutical Council’s website.
