An alarming investigation by consumer watchdog Which? has exposed the illegal sale of unregulated injectable vitamins on the popular online marketplace Etsy. The findings, published on Thursday 18 December 2025, reveal a marketplace failure that is directly putting people's health at risk.
Dangerous Listings and Unprescribed 'Free Samples'
The probe uncovered numerous listings for injectable vitamin products that lacked essential nutritional and dosage information, making their use potentially hazardous. In a particularly shocking discovery, one vendor operating under the name MummyWorldTreasures was found to be including unprescribed erectile dysfunction pills as "free samples" alongside vitamin orders.
Laboratory tests confirmed these pills contained the active pharmaceutical ingredients sildenafil and tadalafil. In the UK, the sale of these prescription-only substances without the supervision of a pharmacist or a valid prescription is illegal. The unregulated sale of injectable vitamins is also against the law.
Criticism of Etsy's "Dangerous Lack of Oversight"
Which? has strongly criticised Etsy for what it describes as a "dangerous lack of oversight". The organisation noted that despite specific shops being closed and reported to both Etsy and the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA), new illegal listings quickly reappear on the platform, highlighting a systemic enforcement problem.
In response, an Etsy spokesperson stated that medical drugs and devices are prohibited on its platform and that it actively monitors for violations. Simultaneously, the MHRA confirmed it is working with online marketplaces to prevent the illegal sale of medicines.
Ongoing Risks and Regulatory Challenges
This case underscores the significant challenges regulators face in policing the vast and fast-moving world of e-commerce. Consumers seeking health and wellness products online are being exposed to serious dangers from unregulated substances and hidden prescription drugs.
The incident serves as a stark warning for UK shoppers to exercise extreme caution when purchasing any health-related products from online marketplaces that are not registered pharmacies. The presence of such items, coupled with the apparent ease with which banned listings are recreated, points to a persistent gap in consumer protection that needs urgent addressing.
