Health officials and trading standards teams in Liverpool are raising alarms over a surge in illegal sales of male enhancement pills, as convenience stores increasingly turn to under-the-counter transactions to boost profits. Men are being warned that they are putting their lives at risk by purchasing potentially dangerous tablets from vendors typically associated with selling vapes.
Rising Seizures of Counterfeit Pills
In the last three years alone, authorities have seized increasing numbers of suspect blue pills and gels during raids on corner shops and vape stores. While Viagra and similar tablets are legally available without a prescription following a consultation with a qualified pharmacist, the illegal market is flourishing. Trading standards officers report that seizures of possibly counterfeit and harmful pills are on the rise.
In 2023, more than 200 packets of tablets were discovered at a premises on London Road. Additionally, 22 oral jellies and plastic bags containing the same active ingredient as Viagra were found in a back storeroom, packaged in 100mg doses—twice the strength of those available in pharmacies. During a raid in March, officials uncovered illegal goods in a blister pack at Pilch Lane News in West Derby, and another 60 tablets were hidden at the back of a shop on St Domingo Road on the same day.
Cheap Prices Driving Demand
Michael Hearty, a public protection officer within Liverpool’s Trading Standards team, explained the trend: “We’re finding them in the places we’re visiting a lot more often now. The big thing is cost. When you go to get them from the shop, they’re about £25 for four tablets. In these shops, they’re selling one or two tablets, which are double the strength, for around £1 or £2 each. We don’t know if they’re genuine or counterfeit; it’s all down to cost—they can obviously shift them.”
Hearty believes word of mouth is driving customers to these cheap deals. “Where we find illicit stuff now, these tablets are coming from abroad; you can buy them very, very cheaply.” He warned that men buying the little blue pills from vape shops instead of seeking medical advice are risking their lives. “It’s about blood pressure and things like that. These tablets aren’t suitable for everyone, and you might not be able to take them for whatever reason. It is becoming more common. There’s obviously money to be made; it’s just mushroomed.”
Black Market Boom
A large black market for products containing sildenafil, the unbranded version of Viagra, has emerged since it became commercially available in 1998. In 2017, the Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) made the pills more easily accessible to deter men from buying from unregulated websites. Erectile dysfunction items are now available without a prescription at the discretion of a qualified pharmacist. Boots sells a pack of two tablets for £11.99.
Despite these measures, nearly 20 million illegally traded erectile dysfunction pills have been seized in just five years by the MHRA’s Criminal Enforcement Unit. These medicines remain among the most frequently seized illegally traded drugs in the UK, with yearly seizures more than doubling since 2022. The illegal pills sell for significantly less than the regulated price.
Widespread Presence in Shops
Jenny Coyle, a colleague of Hearty, noted that the tablets are turning up more frequently. “They’re so readily available and cheap in places like India; I assume they’re coming in that way. We’ve never got to the bottom of why. We don’t know that much about them, but 90% of the shops we’re seizing from now have Viagra. When you ask the staff about them, they either deny all knowledge or claim they don’t work there.”
Pilch Lane News was shut down by the courts for three months in May for repeat offending. Later this month, an off-licence on Picton Road faces a crunch hearing after being accused of selling drugs, fake Labubus, and erection pills. In September 2024 and April 2025, trading standards teams found the products allegedly on sale, in breach of licensing conditions. The business will go before a panel of city councillors on June 23 to assess its suitability to hold a premises licence.
Calls for Stronger Deterrents
Cllr Malcolm Kelly, who has served on the city council’s licensing and gambling committee for decades, said more needs to be done to deter these sales. “There’s probably a hell of a lot out there we don’t see because they don’t have a premises licence. As a ward councillor, something better needs to be done to deal with these premises. They get closed down for three months, and then it starts again.”
The ECHO understands that while police support trading standards in seizing these goods, responsibility lies with the local authority rather than the force. Ian Rushton, a licensing consultant representing several businesses across Liverpool and the North West, suggested a simple reason for the increase. “There could be a little bit of ignorance on the part of traders. Businesses may not be aware of what they can and can’t sell over the counter. This is potentially one of the reasons. When they are buying goods like vapes and cigarettes, the tablets may also be made available to them to try for sale in the shop. I’ve not heard of anyone agreeing locally to them, but there’s definitely a market within the cigarettes and vapes.”
Consumer Risks and Expert Warnings
Erectile dysfunction is common, affecting around half of men aged 40 to 70, yet research suggests two in five men would avoid seeking medical advice, pushing some towards unsafe sellers. Andrew Goodacre, chief executive of the British Independent Retailers Association, expressed no surprise at the new approach. “Responsible retailers, following the rules, are facing three types of retail crime—theft, abuse, and the sale of illicit products by competitors. We know about the illegal sales of cigarettes, vapes, and alcohol. Viagra is a new one, but criminals are very good at identifying opportunities. There might be a degree of ignorance on the part of the retailer, but I think anyone selling drugs has to show a higher level of responsibility and due diligence to comply. I really also think that consumers should think twice about purchasing such drugs from non-compliant shops. There are lots of fake products on the market—the so-called fat loss drugs market is rife with fake products that do not do anything for the consumer.”
Professor Matt Ashton, Liverpool’s director of Public Health, said he was “deeply concerned” by reports of fake and potentially harmful products being sold locally. “These items are not only illegal; they pose serious risks to people’s health. Fake and unlicensed medicines may contain the wrong ingredients, incorrect doses, or dangerous contaminants, and are often sold without instructions, safeguards, or any clinical oversight. For example, legitimate treatments like Viagra are only safe when supplied through regulated routes, with appropriate checks; anything sold outside of this system should be treated with extreme caution. Similarly, cosmetic procedures carried out outside of regulated clinical settings can result in life-changing complications, infection, or permanent injury. While we understand that people may be drawn to these products because they appear cheaper or more accessible, the risks far outweigh any perceived benefit. If something seems too good to be true, it often is. We urge any residents who are concerned about unsafe or illegal products to report it.”
Liverpool residents can contact the Citizens Advice Consumer Helpline on 0808 223 1133, which handles calls on behalf of Liverpool Trading Standards. The helpline is available Monday to Friday, 9am–5pm and provides advice and support on consumer issues.
