UK authorities have seized nearly 20 million counterfeit erectile dysfunction pills since 2021, enough to fill two double-decker buses, as criminals exploit the stigma surrounding the condition, the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) has warned.
Between 2021 and 2025, the MHRA’s criminal enforcement unit, working with Border Force, intercepted about 19.5 million doses of unauthorised erectile dysfunction medicines. Many contained no active ingredient, incorrect doses, hidden drugs, or toxic ingredients, the agency said.
“Stigma and embarrassment are being exploited by criminals selling fake medicines that can seriously harm your health,” said Andy Morling, 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.”
Erectile dysfunction medicines are among the most frequently seized illegally traded medicines in the UK, with yearly seizures more than doubling since 2022. In 2025 alone, the MHRA disrupted over 1,500 websites and social media accounts and removed more than 1,200 posts selling illegal medical products.
Prof Victoria Tzortziou Brown, chair of the Royal College of GPs, advised against buying prescription medication from unregulated online sources, warning that unlicensed erectile dysfunction medicines can be especially dangerous for people with heart disease or high blood pressure, raising the risk of heart attack, stroke, and dangerously low blood pressure.
The MHRA advises buying medicines only from registered pharmacies and speaking to a GP or pharmacist about safe treatment options. It also recommends checking the General Pharmaceutical Council’s website for registered online pharmacies.
