Men are being warned against buying illegal erectile dysfunction pills online – almost 20 meters of pills – enough to fill two double-decker buses in the past five years.
According to the Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency (MHRA), the “stigma and embarrassment” of erectile dysfunction is being “exploited by criminals”.
Between 2021 and 2025, the MHRA’s Criminal Enforcement Unit, working closely with the Border Force to intercept shipments, seized 19.5 million doses of erectile dysfunction drugs, equivalent to a single dose for three out of every four adult men in the UK. The MHRA said most of the seized pills were missing the active ingredient, wrong dosage, hidden drugs or toxic substances.
Erectile dysfunction drugs are one of the most frequently seized illegally traded drugs in the UK, with annual seizures doubling from 2022.
“Criminals are taking advantage of the stigma and embarrassment of selling fake medicines that can seriously harm your health,” said Andy Morling, head of the MHRA’s criminal enforcement division. “These seizures show the sheer scale of the illegal market for erectile dysfunction drugs in the UK – and people are taking risks without realizing it.”
The MHRA’s Criminal Enforcement Unit said it has stepped up action against online sellers, along with major seizures. Working with internet service providers, the regulator said it had disrupted more than 1,500 websites and social media accounts and removed more than 1,200 social media posts in 2025 that were illegally selling medical products to the public.
“Any medicine that is not authorized to be sold in the UK may be unsafe or ineffective and there is no way of knowing what is in it or what adverse health effects it may have,” says Morling. “These pills may seem genuine but are very dangerous.
“I am very happy that we have taken nearly 20 million illegal erectile dysfunction drugs off the streets, including 4.4m last year alone. A record-breaking year for total seizures For the MHRA. Each of those products is dangerous to people.
Erectile dysfunction is a very common condition that affects about half of men between the ages of 40 and 70. Research suggests that two out of five men do this. Avoid seeking medical advicesome resorted to unregulated online sellers.
Professor Victoria Tjortzio Brown, chair of the Royal College of GPs, said: “We strongly advise against patients buying any prescription medicines, including erectile dysfunction treatments, from unregulated online sources. Ultimately, they do not know what they are buying – and how they may interact with other medicines.”
Unlicensed erectile dysfunction drugs are especially dangerous for people with heart disease or high blood pressure, or those taking other medications, and they can increase the risk of heart attack, stroke and dangerously low blood pressure.
Tzortziou Brown says GPs are trained to have sensitive and confidential conversations about the matter – and often do. “Erectile dysfunction can sometimes be an early warning sign of other underlying health problems, including heart disease, diabetes or high blood pressure, so when trying to fix it without seeking medical advice, people risk missing these,” she said.
The MHRA advises against visiting and buying medicines from social media or unknown websites #Counterfeit medicines Website for information on how to get medications safely online. It is also possible to check whether online pharmacies in Great Britain are registered with the General Pharmaceutical Council (GPhC). Website. It is advisable to speak to a GP or pharmacist about safe and effective treatment options.
