Nearly 20 million illegal erectile dysfunction pills seized

Nearly 20 million illegally traded erectile dysfunction (ED) pills have been seized in the last five years Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) has revealed.

Between 2021 and 2025 the MHRA’s Criminal Enforcement Unit seized around 19.5 million doses of ED medicines, including 4.4 million in 2025 alone, which is enough to fill two double-decker buses and the equivalent to a single dose for three in every four adult men in the UK.

Many of the pills seized were illegally sold online and contained the active ingredients sildenafil, tadalafil, vardenafil and avanafil.

Despite ED affecting around half of men aged 40 to 70, research suggests two in five men would avoid seeking medical advice, pushing some towards unsafe online sellers.

Health innovation and safety minister, Dr Zubir Ahmed, said there should be no shame in talking about ED and that criminals were taking advantage of people’s embarrassment by selling potentially dangerous fake medicines.

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‘As a doctor, my message is simple: speak to your GP or pharmacist. They can offer safe, effective treatments and confidential advice, taking into account your health and any other medicines you take. Don’t take a gamble with your health,’ he said.

ED medicines remain one of the most frequently seized illegal medicines in the UK, with annual seizures more than doubling since 2022.

Pharmacy2U has seen demand for advice and treatment for ED grow by 81% from 2024 to 2025.

Superintendent pharmacist at Pharmacy2U, Phil Day, said: ‘This is largely because they’re easier to obtain (especially online and over the country), there’s less stigma around using them, and more men are seeking treatment due to ageing, health issues and greater awareness.

‘Buying ED medications from unregulated sources poses a serious risk of receiving counterfeit or contaminated pills that could contain the wrong dosage or ingredients.’

The MHRA has warned people not to risk their health by buying unauthorised medicines online.

Unlicensed ED medicines can be especially dangerous for people with heart disease, high blood pressure, or those taking other medications, and can raise the risk of heart attack, stroke and dangerously low blood pressure.

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Chair of the National Pharmacy Association (NPA), Olivier Picard, said: 'Medication has the power to harm, as well as to heal. It's really important if anyone wants advice on medication that they only go to a regulated, trusted pharmacy.

'Pharmacists are experts in medicines and are well placed to discreetly and confidentially advise patients about the safe use of a medication as well as to offer advice on how to manage and treat a range of conditions.'

Head of the MHRA’s Crime and Enforcement Unit, Andy Morling, said: ‘Any medicine not authorised for sale in the UK can be unsafe or ineffective and there is no way of knowing what is in them or the negative health effects they can have.

‘These pills may look genuine, but many are potentially dangerous. These products may contain no active ingredient, the wrong dose, hidden drugs or toxic ingredients.’

He was pleased that the MHRA had taken so many doses of unauthorised ED medicines ‘off the streets’ and that 2025 was a record-breaking year of total seizures for the MHRA.

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‘Each and every one of those products was potentially dangerous to the public,’ he added.

People can visit the  #FakeMeds website for tools and resources to help them obtain medicines and medical devices safely online.

They can check search for registered online pharmacies on the General Pharmaceutical Council’s (GPhC) website.