The UK Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) has released figures revealing that approximately 3.5 million unlicensed erection pills, worth more than £10 million, were seized in the UK in 2019.

The regulatory body is warning patients about counterfeit and substandard or fake medicines as it launches the next phase of its #FakeMeds campaign, focusing on fake erectile dysfunction (ED) medicines sold online.

The MHRA’s enforcement team has worked with UK Border Force to seize millions of unlicensed medicines at the border. Since the launch of the #FakeMeds campaign in 2016, the agency says it has been continuing to reduce the availability of counterfeit drugs by closing illegally operating sites selling unlicensed products.

More than half of all medicines and medical devices bought online are fake or counterfeit, highlighting the need for enforcement activity and public awareness to protect and improve the UK’s public health, says the MHRA. 

With this new phase of #FakeMeds, the agency is using the campaign to encourage patients who buy medication online to make sure they are purchasing from safe and legitimate sources. It also encourages people to report suspected fake ED drugs. 

Mark Jackson, MHRA Head of Enforcement, said: "Any medication bought from an unregistered website may be fake and will not meet quality and safety standards. We encourage people not to take a chance with fake medicines."

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