Britain’s medicine regulators seized 3.5 million erectile dysfunction (ED) pills worth more than £10 million in 2019 – 96 per cent of them shipped from India to customers in the UK – as part of a campaign to prevent fake medicines from entering the country.
The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) said on Wednesday that the vast majority of such pills had been exported from India (96 per cent), followed by China (1.5 per cent), and other countries accounting for less than 1 per cent.
According to the MHRA, erectile problems affect up to 21% of men in the UK, which is equivalent to 4.3 million men. It added that 44% of men with ED aged 40 and over have not sought medical help and may be buying fake products online.
Urging caution while buying ordering medicines online, the MHRA said: “Fake ED drugs can lead to more than just a let-down in the bedroom. There is no way of knowing what is in them nor the negative health effects they can have”.
ED pills are available through pharmacies on a doctor’s prescription.
“Whilst it might seem appealing to skip the need for an assessment from a healthcare professional by buying medicines online, men with erectile problems may be putting their health at risk”, the regulator added.
Fake medicines may not contain any active ingredients, or worse, may contain toxic ingredients that could lead to serious health consequences, the MHRA said, noting that more than half of all medicines and medical devices bought online are fake or counterfeit.
Often illegal traders posed as legitimate suppliers, selling medications that are unlicensed for the UK market and offering tempting prices lower than the real deal, officials said. As part of the #FakeMeds campaign launched in 2016, the MHRA has cracked down on sites selling unlicensed products.
Mark Jackson, MHRA’s head of enforcement, said: “Fake ED drugs might not give you the result you want or even make you ill. Any medication bought from an unregistered website may be fake and will not meet quality and safety standards”.
The MHRA is responsible for regulating all medicines and medical devices in the UK by ensuring they work and are acceptably safe.
