In the past five years, UK regulators have confiscated nearly 20 million fake Viagra pills, prompting health officials to advise caution against purchasing these well-known blue pills from online sources.

The sheer volume of intercepted tablets could provide a single dose to roughly 75% of the male population in the UK, and is substantial enough to fill two double-decker buses.

Many of these seized pills were illicitly sold over the internet and were found to either lack any active ingredients, contain incorrect dosages, or, in some cases, include dangerous hidden substances and toxic components.

According to data from the UK’s Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency (MHRA), 19.5 million doses of erectile dysfunction drugs have been confiscated between 2021 and 2025.

In 2025 alone, over 4 million of these counterfeit drugs were seized, with the MHRA collaborating closely with Border Force to intercept shipments and dismantle criminal networks involved in this illegal trade.

Erectile dysfunction medications are among the most commonly seized illicit drugs in the UK, with seizure rates more than doubling since 2022.

Andy Morling, the MHRA’s head of enforcement, said: ‘Stigma and embarrassment are being exploited by criminals selling fake medicines that can seriously harm your health. 

‘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. 

Nearly 20 million illegally traded erectile dysfunction pills were seized in just five years, new figures show 

‘Any medicine not authorised for sale in the UK can be unsafe and ineffective and there is no way of knowing what is in them or the negative health effects they can have. ‘

He added: ‘These pills may look genuine, but many are potentially dangerous.’ 

Sildenafil, sold under the brand name Viagra, is used to treat erection problems and works by temporarily increasing blood flow to the penis.

For it to work, a man must be sexually aroused. 

Drugs stocked in pharmacies in the UK must undergo strict quality control to ensure they are as safe as possible for people to use. 

While all erectile dysfunction medications carry potential side effects – including headache, nausea, indigestion and dizziness – drugs from unreliable sources may either be ineffective or contain toxins like heavy metals or other drugs that could be dangerous. 

Another reason to avoid buying these pills online is that the drug itself can be dangerous when taken incorrectly. 

According to the NHS, sildenafil may not be suitable for men taking medications for chest pain, who have a serious heart or liver problem or have low blood pressure. 

This map shows the areas where people were most and least likely to be prescribed sildenafil the key ingredient in the erectile dysfunction drug Viagra on the NHS

Reputable pharmacists will ask men interested in taking medications like Viagra a few questions about their health for this reason. 

More serious side effects requiring urgent medical attention are estimated to affect less than one in 1,000 men. 

These include seizures, sufferings a prolonged and potentially painful erection for over two hours, chest pain, and in very rare cases, a life-threatening allergic reaction to the medication called anaphylaxis. 

Erectile dysfunction is thought to affect around 4.3million men in the UK, including half of all men aged 40 to 70. One in 10 will experience erectile dysfunction at some point in their lifetime.

Despite this, research suggests two in five men would avoid seeking medical advice, pushing some towards unsafe online sellers.  

The MHRA warns: ‘If you buy erectile dysfunction medicines from unregulated websites, social media or messaging apps, you are gambling with tour health.’ 

It added that anyone concerned about suspicious medicines or websites can report them through the Yellow Card scheme.