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Online marketplace eBay has removed over 200 listings for unauthorised and “potentially dangerous” erectile dysfunction medicines, the MHRA announced today (April 13). 

A partnership between the website and the medicines watchdog has recently seen 215 listings taken down, said the watchdog. 

The shape of the tablets in the listings “indicated that they were not genuine medicines,”  with assessment by the MHRA’s Borderline products team confirming that the products being advertised were not authentic.

Cooperation between the two organisations has taken place “for many years,” leading to the creation of an AL algorithm that in 2025 helped identify and block over two million violations of eBay’s licensed medicine policy before the products could be offered for sale to users. 

Reminding the public that ED drugs may only be dispensed through a UK-registered pharmacy, Lynda Scammell, head of MHRA’s Borderline, said: “We can all enjoy shipping online from trusted marketplaces like eBay, but when it comes to medicines and medical devices a higher threshold of caution is needed. 

“Our work with eBay continues to remove unauthorised products from sale and prevent potential harm to public health. 

“Collaborations such as this between public agencies and private companies have a substantial role to play in tacking illegal saes of medical products and protecting the health and safety of UK citizens.”

Health minister Zubir Ahmed commented: “This is a great example of how Government and internet-based businesses can work together to disrupt websites and social media accounts illegally selling these medicines and keep the public safe. 

“Buying any medicine from illegal online suppliers significantly increases the risk of receiving falsified or unlicensed products, often with drastic consequences.  

“Doing so not only risks your own life but often provides funding for other illegal activity, so I commend the work done by MHRA and eBay to tackle this.”