The War on fake Erectile Dysfunction drugs continues as more pills are seized

The global crackdown on counterfeit drugs has continued this week after five men were arrested in South Africa on Tuesday. KwaZulu-Natal police officers confirmed the news on Wednesday and stated that the men were possessing counterfeit Viagra with an approximate value of R800,000 (about £61,830). Colonel Jay Naicker, from the KwaZulu-Natal police force, said the arrests were carried out after police had undergone thorough investigations about the sales of illegal Viagra copies such as Kamagra, Zerenga, Femalegra and Vigora. All five men were confirmed to be aged between 23 and 35 and are will be scheduled for court dates.

The men can expect heavy sentences to be handed down to them, as legal systems all over the world look to seriously clamp down on the dealings of counterfeit medicines. Back in May, Medical Specialists Pharmacy reported how Simon Hickman of Greater Manchester, was being forced to repay a staggering £14.4 million pounds made from selling unlicensed erectile dysfunction medication over the internet, and may face a possible 10 years in prison. Some of the signs to look out for when you happen to click onto an illegally ran ‘online pharmacy’ like Hickman’s, we have covered in great depth here and here.

Medical Specialists Pharmacy are not the only group who are concerned about the ever-growing number of counterfeit medicines making their way onto the internet via illegal websites and the health risks that these drugs can pose. On Tuesday, a team of Urologists spoke at a press conference in Seoul, South Korea, and further stressed just how dangerous counterfeit erectile dysfunction pills can be to the men who take them. They even claimed that 71.5% of those who are taking the illegal drugs, do not understand the potential side effects that they may incur from them.

The Urologists were from The Korean Society for Sexual Medicine and Andrology. They warned that fake impotence drugs can cause such problems like headaches, poor visibility, heart acceleration and in more extreme scenarios, arrhythmia could occur and actually endanger life. These fake pills are generally often easy to spot as they are sold incredibly cheaper than licensed medications to treat erectile dysfunction such as Pfizer’s Viagra and Eli Lily’s Cialis, and when purchased they do not require any kind of doctors consultation or prescription.

Sohn Hwan-Cheol, speaking at the conference, commented on the issue, “Counterfeits are difficult to distinguish because their colours and shapes are similar to the original drugs. Therefore, it is even harder to trace the origin of those drugs. But we believe many of them are produced in unhygienic and poor environments.” The doctors from the society have even launched a website to help men understand the differences between genuine and counterfeit erectile dysfunction drugs.