Steroids, sedatives and erectile dysfunction meds among 700,000 illegal units seized in first half of 2024

Over 700,000 illegal medicine units were seized across Ireland in the first six months of 2024, The Health Products Regulatory Authority (HPRA) has revealed.

HPRA today reported a sharp increase in the volume of illegal medicines detained in the first half of 2024, as they detained 706,881 dosage units of falsified and illegal medicines between January and June.

This is a sharp increase when compared to 551,582 units for the same period last year.

Of the 700 thousand units detained, 160,134 were steroids (23 per cent), 96,481 were analgesic medicines, 80,773 were sedative medicines and 72,555 were erectile dysfunction medicines.

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Announcing its detention figures, the HPRA cautioned the public of the serious health risks posed by prescription medicines being purchased online from unauthorised sources, stating that there is no guarantee as to the safety or quality of illegal prescription medicines purchased outside of the regulated pharmacy setting.

Gráinne Power, Director of Compliance at the HPRA, noted the significant increase in 2024 data and the apparent willingness of many people to seek access to unregulated products which may pose significant risks to their health.

She emphasized the type of units detained also give an insight into a growing tendency among some consumers to jeopardize their health for aesthetic, cosmetic and body image purposes by seeking out illegal or unapproved substances.

"It's alarming to see consumers willing to take risks by purchasing illegal medicines online and from unregulated sources and this includes products for cosmetic and body image purposes," Power said.

"One such example is the amount of illegal anabolic steroids detained. We believe young men in particular, may be sourcing anabolic steroids for body enhancement while being unaware of the serious health complications posed by these products. Anabolic steroids can cause serious physical and psychological health issues.

"The potential physical side effects alone include heart failure, liver issues, kidney damage, and infertility.

"Additionally, a notable rise is evident in detentions of Semaglutide, a prescription medication intended for specific medical purposes such as diabetes or weight management under certain conditions.

"While overall the numbers detained are small in comparison to other products, we have already in the first six months of 2024 detained almost triple the volume of illegal units of Semaglutide detained last year."

As part of its enforcement measures, the HPRA continues to monitor online activity promoting prescription medicines and other substances, and routinely intervenes to disrupt this promotion.

In the first six months of this year, 1,603 e-commerce listings and social media pages were amended or shutdown by HPRA, and one prosecution has been initiated.