Counterfeit Viagra that could pose “serious health risks” was seized from a convenience store in Toronto’s east end, Health Canada says.
The federal agency said Friday they recently discovered fake Viagra at Queen St. Variety, located at 1296 Queen St. E. in Leslieville.
“The manufacturer of Viagra has confirmed that the seized products are counterfeit,” Health Canada said in a release.
They say they seized two affected products from the store that were purported to be 100 mg sildenafil tablets with March 2025 and March 2028 expiry dates.
Health Canada says counterfeit drugs are made to look like the real products but are not at all the same. Since these drugs have not been assessed by Health Canada, they say there may not be any of the advertised drug inside, have a higher dosage than advertised, or contain dangerous contaminants or hidden ingredients.
“Like the authentic version, the counterfeit Viagra is labelled to contain the prescription drug sildenafil. Sildenafil should be used only under the supervision of a health care professional,” the federal agency says.
Anyone with heart-related problems is at an increased risk of cardiovascular aside effects, Health Canada says, and sildenafil should not be used by those prescribed a nitrate drug as it can possibly cause “life-threatening” low blood pressure.
Health Canada advises purchasing prescription drugs from a licenced pharmacy in order to ensure its authenticity, along with a prescription from a health care professional. They add that prescription drugs cannot be sold outside of these licenced establishments and advise taking these kinds of drugs under the direct care of a health care professional.
However, anyone who believes they purchased the fraudulent Viagra should “immediately stop using” the product and safely dispose of it.
