Illegal injectable vitamins sold on Etsy ‘putting people’s health at risk’

Some did not contain any of the legally required nutritional information

An investigation has uncovered the illegal sale of injectable vitamins on Etsy, with one vendor reportedly surprising buyers by including loose erectile dysfunction pills in their parcels.

The consumer choice organisation Which? revealed that numerous listings featured generic, AI-generated packaging, bearing product names such as "Vitamin C 10 x 5ml" or "Multivitamin infusion 10 x 10ml".

Crucially, many of these products lacked essential legal nutritional information, including an ingredients list, the quantity of active ingredients, and vital dosage warnings.

Which? staff purchased four products from two different sellers and noted that Etsy, an e-commerce platform known for handmade and vintage items, failed to intervene in these transactions.

Both shops have since been closed down. Which? confirmed it has reported the sellers to both Etsy and the Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency (MHRA).

Sue Davies, head of consumer policy at Which?, said: “The dangerous lack of oversight on Etsy is putting people’s health at risk and allowing injectable vitamins to be sold illegally.

“Buying these items is risky as they could be counterfeit or even if they are genuine, shouldn’t be used without medical oversight.

“The Government and regulators need to crack down on these illegal listings and ensure that any sellers who break the law are properly held to account so they cannot continue to put people’s health at risk.”

Which? staff ordered four products from two sellers and said Etsy – an e-commerce company specialising in handmade and vintage goods – did not intervene in the purchases (Associated Press)

Investigators bought injectable vitamin C, vitamin D3 and multivitamins from seller MummyWorldTreasures in October 2025.

Vials of the latter two solutions arrived in boxes that said “not to be sold by retail without the prescription of a Registered Medical Practitioner”, they reported.

The vitamin C bottles said the dosage should be set by a physician, according to Which?.

Three loose, unnamed pills also came with the MummyWorldTreasures order, as well as a note saying it also sells “100mg ‘Blue’ Tablet – Famous diamond-shaped” and “80mg Yellow Tablet – Slim, elongated oval”, Which? added.

When asked what the received pills are, MummyWorldTreasures responded: “Free sample of Men’s enhancement supplement to help with blood flow and stamina. Sorry I didn’t realise it was addressed to a female. Apologies.”

Lab tests revealed both pills contained an active ingredient use in erectile dysfunction medications: the blue had sildenafil and the yellow included tadalafil.

It is illegal to sell either substance without a prescription or a pharmacist’s supervision.

The multivitamin box had also leaked, Which? said, meaning the contents of at least one vial had been exposed to air and contaminants.

It is illegal to sell either substance without a prescription or a pharmacist’s supervision (Getty/iStock)

It added: “The packaging said the products came from India and Spain, which means they are not authorised for sale in the UK.

“Either these items are real and illegally imported and sold, or, like some other items Which? has previously found on online marketplaces, they are counterfeit and therefore illegal to sell.”

The team also ordered vials labelled as vitamin B12 from seller LuminaSkin.

They arrived in a box with only Spanish instructions, including a prescription drug warning in bold capitals that said: “MEDICAMENTO SUJETO A PRESCRIPCION MEDICA”.

Many UK buyers would not be able to translate the phrase, Which? said.

However, investigators found injectable vitamin B12 listings have since appeared on the shopping site.

It added: “This shows just how easily these listings are slipping through the net online. Even when they are caught and removed, another listing pops up in its place just days later.

“It is extremely worrying that sellers are not being stopped from selling products that are clearly illegal.”

A spokesperson for Etsy said: “Medical drugs, medical devices, and any other items that claim to treat, prevent, mitigate, cure or diagnose a disease or medical condition are prohibited on Etsy.

“The listings flagged by Which? are no longer available on our marketplace, and our team is actively monitoring for any injectable supplements that violate this policy.”

Meanwhile an MHRA spokesperson said: “The MHRA continues to work closely with major online marketplaces to prevent illegal medicines being offered for sale, and we welcome any action taken to remove unlawful online listings.”

MummyWorldTreasures did not respond to Which?’s request for comment and the company said it could not contact LuminaSkin because the store has been closed.