900+ Illegal Erectile Dysfunction Pills Seized In Philadelphia

Philadelphia PA

28 April, 2022

10:48 AM

Description

PHILADELPHIA — Numerous erectile dysfunction pills and liquid medications were seized by U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers this weekend at the Philadelphia International Airport, according to officials. Officials said they found 912 pills of 100 milligram strength tablets and 71 vials of 15 ml liquid all labeled as sildenafil citrate in the baggage of a United States man who flew into the Philadelphia International Airport from Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic Sunday. Sildenafil citrate is the generic name for Viagra, a popular erectile dysfunction medicine. Officers initially detected the pills while conducting a planeside inspection of baggage being offloaded from the flight. After finding the pills, they notified other officers in at a federal inspection station, who waited for the man to get his baggage and then conducted a thorough secondary baggage examination. The FDA prohibits the import of generic versions of FDA-approved drugs from foreign countries. According to the FDA, consumers get no assurances that the foreign-made versions of FDA-approved drugs have been properly manufactured, are safe and effective, and are the same formulation as the FDA-approved versions available in U.S. pharmacies. Sildenafil citrate requires a prescription. The traveler admitted to not possessing a prescription, and CBP officers seized the medicines before they released the traveler. "Consumers may think that they are getting deeply discounted pharmaceuticals from other countries, but medications that are not approved by the FDA may be an inferior product with unregulated ingredients and pose potentially serious health and safety consequences to consumers," said Joseph Martella, CBP's Area Port Director for the Area Port of Philadelphia. "CBP strongly encourages all travelers to know what they can and cannot bring with them to the United States by visiting our Travel website during your trip planning."