Fake Viagra seized at Toronto convenience store, Health Canada issues warning
Health Canada has seized counterfeit Viagra tablets from a convenience store in Toronto's east end and is warning the public not to use them.
The seized products were labelled as 100 mg sildenafil tablets, with 'Viagra' and 'Pfizer', the original maker of the drug, listed on the packaging. The product is listed with expiry dates of March 2025 and March 2028.
Get daily National news
Get the day's top news, political, economic, and current affairs headlines, delivered to your inbox once a day. Sign up for daily National newsletter Sign Up
By providing your email address, you have read and agree to Global News' Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy
Health Canada warns that these counterfeit medications may look identical to legitimate products but are not tested for safety, effectiveness, or quality.
They may contain no active ingredient, too much of it, or harmful contaminants and ingredients that can cause adverse effects and be life-threatening.
Sildenafil, the active ingredient in Viagra, is a prescription drug used to treat erectile dysfunction. It can cause serious side effects, particularly in people with heart conditions or those taking nitrate medications.
Story continues below advertisement
Health Canada warns of risks including dangerously low blood pressure, heart attack, stroke, abnormal heartbeat, and loss of vision or hearing.
Anyone who purchased Viagra pills from 1296 Queen St. East is advised to see a doctor, the statement said.
Only licensed pharmacies are authorized to sell prescription medications in Canada. Buying drugs from unlicensed sellers can lead to serious health consequences and is illegal.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Global News
2 hours ago
- Global News
Doctors at Kelowna hospital accuse Interior Health of misleading the public
The calls to solve the doctor shortage crisis at Kelowna General Hospital (KGH) are growing and getting louder by the day. 'There is hurt and there's anger that it took so long and it took a crisis of this level,' said Dr. Alysha MacKenzie-Feder, a Kelowna, B.C., pediatrician who resigned from the hospital in 2024. A group of more than a dozen pediatricians issued a public statement Monday, stating, 'We are reaching out publicly to correct misinformation that has been circulating about the crisis.' According to the group, there are only four pediatricians and one newborn specialist working at KGH, adding at baseline there should be 12. The pediatricians have been unsuccessfully pleading with IH for their concerns to be addressed for years, saying they 'foresaw' the pediatric ward shutdown and tried to prevent it. Story continues below advertisement 'These are not new problems and that we've been raising our voices for many years about the systemic issues here at KGH and how they've been impacting staff and safety,' MacKenzie we wanted to make sure that that was heard and understood that this crisis really was predictable.' According to the group, seven pediatricians left the hospital in 2023 with many of them still working in the clinical setting in Kelowna. The pediatricians accuse Interior Health (IH) of misleading the public by blaming the crisis on a nationwide shortage of physicians. They say the crisis is the result of leadership mismanagement that has led to a severely and chronically under-resourced pediatric program. Get breaking National news For news impacting Canada and around the world, sign up for breaking news alerts delivered directly to you when they happen. Sign up for breaking National newsletter Sign Up By providing your email address, you have read and agree to Global News' Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy 'What we need is a program with adequate pediatric services that physicians want to come to and that will stay in, and that requires the right amount of support and the right working environment and culture,' MacKenzie-Feder told Global News. 'Things like leadership that provides transparency and communication and that listens to the people on the ground, that hears the changes that they require.' 2:10 Interior Health CEO speaks out on pediatric unit closure at KGH A group of nearly a dozen obstetricians has also sent a letter to media amplifying the concerns. Story continues below advertisement The letter states , 'Our community is facing a deepening crisis in obstetrical care, the direct result of more than 15 years of neglect by the Interior Health Authority.' The letter goes on to say, 'Despite a rapidly growing population, IHA has consistently failed to prioritize, support, or invest in maternity, obstetrical, and neonatal services.' The group points to the Central Okanagan Maternity Clinic (COMC) as an example. IH opened the clinic at KGH in December 2023 to address inadequate maternity care services, but the doctors say it's no longer accepting patients due to a shortage of obstetricians. The clinic was being operated by doctors who already have their own practices and other hospital responsibilities with the idea that the health authority would recruit more physicians to staff it. The letter states, however, 'IHA failed to put in the necessary effort to recruit new staff.' It goes on to say, 'The consequences are serious and growing: our community's access to safe, comprehensive maternity and neonatal care is now in jeopardy.' Conservative MLA for Kelowna-Mission Gavin Dew said Tuesday a health care reset is needed, one he believes has to start with rebuilding the public's trust. 'What we're seeing right now is a critical communications plan, not an actual response,' Dew said. 'It appears as though the Minister of Health, Interior Health are all trying to save face and pretend that they've been on top of the situation when they've been asleep at the switch. We need to start with some honesty.' Story continues below advertisement In an email to Global News Tuesday, IH stated, 'We acknowledge the seriousness of the situation and are committed to acting with transparency, urgency, and accountability.' The statement went on to say , 'Interior Health takes the concerns expressed by pediatricians and maternity care providers seriously. We are meeting regularly with KGH physicians through daily calls and weekly meetings to listen, provide transparent updates, and work collaboratively on both immediate and long-term solutions.' IH added that it has successfully recruited three new pediatricians with one starting this summer.
Vancouver Sun
3 hours ago
- Vancouver Sun
Opinion: Living with multiple sclerosis is difficult. Living in B.C. makes it harder
I was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis in September 2024. MS is a chronic, progressive disease of the central nervous system that can affect your vision, balance, cognition, and mobility. My diagnosis was a gut-punch — after years of hard work building my filmmaking career, my future was suddenly in jeopardy. The diagnosis took a predictably emotional toll on my family and me. Plans we had made for the future were now question marks. Through the support of my family and friends, plus lots of therapy, I've accepted my diagnosis for what it is — a totally unexpected development in my life. MS is unpredictable and deeply personal — no two people experience it the same way. But while MS is unpredictable, access to treatment shouldn't be. Yet in B.C., it is. A daily roundup of Opinion pieces from the Sun and beyond. By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. A welcome email is on its way. If you don't see it, please check your junk folder. The next issue of Informed Opinion will soon be in your inbox. Please try again Interested in more newsletters? Browse here. B.C. is the only province in Canada that does not provide public coverage for Health Canada-approved, anti-CD20 therapies for relapsing MS — ofatumumab and ocrelizumab. These treatments reduce relapses, delay progression, and improve long-term health outcomes. Unless you have special private insurance or happen to be employed by the provincial government (which covers these drugs under its internal employee drug plan), the out-of-pocket costs of these drugs are prohibitive for people such as me. When I was diagnosed with MS, my neurologist explained that ofatumumab was the most appropriate therapy for me — not only because of its strong results, but because some of the other treatments could worsen my Type-1 diabetes and related complications such as diabetic retinopathy. But because PharmaCare does not cover ofatumumab, I'm instead being offered alternative drugs that are less effective, and that will worsen my diabetes control. Thankfully, I was able to access ofatumumab through a six-month bridge program offered by the manufacturer, and I began treatment this past January. I'm happy to report that I've tolerated the drug extremely well. It's exactly what I need to manage my MS and keep living a normal, productive and full life. But the bridge program ends in a matter of days. I'm facing the very real possibility of having to switch to a higher-risk alternative simply because of where I live in Canada. My family and I are now having conversations about leaving the province. This is an equity issue, plain and simple. For people such as me, this doesn't just affect our health — it impacts our ability to plan ahead and to build stable lives. MS often strikes during our most productive years, and it can force people out of the workforce far earlier than they should be. However, early, effective treatment helps people stay healthier, more independent, and more engaged in their communities. At the very least, those of us who can't take the publicly funded options due to other health conditions should not be left behind. The alternative shouldn't be settling for a drug that is clinically inappropriate for me, simply because it's cheaper for the system. That's not good medicine, and it's certainly not good policy. I'm not asking for special treatment. I'm asking for fair treatment. For myself and for every British Columbian living with MS. I'm asking for the ability to manage my disease based on what works for me, not on what PharmaCare happens to cover. I'm lucky to have mild symptoms and a supportive medical team, but even still, the gruelling process of trying to access the right treatment has been emotionally exhausting, adding a layer of grief during an already difficult time. I urge the B.C. government to fund all Health Canada-approved MS treatments through PharmaCare and ensure that people across this province can access the medications they need, when they need them. Teresa Alfeld is a film director based in Vancouver. She was diagnosed with relapsing MS in 2024 and diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes in 1994.
Global News
8 hours ago
- Global News
Doctors, health experts call on N.S. to cover birth control and HIV-prevention drug
Nova Scotia physicians and other sexual health experts are calling on the provincial government to fund birth control and increase access to a medication used to prevent HIV. Four doctors, the head of the Halifax Sexual Health Centre, and a pharmacy professor made the comments today at a legislature committee hearing in Halifax. Abbey Ferguson with the Halifax Sexual Health Centre says PrEP — an antiviral medication that prevents HIV transmission — is so expensive that many people who would benefit from the drug are not able to take it. Get weekly health news Receive the latest medical news and health information delivered to you every Sunday. Sign up for weekly health newsletter Sign Up By providing your email address, you have read and agree to Global News' Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy The drug is estimated to cost between $200 and $250 per month. Dr. Melissa Brooks, the medical co-director of the Reproductive Options and Services Clinic, says the province's pharmacare plan is so restrictive that it often doesn't help those who cannot afford their preferred birth control option. Story continues below advertisement Kari Ellen Graham, with Access Now Nova Scotia, urged the provincial government to sign on to the federal government's pharmacare program, which helps fund birth control. So far only P.E.I., Manitoba, British Columbia, and the Yukon have signed up to the federal pharmacare program. This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 10, 2025.
