Two brothers from Essex who sold unlicensed erectile dysfunction drugs through eBay have been given eight-month prison sentences.

Charlie Knight, 21, and Matthew Knight, 27, ran a business called MedKnight Services, through which they sold the drugs to customers across Europe, an investigation by the UK medicines watchdog found.

The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) found 19,000 doses of the drugs during a raid on a property in Essex.

The brothers, from Station Road in Hatfield Perevel, were handed the prison sentences at Chelmsford Crown Court yesterday (February 8). The sentences were suspended for 12 months.

The brothers must also each carry out 200 hours of community service and pay £1,000 in costs, the MHRA added.

MHRA head of enforcement Alastair Jeffrey said the bothers had “persisted” with their business despite warnings that it was against the law.

Patients who wish to buy medicines online should only do so from a site that is registered with the MHRA and displays the new EU common logo, he added.

How many of your patients take counterfeit medicines?

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