Stay safe when buying health products online

As part of Operation Pangea XVIII —an international effort led by INTERPOL to disrupt the online sale of counterfeit and other illegal health products around the world—Health Canada is reminding consumers to be careful when buying health products online.

During Operation Pangea, Health Canada continues to work with the Royal Canadian Mounted Police and the Canada Border Services Agency to stop counterfeit and other illegal health products from reaching the Canadian market.

During this year’s two-week operation (March 10-23, 2026), Health Canada inspected 1,481 packages. Of these, 880 (59%) packages were blocked from entering the country and 56 (4%) additional packages that contained suspected counterfeit or otherwise unauthorized health products were seized. The non-compliant products were worth an estimated value of $1,353,829.

The majority of the seized products were sexual enhancement products (57%), followed by sex hormones (13%), weight loss drugs (11%), vitamins (5%), cosmetic injectables (4%), pain relief medication (4%), skin care products (3%), medical devices (3%) and herbal products (less than 1%).

Through Operation Pangea, Health Canada also examined websites to address the sale of illegal health products to Canadians. Health products sold online may seem legitimate and safe, but some may not actually be authorized for sale in Canada and could be dangerous to your health. It is important to know how to spot risky health products if you are buying them online.

Unauthorized health products have not been assessed by Health Canada for safety, efficacy, and quality and, as a result, can pose serious risks to your health. For example, they may be fake, mislabeled or expired, or have been badly stored or subject to recalls. Unauthorized drugs or natural health products may have no active ingredients, the wrong ingredients, or dangerous additives such as prescription drugs not listed on the label. Unlicensed medical devices may be low quality, not work, or be unsafe.