How can you tell real Viagra from a fake? Often you can't, just by looking. Counterfeits "are often deliberately packaged to look like the genuine article", and it can take a laboratory test to confirm one (TGA). What you can check is the pack against the Australian leaflet, and the leaflet's own rule is not to take tablets from a pack that "does not look quite right even if the tablets may look alright".

What does real Viagra look like?

A blue, rounded diamond marked "VGR 25", "VGR 50" or "VGR 100" on one side and "VIAGRA" on the other (Viagra CMI); the details, and why generic sildenafil can look different, are on what colour are Viagra pills?

Can you spot a fake by its looks?

Sometimes, but not reliably. The TGA says that because medicines are made with precision, "any variation in size, weight, colour, quality or embossing could indicate a forgery", and that a fake pack can give itself away, sometimes subtly and "Sometimes it is more obvious, such as spelling errors in the medicine name". Its own example shows how small the clues can be: of three tablets, the two fakes had a slightly different logo and were "a greyish blue" with "rougher edges". The TGA's conclusion: "it is not always easy to identify fraudulent medicines"; it uses laboratory tests, which "can confirm that a medicine is a fake" (TGA — How to spot a counterfeit medicine). A tablet that looks right proves nothing about what is in it.

What should you check on the pack?

  • The packaging. The Viagra leaflet says not to take it if "the packaging is torn or shows signs of tampering, or does not look quite right even if the tablets may look alright" (Viagra CMI).
  • The expiry date. Nor if "the expiry date on the pack has passed" (Viagra CMI). More on taking expired Viagra.
  • The AUST R number. The TGA's advice is to "Look for the AUST number – AUST R, AUST L or AUST L(A) – on your medicine label or packaging" and to search the Australian Register of Therapeutic Goods (ARTG) "to see if the product can be legally supplied in Australia" (TGA, May 2026). Viagra's numbers are AUST R 64434 (25 mg), 64435 (50 mg) and 64436 (100 mg) (Viagra CMI; ARTG). A generic has its own number: the ARTG lists 78 sildenafil products (ARTG search).

None of these checks proves a pack is genuine. Fakes are made to look like the real thing, so a pack that passes can still be counterfeit; the checks only catch one that fails.

What can a fake contain?

Almost anything, including no medicine at all. The TGA's investigations have found counterfeits containing "the wrong active ingredient", "no active ingredient", "too much or too little active ingredient and variations across tablets and batches", "substances withdrawn from sale for safety reasons" and "toxic or dangerous substances", and using them "carries a high risk of unexpected or potentially serious reactions" (TGA — Counterfeit (fake) medicines). Weight loss, hair loss and erectile dysfunction medicines are among the targets it names. What that can mean for the man who takes one is covered under the side effects of fake Viagra.

Are ED tablets sold online genuine?

Often not. healthdirect warns that when people buy sildenafil online without a prescription, "you can't be sure whether these pills contain the medicine or are counterfeit" (healthdirect — Sildenafil). The TGA "warns consumers that ED products sold online, especially from sellers that do not request a valid doctor's prescription, may be counterfeit", and that they "may contain undeclared (hidden) substances that could cause a serious adverse reaction" (TGA, November 2021). In May 2026 it wrote that people "believe the ED medicines they are buying online are authentic", but "our laboratory testing shows that the vast majority of these products are counterfeit" (TGA, May 2026). In Australia, sildenafil "can only be supplied to Australians with a prescription", and products not on the ARTG "are not approved for supply in Australia, have not been reviewed for safety or quality" (TGA, February 2024).

What should you do if you think your Viagra is fake?

Don't take it. The leaflet's advice for a damaged or expired pack is: "return it to your pharmacist for disposal" (Viagra CMI). The TGA's is to "talk to your doctor or pharmacist if you have concerns about a product" (TGA — How to spot a counterfeit medicine), and to report a suspected counterfeit to it online, by email or on 1800 020 653 (TGA — Counterfeit (fake) medicines). If you have already taken a tablet and feel unwell, get medical help: for chest pain, call 000; for an erection that lasts more than 4 hours, healthdirect says to go to "the nearest hospital emergency department" (healthdirect — Sildenafil).

The short answer

You can't reliably tell real Viagra from a fake by its looks, because fakes are made to look real. Check the pack against the Australian leaflet — the packaging, the expiry date and the AUST R number — and don't take anything that "does not look quite right". If you suspect a fake, report it to the TGA. Other safety questions are in our guide to Viagra safety.