Bulgaria shuts illegal vending machine selling prescription sexual stimulant in Sunny Beach

The Executive Agency on Medicines (IАL) and the National Revenue Agency (NAP) inspected a vending machine placed at the entrance of a night club in the Sunny Beach resort. The machine offered products containing sildenafil, a medication that in Bulgaria is only available with a medical prescription.

Inspectors found several violations: no age‑verification mechanism despite an "18+" label, absence of a fiscal device resulting in unrecorded sales, and lack of any operator information on the machine. Health experts warned that unsupervised use of sildenafil can cause life‑threatening hypotension. The machine has been taken out of service, and the owner has been summoned to face administrative penalties.

Local authorities have not yet identified the machine’s proprietor and have requested assistance from the Ministry of Interior to determine responsibility.