Viagra pills to go on sale over the counter at £5 each
VIAGRA will be available over counter for the first time today.
The anti-impotency drug can be purchased for under £5 a pill from high street pharmacy Boots for two weeks before being stocked by other outlets.
The move comes after health officials reclassified the drug last year and is the first major medicine for impotence to be available without prescription.
The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency said last November it would be reclassifying Viagra Connect tablets so they could be sold without a doctor’s prescription.
It was hoped making the drug more widely available would mean men who had not previously sought help would be more likely to do so.
Manufacturer Pfizer the move will arrest dwindling sales of the blue pills, which have faced competition from copycat rivals on the internet.
From today, a pack of four tablets can be purchased for £19.99 or eight for £34.99.
About 4.3 million men in the UK suffer from impotence but very few seek treatment because they are also the hopes embarrassed about the condition. Pfizer has trained pharmacists how to advise people interested in buying Viagra, which will be sold in 14,000 stores in the UK and online.
Men can purchase the drug after answering questions from pharmacists who will decide if treatment is appropriate. They can also advise on the medicine’s use, potential side effects and whether a consultation with a GP is needed.
A doctor will need to prescribe Viagra if the man has heart, liver or kidney problems or is taking certain drugs.
Ash Soni, president of the Royal Pharmaceutical Society, said: “Having Viagra available in pharmacies will increase access to a medicine that has proven safe and effective through over 15 years of use by many millions of men.”
Pfizer medical manager Kristie Sourial said: “It’s important to remember that erectile dysfunction is a medical condition. It can lead to men feeling anxious, depressed and lacking in confidence.”