The rise and rise of Viagra
Prescriptions for little blue pills soar by 85%
SCOTSMEN are popping record numbers of pills in a bid to boost their performance in the bedroom.
NHS prescriptions for Viagra and similar drugs have soared five-fold since being introduced 17 years ago. Experts say it is unclear if the rise is due to an increase in impotency – or a drop in the cost of the drugs.
Figures from NHS Scotland’s Information Services Division show that 324,953 prescriptions were issued in 2015-16 – the equivalent of almost 900 every day – compared to 67,515 in 2000-01.
In the past decade, there has been an 85 per cent increase – from 174,905 prescriptions in 2006-07.
Hollywood A-listers such as Jack Nicholson and Michael Douglas have publicly admitted taking Viagra to improve their sex lives.
Yesterday, Dr Miles Mack, chairman of the Scottish council of the Royal College of General Practitioners said: ‘The population is living longer and with more long-term health conditions that can cause erectile dysfunction.
‘The rise in prescriptions is likely to be due to a combination of factors. These include the breakdown of the taboo around discussing erectile dysfunction and the understanding that safe and effective treatment is available.
‘GPs care for all aspects of a patient’s wellbeing. This includes being available to discuss intimate problems such as impotence.’
Viagra became available on the NHS in 1999 but only patients who had at least one of 12 conditions – including type 2 diabetes, multiple sclerosis and Parkinson’s – were entitled to an NHS prescription. Statistician Professor David Spiegelhalter of Cambridge University said prescribing then was ‘deliberately restricted – both to restrict demand but also to counter accusations the NHS was sponsoring lust’.
Today, generic versions of Viagra cost only 30p, compared to £8 a tablet in 1999.
Professor Spiegelhalter said: ‘It is not clear whether the current soaring rates of prescriptions for impotency are due to an increase in the problem or an increase in the willingness to seek help.’
Although no official figures exist, Matt Barclay, director of operations at Community Pharmacy Scotland, said anecdotal evidence suggested the number of prescriptions for erectile dysfunction on the NHS and on private prescriptions is 50/50.
He added: ‘This could mean a doubling of the NHS figures.’
Public Health Minister Aileen Campbell said: ‘We have seen an increasing number of these prescriptions because there has been a clear clinical need and because they are of benefit to the health and wellbeing of many patients.’
According to the National Survey of Sexual Attitudes, published in The Lancet, 43 per cent of 4,913 men who had had sex in the past year reported having ‘trouble getting or keeping an erection’.
The problem was four times more common among older men, at 30 per cent of 65 to 74-year-olds. For those aged up to 44, it was 7.6 per cent.
A spokesman for Age Scotland said: ‘Impotency is an issue many men may be ashamed to admit to and discuss openly.
‘However, as this is a medical problem that can be symptomatic of other illnesses, taking the time to see a GP can actually lead to these problems being diagnosed and treated. It is a positive step.’
‘There has been a clear clinical need’