Viagra is a welcome addition to the shelves
The announcement last week that it will soon be possible to purchase the wonder drug Viagra from the local friendly pharmacist is in line with the growing (and very welcome) trend to allow the public to obtain useful drugs without the bother of having to see the doctor.
It started with the antiinflammatory ibuprofen back in the Eighties, followed by a mild steroid ointment, antifungal drugs, chloramphenicol for conjunctivitis, acid suppressants and the morningafter pill. Now, along with Viagra, antimalarial tablets and the steroid spray mometasone (for hay fever) have been added to the list.
This is good news, too, for pharmacists, as it makes their lives more interesting, and for family doctors, who now have more time to tick the boxes on which their income depends.
There is, of course, the further option of purchasing on the internet drugs that do require prescription. It is only sensible that they come from a reputable source, such as the ukmeds.co.uk website, where a registered doctor will review the request and then issue a private prescription. It is not cheap, but several friends find it particularly useful for obtaining sleeping pills (such as zopiclone), which their own doctors may be reluctant to prescribe.
Cannabidiol relief
The therapeutic benefits of cannabis were well-known to the Victorians – the Queen herself, it is said, finding it most helpful for relief of her period pains. Indeed, possession was only criminalised in 1928 following the arrest of a Chinese musician, Johnny Hop, when three women were found unconscious and near naked in his flat, prompting xenophobic allegations that foreigners were using it to take advantage of vulnerable girls.
None the less, the merits of cannabis for neuropathic pain and spasticity of the legs is well documented, and it can now be prescribed for this purpose, though with a price tag of £350 it is almost prohibitively costly.
Hence the interest in cannabidiol oil, also derived from the cannabis plant but without the psychoactive ingredient THC, thus allowing it to be marketed it as a supplement in health food shops.
In an article in this paper last month, Richard Holt described how CBD oil (as it is known) helped him to wean himself off the heavy-duty opiate analgesic Oxycontin, which he had been taking for several years after falling out of a window and fracturing both legs. It is also reputedly of value for those with anxiety and skin disorders such as psoriasis and eczema.
“For several years, I have endured excruciating itching,” writes a reader afflicted with eczema due to very dry skin. A friend advised he rubbed the oil into his ankles every morning. “In just 10 days, the itching and flaking skin has gone completely.”
May happen to you
This week’s query is prompted by the Prime Minister’s memorably disaster-prone speech at the Conservative Party conference, with a reader describing how, when lecturing, he would develop a very strong itch at the back of his mouth accompanied by a fit of coughing and a total inability to speak. “As I stood there gasping, several glasses of water were needed before I could explain to the audience what was happening.”
After several similar episodes, he consulted an ENT specialist, who advised he could find nothing amiss. “I thus have every sympathy for Mrs May,” he writes, and wonders how he might avert such episodes in the future.
It’s so giving
Finally, contrary to the opinions expressed last month, several readers are fulsome in praise of the blood donation service. They may regret the phasing out, on financial grounds, of the friendly convenience of the donor sessions in the village hall in the past, but most find the current appointment system works pretty well, and note that the previous upper age limit of 70 has been scrapped.
“I have always found the staff very pleasant, chatty and motivated,” writes a gentleman from Leicester, who has recently notched up his 101st donation.
Still, there is a feeling in several quarters the service could be more “donor-centred”, so perhaps those responsible for administering it should take note.