{"id":9712,"date":"2017-05-25T16:25:24","date_gmt":"2017-05-25T15:25:24","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.doctorfox.co.uk\/news\/?p=9712"},"modified":"2024-03-06T13:42:28","modified_gmt":"2024-03-06T13:42:28","slug":"sildenafil-over-the-counter","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.doctorfox.co.uk\/news\/sildenafil-over-the-counter\/","title":{"rendered":"Sildenafil over the counter"},"content":{"rendered":"

Last updated 6 March 2024<\/small><\/p>

\"sildenafilPfizer, the\u00a0pharmaceutical company that developed\u00a0Viagra (sildenafil), has applied to the UK medicines regulator<\/a> (MHRA) to reclassify it’s erectile dysfunction (ED) drug\u00a0from prescription-only to ‘P’ (Pharmacy). This would allow pharmacies to sell sildenafil over the counter<\/strong>\u00a0without a prescription.<\/p>\n

The application is for\u00a0sildenafil 50mg only<\/strong>\u00a0in a maximum pack size of 8 tablets. Sildenafil tablets are available on prescription in strengths of 25mg, 50mg, and 100mg in pack sizes of four and eight tablets.<\/p>\n

The move follows the expiry of Pfizer’s exclusive patent for Viagra<\/a> in 2013.\u00a0After the patent expired other pharmaceutical companies, apart from Pfizer, have been permitted to supply their own sildenafil tablets, sometimes known as generic Viagra.<\/p>\n

The application has support from the pharmacy industry: \u201cSildenafil is one of the most counterfeited medicines,\u201d said Royal Pharmaceutical Society president Martin Astbury, with many men \u201cresorting to the internet to buy medication”.<\/p>\n

Buy online 50p each<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n

A statement from Pfizer\u00a0reads:<\/p>\n

Pfizer is committed to patient safety, and to ensuring that non-prescription sildenafil is supplied in a way that supports patient safety and improves patient health. Pharmacists are well placed to provide men with helpful and appropriate guidance to manage their erectile dysfunction, and should refer men to a doctor if they believe further investigation is required.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Sildenafil is already available over the counter in New Zealand\u00a0since 2014 and Poland since 2016. The MHRA are considering the UK application and will make its decision within a few months (June-August 2017).<\/p>\n

What does this mean for patients?<\/h2>\n

Many men suffering from\u00a0ED will welcome\u00a0easier access and availability of advice and treatment.\u00a0If the MHRA approve the application, men will be able to buy Pfizer sildenafil in pharmacies without a prescription, including pharmacies in supermarkets (eg Tesco, ASDA). The Pharmacist would need to\u00a0ask some health questions<\/a>, likely in a private room, and may take a blood pressure reading.<\/p>\n

According to the application,\u00a0only men currently prescribed sildenafil 50mg<\/strong> (from a doctor or pharmacist with specialist training) will be permitted to buy sildenafil 50mg over the counter<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

The application\u00a0to reclassify sildenafil applies to 50mg tablets in packs of 2 tablets (in the familiar blue diamond shape), according to the packaging submitted in the application. It is not yet clear how many packs or tablets men will be able to buy at one\u00a0time, but the application stipulates a maximum pack size of 8 tablets.<\/p>\n

If the application to reclassify is successful, prices are unlikely to come down straight away,\u00a0although Pfizer is yet to announce a recommended price for over the counter sildenafil. Sildenafil produced by Pfizer for supply\u00a0on prescription is priced significantly higher than that of other manufacturers of sildenafil (generic Viagra). If Pfizer is successful, other generic drug manufacturers are likely to also apply for their sildenafil products to be reclassified as P medicine status, at which point patients might see a reduction\u00a0in price for over the counter sildenafil.<\/p>\n

Many men will require a lower or higher dosage than 50mg. It is recommended to use only the minimum effective dose to mitigate potential side effects, and for men with mild erectile dysfunction symptoms this will be 25mg. Conversely, many men require 100mg to be effective, and in our experience the overwhelming majority request the higher dose, although because some brands of sildenafil<\/a> are scored they can be broken into half doses.<\/p>\n

Sildenafil from Dr Fox<\/h3>\n

P medicines can also be supplied on prescription, and Dr Fox will continue to supply sildenafil on prescription (in 25mg, 50mg, and 100mg strengths, and up to 32 tablets at one time) and other erectile dysfunction treatments<\/a>, with\u00a0the guidance and support of our doctors.\u00a0Dr Fox is already the lowest cost provider of sildenafil<\/a> by mail order (from 50p per tablet).<\/p>\n

Categories of medicine<\/h2>\n

In the UK medicines<\/a> have 3 categories:<\/p>\n