Quantcast
ZME Science
  • News
  • Environment
  • Health
  • Future
  • Space
  • Features
  • More
    • About
    • The Team
    • Advertise
    • Contribute
    • Our stance on climate change
    • Privacy Policy
    • Contact
No Result
View All Result
ZME Science

No Result
View All Result
ZME Science
No Result
View All Result
Home Health & Medicine

Viagra will be available over the counter in the UK

Most men don't want to discuss erectile dysfunction with a doctor, even if it means further displeasure down the line.

Mihai Andrei by Mihai Andrei
November 29, 2017
in Health & Medicine, News
Reading Time: 2 mins read
A A
Share on FacebookShare on TwitterSubmit to Reddit

The famous male potency drug just became more accessible in Britain.

Image credits: Tim Reckmann.

Pfizer’s Viagra was the first prescription erectile dysfunction drug to market, in the late 1990s. Now, the UK Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (the rough equivalent of a British FDA) has decided that the drug will now be sold over the counter. The main idea behind this decision is that people won’t need to visit their general practitioner to talk about their impotence — a talk that’s often so embarrassing and unpleasant that many men skip it altogether, even if it means further displeasure down the line. Another aspect which tipped the balance is that many men were already buying Viagra from illegally-operating websites. Mick Foy, MHRA’s group manager in vigilance and risk management of medicines, said:

“This decision is good news for men’s health. Erectile dysfunction can be a debilitating condition, so it’s important men feel they have fast access to quality and legitimate care, and do not feel they need to turn to counterfeit online supplies which could have potentially serious side-effects.”

Now, it will be up to pharmacists to decide whether it is appropriate to sell Viagra or not. The drug will not be available to:

ADVERTISEMENT
  • those with severe heart disease or at high risk of cardiovascular disease;
  • those with liver failure;
  • those with severe kidney failure;
  • men taking certain medicines that could cause a bad reaction when combined with Viagra.

They don’t often talk about it, but most men have experienced an erectile problem at least once in their life. Leading causes are stress, tiredness, anxiety, or drinking too much alcohol. However, this isn’t really a health problem unless it starts to happen regularly, at which point men can choose to talk to a doctor or self-medicate. Men who take Viagra are advised to take a 50 mg tablet an hour before having sex and never take more than one a day.

Sorry to interrupt, but you should really...

...Join the ZME newsletter for amazing science news, features, and exclusive scoops. More than 40,000 subscribers can't be wrong.

   

Viagra achieved peak sales of more than $2 billion in 2012 but since then, sales have declined as patents have started to expire, Pfizer to explore extending its brand value as a non-prescription drug. At this point, Viagra is the most popular erectile dysfunction medicine and the only one to be reclassified from “prescription only medicine” to “pharmacy” status in Britain.

ADVERTISEMENT

Tags: over the counterviagra
Share15TweetShare
Mihai Andrei

Mihai Andrei

Andrei's background is in geophysics, and he's been fascinated by it ever since he was a child. Feeling that there is a gap between scientists and the general audience, he started ZME Science -- and the results are what you see today.

ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
  • News
  • Environment
  • Health
  • Future
  • Space
  • Features
  • More

© 2007-2019 ZME Science - Not exactly rocket science. All Rights Reserved.

No Result
View All Result
  • News
  • Environment
  • Health
  • Future
  • Space
  • Features
  • More
    • About
    • The Team
    • Advertise
    • Contribute
    • Our stance on climate change
    • Privacy Policy
    • Contact

© 2007-2019 ZME Science - Not exactly rocket science. All Rights Reserved.