A pharmacist from Ireland has welcomed the availability of Viagra as an over-the-counter medicine, describing it as “a good move.”
In Ireland, Viagra Connect tablets (50 mg sildenafil) have been made available without a prescription since earlier this week.
Pharmacist Rose Murphy of Murphy’s Pharmacy, Cork, Ireland, said the availability of OTC Viagra in drugstores is “a good move,” adding that it helps men who suffer from impotence in silence and who may need more privacy to purchase the little blue pill without visiting their GPs.
She said, “The main thing really is that people can access medicine, that’s the most important thing.”
“I know people would have been able to access it through a GP as it was but some people still would be fairly private and would want to have it within their own power to sort it and now they can do that,” Murphy added.
Last week, the government of Ireland announced that Viagra will go over-the-counter, the move that was welcomed by the Irish Pharmacy Union (IPU) who said that erectile dysfunction (ED) drugs are often bought online and getting them from unknown or unregulated sources could pose “a major health risk to consumers.”
Tomas Conefrey, a community pharmacist and IPU member, said men aged 18 and above will need to answer a few questions about their symptoms, general and the medications they have been taking in order to buy Viagra Connect. This will help pharmacists to understand the drug is safe for them.
“In cases where pharmacists believe the product is unsuitable for clinical reasons, they will advise men to see their doctor for further assistance,” Conefrey said.
He when on to say that many ED products sold online are falsely advertised and may contain harmful ingredients.
“There are also other risk factors that people may not fully consider when purchasing medication online, including the importance of risk assessments,” COnefrey said.
“Your local community pharmacist is a medicines expert,” he added, “who will ensure that any medicine you get from them is suitable for you and won’t react with any other medications you are taking. However, when purchasing medication online, all the established safety nets are bypassed.”
Actively composed of 50 mg sildenafil, Viagra Connect is recommended for the treatment of ED in men aged 18 and above. One should note that sildenafil is not advised to men who are undergoing treatment with medications containing nitrates or alpha-blockers. If taken together, these drugs could lower the blood pressure to a potentially dangerous level, requiring immediate medical attention.
