Prostate cancer patients in the UK may want to know (if they don’t already) that the erectile dysfunction drug sildenafil (Viagra) will become available as an “over the counter” or OTC drug called Viagra Connect early next year. The details are available in a media release from the relevant British regulatory agency and in a media release from Pfizer.
From the perspective of patients in other nations, this information suggests that other regulatory authorities around the world may also be willing to consider approving an OTC version of Viagra.
What neither of the two media releases tell us is (a) how much this OTC form of Viagra is going to cost or (b) the amount of sildenafil that will be available in each tablet of Viagra Connect. On the other hand, it is made clear that this product is not just going to be sitting on the shelves at the pharmacy (“the chemist’s” for our British readers) next to the aspirin and the Listerine. One is going to have to ask for it and the pharmacist is going to have questions about possible reasons (e.g., a history of cardiovascular disease) why you might not be a good candidate for treatment with a drug like this, even if you do have erectile dysfunction.
As one might expect, the newspapers in the UK are already all over this — see here and here — and so is the BBC.
Filed under: Living with Prostate Cancer | Tagged: counter, OTC, over, sildenafil, UK, Viagra |
THE "NEW" PROSTATE CANCER INFOLINK 
The BBC reports that it will be Viagra Connect (50 mg). According to the Guardian it will be available in a four-tablet pack and eight-tablet pack, with recommended retail prices of £19.99 and £34.99 respectively.