VIAGRA TO BE SOLD OVER COUNTER IN UK

365Gay.com reports that Viagra is to be sold over the counter in the UK despite a pending lawsuit against the pill’s maker, Pfizer, for encouraging its recreational use.

According to the website, Boots, a large chain of chemist and beauty stores, says that it will start selling the drug – which is intended to assist with erectile dysfunction – over the counter from February 14; Valentine’s Day.

The six-month test programme in Manchester will allow men between 30 and 65 to buy the drug at a Boots store after a consultation with a pharmacist involving the customer’s medical history and the drug’s possible side effects. If the pilot is successful, the programme may be expanded to other Boots pharmacies.

This comes amid growing concern that the drug is not being used for diagnosed erectile dysfunction but as a recreational drug.

In late January, AIDS Healthcare Foundation – the largest HIV/AIDS healthcare provider in the US operating free AIDS treatment clinics in the US, Africa, Latin America/Caribbean and Asia – filed a lawsuit against Pfizer, saying that it was encouraging the recreational use of Viagra, which may lead to sexually ‘risky’ behaviour, resulting in possible sexually transmitted infections such as HIV.

“Pfizer’s direct to consumer marketing of Viagra as a drug to enhance sexual performance is primarily aimed at men who don’t necessarily suffer from a clinical diagnosis of erectile dysfunction, and we believe it is not only irresponsible, but also illegal, especially in light of the drug’s known use as part of a ‘circuit party cocktail’ of drugs that is fueling the spread of STDs and HIV,” said Michael Weinstein, President of AIDS Healthcare Foundation.

The AIDS Healthcare Foundation has also banned Pfizer’s sales representatives from its clinics.

Mambaonline has received numerous reports that Viagra is also increasingly being used by gay men in South African as a recreational drug, often in combination with other drugs which may impair erection.

Viagra may only be purchased with a doctor’s prescription in South Africa.