FirstMed Consulting Blog

SOME DOCTORS FEAR EASY ACCESS COULD OVERLOOK DRUG RISKS

LONDON - A gimmick timed for Valentine’s Day, or a dangerous medical precedent?

Britain’s biggest pharmacy chain, Boots, will start selling Viagra over the counter at some stores Feb. 14 — a day also designated in Britain as National Impotence Day.

Doctors are warning of the hazards of making the erectile dysfunction drug freely available to men — especially those with medical conditions such as diabetes or heart problems.

“This sets a very bad precedent and should not be condoned,” said Dr. Andrew McCullough, a sexual health expert at New York University Medical Center. “This system is basically prescribing medication without doctors.”

Under the scheme, men age 30 to 65 who want the impotence-fighting drug will have a one-hour consultation with a pharmacist, who will take their medical history and check blood pressure, cholesterol and glucose levels.

If no medical red flags are raised, the men can buy four Viagra pills for $97. For a refill, they will have to see a private doctor.

“We’re increasing access to Viagra for men who may be too embarrassed to talk about it with their general physician,” Boots spokeswoman Clare Stafford said Monday.

But doctors fear the practice could lead to major health problems being overlooked — and set a bad precedent for other countries. In many cases, sexual dysfunction is an indicator of an underlying disease, such as heart failure or diabetes.

The plan would undermine the potential for physicians to make a comprehensive diagnosis, which might even pick up health problems of the men’s sexual partners, said Dr. David Ralph, a consultant urologist at University College London.

“If men can just get Viagra at the pharmacy, we are losing the chance to do proper health screening,” he said.
Source: Mercury News