FirstMed Consulting Blog

Up-to half a million British men are estimated to suffer from erectile dysfunction. Understandably this may be difficult to discuss with a partner or doctor. A survey by the Sexual Dysfunction Association found that almost half of impotence sufferers took 2 years to summon the courage to seek treatment. Oral drugs which induce erection, namely Viagra, Cialis and Levitra, have revolutionized the treatment of ED and sufferers now have more choices than the daunting prospect of undergoing invasive procedures or simply suffering in silence.

Visiting your NHS doctor is by far the cheapest, legal and secure way of obtaining a prescription for erectile dysfunction treatments. This is because the consultation with the doctor is free-of-charge and the prescription, should you obtain one, is subsidised by the NHS.

However, due to guidelines designed to protect the governments budget, the reality is that it can sometimes be very difficult to get treatments for ED on the NHS .In particular, medicine treatments for ED are restricted to those suffering from certain specific medical conditions such as:

* Prostate Cancer
* Kidney Failure
* Diabetes
* Polio
* Spina Bifida
* Severe Pelvic Injury
* Parkinsons Disease.

In cases of severe distress, prescriptions can also be obtained from a specialist psychotherapy centers. First a referral from a doctor is needed, followed by psychological assessments and then a NHS prescription will be issued. In all cases where an NHS prescription is approved, even if a prescription is written, the doctor is restricted to only being able to offer the patient 4 tablets per month maximum. Patients are required to return for a repeat prescription.

One alternative is to seek a private prescription from your NHS doctor. However, they may still limit the patient to 4 tablets a month. Another, is to turn to the private sector, which is not bound by the same restrictions and the doctor can prescribe as many tablets as he deems necessary. The only drawback is private doctors often cost a lot: a consultation alone may cost as much as 100 pounds and that is before a prescription has been filled or treatments paid for.

The last alternative for those seeking treatments for erectile dysfunction is to obtain it from an online pharmacy. Buying prescription drugs online can offer advantages not available from a local drugstore, including greater convenience, variety, value for money and privacy. However, buying medication online is not without its pitfalls and must be approached with great care.