In risk management move, Britain shifts to over-the-counter Viagra

To help eliminate the dangerous practice of purchasing counterfeit Viagra over the internet, Britain’s Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency announced Tuesday that it will permit the over-the-counter sales of the popular prescription male-impotency drug, according to The Guardian news site.

Prescriptions of Viagra and other erectile dysfunction drugs containing sildenafil have tripled in Britain in a decade, creating a large black market — $22 million worth of unlicensed and counterfeit Viagra was seized, the news outlet reported.

Viagra manufacturer Pfizer Inc. said it hopes that the drug, available in four-tablet and eight-tablet packs, will go on sale over the counter in pharmacies in spring next year.

Mick Foy, the MHRA’s group manager in vigilance and risk management of medicines, told a reporter: “Erectile dysfunction can be a debilitating condition, so it’s important men feel they have fast access to quality and legitimate care, and do not feel they need to turn to counterfeit online supplies which could have potentially serious side-effects.”

The decision was made after a safety assessment, advice from the Commission on Human Medicine, and positive responses to a public consultation earlier this year, according to the news site.