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Manchester Boots to sell Viagra over the counter

12/02/2007

Several Manchester branches of Boots the chemist are to sell the anti-impotence drug Viagra without prescription to men aged between 30 and 65 as part of a pilot scheme.

Available from Valentine's Day and costing £50 for four pills, the drug will only be sold after an hour-long consultation with a pharmacist and several medical examinations, including tests for blood pressure and cholesterol, have been undertaken.

Only ten per cent of men who suffer from impotence are being treated, according to Boots, a figure which the chemist hopes will be improved by the availability of the drug without prescription.

A Boots spokeswoman said: "There are a number of safety checks in place to ensure correct supply. People will have to go through a thorough consultation with a pharmacist.

"They would then need to see a doctor to have a full medical examination before getting an ongoing supply."

Commenting on possible dangers of the drug, Dr Ian Banks, president of the Men's Health Forum, said that it is a "lot safer" than many other over-the-counter medicines.

It is thought that 900,000 British have already taken Viagra since it was launched in 1998.




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