18 Monday June 13 2022 | the times
News
Own-brand Viagra is soon to be widely
available in pharmacies after Boots said
it would start selling a generic version
of the erectile dysfunction drug.
The pharmacy chain said it would
sell sildenafil, the generic name for
Viagra, without a prescription at 1,
of its shops, as well as online.
Pfizer’s impotence drug has been
sold for more than 20 years. Since 2018,
men have been able to get an over-the-
counter version called Viagra Connect,
without prescription but after a consul-
tation with a pharmacist.
Regulators gave permission for
Viagra Connect to be sold in part to
undercut a counterfeit market flourish-
ing online, which had created safetyBoots to sell own-brand
Viagra over the counter
concerns. The patent for the drug, one
of the most profitable in history, has ex-
pired in many countries but the generic
version will be sold under the same
terms — men will either speak to the
pharmacist or take an online
assessment. It will be slightly cheaper
than the branded version, at £27 for
eight tablets.
Erectile dysfunction can have many
causes. Temporary problems can be
linked to stress, alcohol intake and
tiredness. It can also reflect serious
underlying conditions, such as
cardiovascular problems. Doctors said
that it was still important for men to
speak to a professional about persistent
problems.
Marc Donovan, the chief pharmacist
at Boots, said men should also considerother steps. “Erectile dysfunction is a
common condition that affects most
men at some point in their lives, and is
generally nothing to be worried or
embarrassed about,” he said.
“There are some immediate steps
that you can take to help with erectile
dysfunction, such as making sure you
are at a healthy weight by eating a bal-
anced diet and taking regular exercise,
trying to reduce stress and anxiety,
reducing alcohol intake, getting
enough sleep and stopping smoking.”
According to the NHS, common side
effects of Viagra include headaches,
dizziness and indigestion. A study of
more than 200,000 men, published in
JAMA Ophthalmology in February,
found that long-term use may also be
linked to a higher risk of sight problems.Tom Whipple Science EditorJASON BRYANT/APEXWe built this city The tents are going up at Worthy Farm, Somerset, before tens of
thousands of music-lovers arrive for the Glastonbury Festival from June 22 to 26
Patients denied thyroid drug despite price cut
Patients in different areas still face
disparity over access to a life-changing
drug nearly a year after a company was
fined more than £100 million for
increasing the price by 6,000 per cent.
Price rises between 2007 and 2017 for
liothyronine, a replacement thyroid
hormone, meant that many local com-
missioning groups instructed doctorsto stop prescribing the drug and take
existing patients off it. However, its
price has fallen since a Times investi-
gation revealed how Advanz Pharma,
the only UK supplier, had exploited a
“debranding” loophole in NHS rules to
raise the price of the decades-old medi-
cine from 16p to £9.22 per tablet.
The drug, also known as T3, now
costs about £63 a packet, down from a
peak of £250, and the NHS’s national
guidance supports offering the medi-cine to patients who do not respond to
levothyroxine, the primary treatment
for underactive-thyroid sufferers.
Despite this, a report by the Thyroid
Trust has found that nearly 60 per cent
of clinical commissioning groups in
England have policies which prevent or
limit prescriptions of liothyronine.
Advanz Pharma is appealing against
the fine. The health department said
that clinicians should use their own
judgment when deciding on treatment.Billy Kenber
Senior Investigations Reporter