Boots, the UK pharmacy chain, is to offer Viagra to men aged 30 to 65 without the need for a prescription. However, don’t get too excited: the scheme only applies to three branches of the company in Manchester and it will not be like popping into the pharmacy for a packet of aspirin! Anyone wishing to take advantage of the scheme being offered will be required to have a consultation with one of the group’s pharmacists for which they will charge a fee as well as the cost of the medication. As erectile dysfunction can be a marker for other diseases, quite rightly, Boots will make patients have a blood test to determine if there is an underlying cause that should be treated. If you want to have repeat prescription, patients will first be required to have a consultation with a private doctor for which a further fee will be levied. Despite all the headlines in the newspapers, Viagra remains a prescription medication which can only be taken under the direction of a healthcare professional.
If the pilot scheme is successful, Boots may roll it out to other stores.