Viagra without prescription will help stop booming counterfeit market, experts say

Updated December 05, 2017 08:00:49

A type of Viagra will be made available without prescription in the United Kingdom, and some experts say Australia needs to consider doing the same.

Key points:

Studies show up to 1,800 illegitimate internet pharmacies exist online
They can sell tablets with either not enough, or too much active ingredient
Viagra the most counterfeited medicine in the world

Dr Nial Wheate, a senior lecturer from the University of Sydney, said it could reduce the number of people buying counterfeit versions of Viagra — which can be dangerous to consumers.

“One of the things we need to ask ourselves in Australia is, should we be doing this ourselves?” he said.

Dr Wheate said many men who are unable to obtain a prescription turn to the internet or sex shops to buy the erectile dysfunction medication.

“Being able to make it available in Australia through pharmacies will help to mitigate that risk,” he said.

He said one of the risks was illegitimate internet pharmacies, with studies showing there are up to 1,800 in existence online.

They can sell tablets with either not enough, or too much, of the active ingredient in Viagra.

Dr Wheate said there were also reports of some counterfeit tablets containing blue printer ink to give them a genuine Viagra look.

“Viagra is the most counterfeited medicine throughout the world,” he said.

“At the moment the counterfeit drug market is about $75 billion and Viagra makes up a lot of that.”

Why not just go to a GP and get a prescription?

Dr Wheate said there were a number logistical reasons that could prevent men from visiting a GP.

“The first obvious one is that there are no GP services in their area, or the wait list might be too long,” he said.

“It might also be because the prescriptions tend to be for very low amounts as well.

“Viagra is dispensed at only four tablets at a time and some men might feel that this isn’t suitable for their needs, or their partner’s needs as well — and therefore they might try to supplement that by buying online.”

Dr Shane Jackson, the national president of the Pharmaceutical Society of Australia, said up to 70 per cent of men with erectile dysfunction did not go to the doctor for treatment.

“They cite the stigma associated with erectile dysfunction,” he said.

“Because they do have erectile disfunction they might have high levels of anxiety and depression, and they just don’t necessarily want to talk about that issue with their treating healthcare practitioners.”

‘If UK, New Zealand worked it out, so can Australia’

The UK has not been alone in its decision to make the drug available without a prescription, New Zealand has a similar system in place.

The Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) was not available for an interview, but told PM it was considering a proposal to make a type of Viagra available over the counter in July this year.

The latest application was refused because it determined the risks associated with buying the drug over the counter could not be managed within the pharmacy setting.

Dr Jackson said if the UK and New Zealand managed to work it out, so could Australia.

“There needs to be additional controls, so you can only provide it under certain protocols,” he said.

“The pharmacist must undergo additional training and be certified in that training, and it must be done in an environment that is private and must be recorded.”

“Currently under … the TGA scheduling framework, the TGA is unable to mandate that those things occur because they can’t ensure that that’s the case, then they err on the side of caution that limits access.

“[Which] actually doesn’t reflect the nature of what is happening with some men when they’re purchasing these counterfeit medicines on the internet.”

First posted December 04, 2017 19:31:18

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