(by Dr. Tommaso Fontana) Great Britain gives up: stemming the sale of illegal viagra is too difficult. The blue pill will be sold freely - no prescription needed - in British pharmacies from spring 2018. "Making this drug more accessible will help men stay away from the risks of illegal internet buying." Thus the British drug regulator (Medicine and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency or Mhra) motivated its controversial decision.
In fact, viagra is not without risks. Worldwide it can only be sold if a doctor deems it appropriate. The Pfizer that invented it (1,3 billion dollars in revenues per year) had already asked for permission to sell it freely to the European Medicines Agency (EMA) in 2008, but had clashed with a negative opinion. The agency said it was concerned about the risks of abuse, including the trend among young people to take viagra to balance the anti-erection effect of alcohol and drugs such as amphetamines, marijuana and cocaine.
Cialis, the rival drug to viagra, had also tried in vain to achieve liberalization. Then came Brexit. EMA lost its authority over Britain and Pfizer tried to knock directly on MHRA's door in London. Successfully this time. The drug will have the new name of "Viagra Connect", but will retain the same active ingredient.