• Erectile problems affect up to 21% of men - equivalent to 4.3 million men in the UK[i]
• VIAGRA connect is the first pharmacy (P) medicine for erectile dysfunction to be made available without prescription
• Pharmacists hope the move will encourage more men to proactively manage their health
• VIAGRA connect is available in pharmacy and online from Boots exclusively for a two-week period, prior to being made available from wider pharmacies

 Pfizer has announced that from today, VIAGRA connect is available to purchase without a prescription from pharmacies in the UK. It will be available in pharmacy and online from Boots exclusively for a two-week period, prior to being made available from wider pharmacies. Its introduction has been hailed as an important step forwards in supporting men to proactively manage their health.  

It is estimated that erectile problems affect up to 21% of men – equivalent to 4.3 million men in the UK.¹ Despite this, a new study shows that 44% of men with erectile dysfunction aged 40 and over have not sought medical help,² even though it can have a significant impact on their confidence and self-esteem. Of those men that have sought help, over one fifth (27%) admitted that they wished that they had sought help sooner.[ii]

Kristie Sourial MRPharmS, Medical Manager, Pfizer commented: “The launch of VIAGRA connect offers men a new and convenient route of access to treat the symptoms of erectile dysfunction. It’s important to remember that erectile dysfunction is a medical condition, and that the impact often goes beyond the physical symptoms – it can lead to men feeling anxious, depressed and lacking in confidence.[iii] Our hope is that the availability of VIAGRA connect in pharmacies will encourage men who do nothing about their ED to seek help, and encourage those who are inclined to seek help to do so sooner.”

Men can purchase VIAGRA connect in pharmacies and online after answering a series of straightforward questions to help determine if the product is suitable for them. Their answers will be checked over by a pharmacist before they receive the product. In-store, men can ask to speak to a pharmacist in a private consultation room if preferred.

Richard Bradley, Pharmacy Director, Boots UK commented: “We believe this is a great step in making this medicine more widely available to our customers. Boots is the leading pharmacy-led health and beauty retailer in the UK with over 2,500 stores, making this medicine widely accessible.

“Pharmacists are highly trained healthcare professionals and discussing health problems with customers and advising on the benefits and risks of treatment options is an integral part of their role. This launch further expands the role of community pharmacy and we hope that it will play a part in reducing pressures on the overall healthcare system. Erectile dysfunction can have a big impact on confidence and relationships so we hope providing better and convenient access to this treatment will help encourage men to seek help via a simple, discreet consultation in store.”

Where VIAGRAconnect is supplied, pharmacists will advise men to follow-up with their doctor at their earliest convenience - no later than six months after first being supplied the product, so that any potential underlying conditions such as diabetes, high blood pressure, or heart disease can be investigated.[iv]

VIAGRA connect has an RRP of £19.99 for a 4 tablet pack / £34.99 for an 8 tablet pack, including VAT.

Men seeking to purchase VIAGRA connect from Boots online can complete a short questionnaire at www.boots.com/viagraconnectand their answers will be reviewed by a pharmacist to determine if the product is right for them.

[i]Kantar TNS 2010 – survey of 1,033 men – men reporting occasional & frequent difficulty getting / keeping an erection

[ii]Opinium for Pfizer: ED market research February 2018

[iii]Althof SE, O’Leary MP, Cappelleri JC, Glina S, King R, Tseng L-J, Bowler JL, Duttagupta S, on behalf of the SEAR Study Group. Self-esteem, confidence, and relationships in men with erectile dysfunction treated with sildenafil citrate: Pooled analysis of two double-blind, placebo-controlled trials. J Gen Int Med 2006;21:1069–74.

[iv]Pastuszak AW, Hyman DA, Yadav N, Godoy G, Lipshultz LI, Araujo AB et al. Erectile dysfunction as a marker for cardiovascular disease diagnosis and intervention: a cost analysis. J Sex Med 2015; 12: 975–984.