Is Viagra available to buy over the counter? Learn about safe sources of Viagra.
Viagra, and its generic form Sildenafil, have found themselves in a strange space as far as medications go.
On the one hand, there is high demand for an easier way to get Viagra, like an over-the-counter source. Erectile dysfunction is one of the most common medical conditions that men experience throughout their lives, and Viagra has proven itself a very effective solution. Also, starting the conversation with your doctor about ED medications can be an awkward situation -- leading many men to search for more discreet ways to obtain Viagra or Sildenafil.
However, on the other hand, Viagra and its generic forms are not always safe or appropriate to use for every man. Men dealing with low blood pressure, treating heart conditions, or taking certain medications may experience dangerous effects from using Viagra or Sildenafil. Also, it can be easy to go overboard with your dose, leading to a prolonged erection situation called Priapism which can permanently damage penile tissues. Not to mention the risks involved if men who do not actually have ED try to use this medication recreationally.
Suffice it to say, there is a need for a way to deliver discreet and safe Viagra sources for men, while also maintaining a level of protection on the medication above over-the-counter sources.
Below, we will answer the question of if you can currently (as of 2022) purchase Viagra over the counter, if Viagra is available over the counter in any other countries, why online retailers selling “Viagra” without a prescription can be very dangerous, and how a secure telemedicine service can help you source Viagra or Sildenafil safely under the review of doctors and pharmacists.
You cannot currently buy Viagra over the counter in the US.
Legally, all sales of Viagra, or its generic form Sildenafil, must be filled through a US pharmacy with a prescription from a US doctor.
As of 2018, you can legally buy Viagra over the counter only in the UK. This over-the-counter form of Viagra is called Viagra Connect, and it contains the exact same active ingredient which is Sildenafil. Viagra connect is only available in 50mg doses, however, and does not have the other choices of 25mg or 100mg that you can obtain through a prescription.
In order to help add an extra layer of safety to Viagra Connect in the UK, you do still need to fill out a questionnaire form for the pharmacist at stores where Viagra Connect is sold. This questionnaire will get information about your current conditions and medications, and allow the pharmacist on staff to make an informed decision as to whether this over-the-counter form of Viagra is suitable for you.
So, as you can see, this is an adjusted version of the usual over-the-counter designation, in order to build in more safety for patients in the UK.
While it is perfectly understandable why someone would want to try and treat their ED while also avoiding an uncomfortable face-to-face conversation with their doctor. There may be some dangerous consequences of trying out questionable online retailers claiming to have over-the-counter Viagra, or Viagra without a prescription.
Pfizer, the pharmaceutical company which created Viagra, performed a chemical analysis on many of the products from websites claiming to sell Viagra online without a legal prescription in 2011 and found some alarming things. Aside from only 30-50% of these orders actually containing the active ingredient being advertised, dangerous additives like pesticides, wallboard, commercial paint, and printer ink were also discovered in many samples.
Obviously, there are some big risks with trusting any website claiming to sell Viagra or Sildenafil online with no prescription and without the oversight of doctors and pharmacists.
However, if you do want to find a safe source for ED medication like Viagra or Sildenafil online, you are not out of luck.
In recent years, secure telemedicine platforms like Strut have sprung up that brings the ease of an online doctor’s visit to you. Telemedicine platforms differ from the sketchy online retailers listed above in that they work with doctors and pharmacies and collect pertinent information from you to ensure that you are a good candidate for treatment, and that the strengths and dosing regimens are appropriate.
Basically, telemedicine can provide you with all the medical safeguards that you would get from a visit to an in-person doctor and a drive to your local pharmacy -- it is just all conducted legally online. Telemedicine platforms also employ HIPAA-compliant systems to keep your medical information, conversations, and orders private, just like a doctor’s office would.
While ED medications like Viagra are relatively safe for most users (when used appropriately), there is still a very good reason why it is still best to keep them prescription-only.
By maintaining medications under prescription-only status, that means a doctor still needs to review your information to make sure this medication is appropriate for you. This review could lead to the doctor realizing that you are currently on a medication that would cause a serious reaction and they would not approve the medication to keep you safe. Also, sometimes a medical review could potentially identify underlying reasons for ED that are not currently being treated and need to be addressed.
Also, by requiring a prescription for a medication, this also means that your treatment will be filled and reviewed by a trained pharmacist at a US pharmacy before release. By utilizing US pharmacies, you know that the medication itself has been sourced from safe and reliable vendors, and does not contain dangerous additives, but does contain the listed active ingredients. Additionally, the pharmacist will do a double check of appropriateness before dispensing.
All of these additional layers that you get from utilizing in-person or telemedicine doctors and pharmacists provide you with the confidence that your medication is what is listed on the label, and that it is appropriate for you.
We hope that this article has helped educate you on the ways that you can safely obtain ED medications, including in-person visits or secure telemedicine companies. Hopefully, you have also learned how to identify the difference between illegal online retailers trying to sell products that may or may not be what they claim, and legal telemedicine platforms.
Here at Strut, we pair you with a U.S. doctor to review your information, before they issue you a prescription, or inform you why a medication is not appropriate for you. Then, that prescription is received by a U.S. compounding pharmacy and put together by trained pharmacy staff, reviewed by a pharmacist, and shipped to your front door with our fast and free shipping.
To get started with ED treatment through Strut, simply select either Sildenafil (generic Viagra) or Tadalafil (generic Cialis) from our telemedicine platform, and complete the free questionnaire-based consultation. If you have any questions during your treatment, our staff and doctors are available for free and unlimited follow-ups.
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