MEN will be able to get Viagra on the high street with the launch today of the first ever pharmacist-led service for erection problems.
Boots stores across the country will offer men a half-hour consultation to asses the root causes behind the problem and pharmacists will be able to give them a course of the prescription-only drugs.
Pharmacists will do a pre-screening questionnair
e, take a medical history and conduct a series of blood tests, including checking men's glucose, blood pressure and cholesterol levels to rule out a more serious health problem.
The service will be available in a private consultation room in 29 stores and will cost £55 for the initial screening and then £26.59 for four tablets. Patients can return for a check-up and get further supplies
During a pilot in Manchester, men travelled from all over the country to use the service, said pharmacist James Longden, who led the trial.
He said: "We had men coming not just from the North West but from all over. They were really positive about it. Sometimes it can be a bit of an embarrassing subject to talk about and many didn't know where to turn to for help."
He said that some men, whose family doctor was part of a small village practice or a personal friend, wanted to talk to someone they would not see again about the problem. Others accepted it as an inevitable part of the ageing process and thought they should not bother their doctor with it.
Yet erectile problems can indicate a more serious health problem.
During the Manchester pilot, 288 men were referred back to their GPs after tests revealed abnormal glucose, cholesterol or blood pressure levels.
Erectile dysfunction affects one in 10 British men and it is estimated that only 10% of the estimated 2.3 million men who suffer are being treated.
But research by Boots has indicated that 47% of men would prefer to suffer in silence rather than discuss erection problems with anyone.
