Pharmacy Chain Allows Men to get Erectile Dysfunction Drugs without Visiting their GP

New service to stem tide of suspect drugs from overseas

A new service which allows men to get erectile dysfunction drugs legitimately without having to visit their GP for a prescription has been launched.

The new service – a UK first – is being launched by Lloydspharmacy in partnership with sexual health experts Dr Thom, The service offers online diagnosis of erectile problems and the subsequent dispensing of prescriptions via the internet. The service is available at www.lloydspharmacy.com.

We hope this new service will give men the confidence to use the internet for erectile dysfunction treatments, safe in the knowledge that they will be receiving genuine drugs from a  reliable source,” said Andy Murdock, pharmacy director of Lloydspharmacy.

“Many men turn to the internet for erectile dysfunction medication,” he said. “Unfortunately, most online sources are unregulated and patients risk receiving fake medicines which contain little, if any, of the active ingredient. 

“In some cases the medicines contain harmful substances which can cause health problems,” said Murdock. “Moreover, some erectile dysfunction drugs lower blood pressure so if they are dispensed to patients whose blood pressure is already low it could be very dangerous. Our service will eliminate this risk.”

According to new Lloydspharmacy research*, four in ten men would rather suffer in silence than face the embarrassment of telling their GP about erectile problems. Failure to disclose symptoms of erectile dysfunction can lead to incorrect diagnosis or inappropriate prescriptions.

It is estimated that forty per cent of men over the age of 40 – about eight million – suffer with erectile dysfunction, suggesting that 3.2 million men could be suffering in silence or turning to unreliable online sources.

“Some conditions are so sensitive that people are not prepared to discuss them with a doctor,” said Andy Murdock. “Erectile dysfunction is probably the most acute example.”

This new Lloydspharmacy service will dispense erectile dysfunction drugs Viagra, Levitra and Cialis.  Visitors fill out a free questionnaire which is reviewed by a doctor with expertise in managing erectile dysfunction. 

If appropriate, the doctor will then make available a trial course of up to eight tablets.  The cost of the service is £45 per four tablets and patients are told the name of the doctor who has prescribed their treatment.

The medication is then dispensed by Lloydspharmacy and sent to the patient through the post. Patients will be sent a trial course first and then move on to an ongoing treatment regime if successful. 

Patients who have used the service before will be able to order up to 16 tablets at a time.  DrThom provides on-going online medical support as required.

By the end of the year the intention is to offer a trial pack of all three erectile dysfunction drugs, where appropriate, so patients can see which one works best for them before moving onto an ongoing treatment regime.

When told about the new online service, 47 per cent of men said they would use it in preference to consulting their GP while 34 per cent said they would opt to see a GP face to face.

Only 48 per cent of men who suffer with erectile dysfunction qualify for free treatment on the NHS**. People with conditions such as diabetes and multiple sclerosis get free treatment and so too do those suffering from severe distress, but those who have no co-morbidities – about 4.2 million men – either have to pay for their own treatment or miss out.

For more information please contact

Steve Marinker
Citigate Dewe Rogerson
0207 282 2841 / 07779 031 936

*Research conducted for Lloydspharmacy by YouGov among 934 men over 18 on 15th and 16th September 2008
** BMC Urology 2002, 2:4doi:10.1186/1471-2490-2-4