Cut-price Viagra available on the NHS after price fall
Viagra pills cost the NHS as little as £1.45 for a pack of four after the product's patent ran out last year
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.Viagra can now be prescribed on the NHS to all men suffering from impotence after the expiry of the pill’s patent last year led to the development of cheap generic versions of the drug.
Before this month only those who suffered from impotence as a side effect of illness or had been assessed by a specialist could be prescribed Viagra, but now hundreds of thousands of impotent men across the country have become eligible to be given the pills on the NHS.
Some doctors are happy with this new policy, claiming it could save potentially save relationships, but others are concerned that demand for the drug will increase GP’s already heavy workloads.
Pfizer's Viagra pills had cost £21.27 for a pack of four, whereas the new generic impotence pills, containing the active ingredient sildenafil, are priced at just £1.45 for a pack of four; a price reduction of 93 per cent.
In 2012, the NHS spent £88 million on impotence medication for 180,000 men in England, £43 million of which was used to purchase branded Viagra.
It is estimated that demand will nearly double in the next three years under the new rules, with 330,000 men across the country expected to be using the NHS for erectile dysfunction pills by 2017.
Half of all men between the ages of 40 and 70 suffer from varying degrees of erectile dysfunction, according to the NHS.
Subscribe to Independent Premium to bookmark this article
Want to bookmark your favourite articles and stories to read or reference later? Start your Independent Premium subscription today.
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments