Viagra will be sold over the counter in U.K. pharmacies starting in spring 2018, Britain’s Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency announced Tuesday.
The move will make Britain the first country where Viagra can be bought without a prescription.
The MHRA said it hoped making the drug more readily available would stop men from buying erectile dysfunction medications online where websites are unregulated, The Guardian reported.
Viagra prescriptions and those for other drugs containing sildenafil, Viagra’s active ingredient, have tripled in Britain over the last 10 years, but the black market for the drug is still booming: 17 million pounds of counterfeit and unlicensed Viagra were seized last year, The Guardian reported. According to the Daily Mail, more than 50 million pounds have been seized in the last five years.
Over-the-counter Viagra buyers can't just pick it up and walk out, however. A pharmacist will have to approve the purchase of Viagra Connect after interviewing the customer about possible risks and health conditions, but men will not need to see their doctor or get a prescription to purchase the drug unless they have severe heart problems, liver, or kidney failure, or are also taking certain other medications that interact with Viagra.
“This decision is good news for men’s health,” said MHRA Risk Management Group Manager Mick Foy, the Daily Mail reported.
“We understand some men may avoid seeking support and treatment for this condition, so we believe giving them the option to talk to a pharmacist and buy Viagra Connect could be a real step forward in encouraging more men into the healthcare system,” U.K. Medical Director Dr. Berkeley Phillips said, the Daily Mail reported.
Twitter was full of jokes about Viagra, with some being skeptical about the safety of making it available over the counter.
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