A committee of the drug authority BfArM in Bonn is today dealing with the question of whether Viagra and other sexual enhancers should be available in pharmacies without a prescription. The expert committee for prescription requirements at the Federal Institute for Drugs and Medical Devices (BfArM) decides on an application to release the active ingredient sildenafil in a dosage of 25 milligrams for oral use from the prescription requirement.
The decision is not legally binding. Should the experts on Tuesday speak out in favor of making sildenafil available for sale without a prescription in this dosage, this would go to the Federal Ministry of Health as a recommendation. This is not tied to the recommendation, but the assessment of the expert committee carries weight and is often adopted.
Urologists warn against the step
However, the expert committee had already rejected a similar application in January 2022. At that time it was about the double dose of 50 milligrams.
The German Society for Urology (DGU) and the Professional Association of German Urology (BvDU) warned against making Viagra available without a prescription. Erection problems can therefore be early warning symptoms for underlying diseases that are noticeable during a doctor’s visit – such as cardiovascular diseases, low blood pressure or liver failure.
It is obvious that patients could easily increase the dose on their own by simply taking several pills, said urology professor and DGU spokesman Axel Merseburger. In this respect, one is – regardless of whether it is about 25 or 50 milligrams – generally against a release from the prescription requirement.
Stop the black market
On the other hand, there are hopes that a prescription-free prescription for such sexual enhancers will stop the thriving black market with the pills. According to earlier statements by Frank Sommer, President of the German Society for Men and Health, taking such drugs can be risky. A study that looked at pills that could be ordered freely online found that the majority of them contained ingredients other than those stated. The scientists also found contamination with heavy metals, for example.
There is definitely a certain danger with black market products, said DGU spokesman Merseburger. The route via the Internet is of course more anonymous, but ultimately not safer for patients. The route via the black market is therefore attractive for men who do not want to go to the doctor out of shame, want to keep the intake secret from their partner or simply do not have that much money – because the sexual enhancers are not paid for by the health insurance companies.
Online orders involve risks
Nevertheless, the advantages of a doctor’s visit outweigh the advantages for the association, in which not only illnesses are recognized, but also possible risks and side effects of taking Viagra can be addressed. Merseburger also feared that if the pills were released without a prescription, the control function of the pharmacies with trained pharmacists would often be lost if the pills were ordered online.
Sexual enhancers like Viagra relax the smooth muscles in the blood vessels. This increases blood flow to the penis, making erection easier and better. The funds are very often prescribed by general practitioners or resident urologists, said DGU spokesman Merseburger. 25 milligrams is therefore usually the lowest dose to start with, 100 milligrams is the maximum dose.
