there are side effects associated with the taking of Viagra

Pfizer, who had been hoping to get permission from the European authorities to sell their best selling erectile dysfunction medication Viagra over the counter in pharmacies and without the requirement of a prescription have decided to withdraw their application. This decision was in response to feedback from the European Medicines Agency who made it clear that they were not happy to give Viagra ‘over the counter’ status.

The original decision to try and get permission to allow Viagra to be sold without a prescription was partly motivated by the very competitive market for erectile dysfunction medication and also because Pfizer said that if the real Viagra was made easily available far fewer men would resort to getting illegal and sometimes dangerous fake versions of this best-selling impotence drug. Pfizer said that according to their research about 30 percent of men who seek help for erectile dysfunction do so without going to a doctor because they are ashamed of the stigma attached to the condition.

The European Medicines Agency explained that they were concerned that if Viagra was sold without a prescription many more men who really should not be using it would be able to buy it. There is a concern that young men who do not have erectile dysfunction problems use the drug for recreational use as a party drug and also that liberalising the sale of Viagra from pharmacies would increase this problem.

Many men do not understand that there are side effects associated with the taking of Viagra and that some people should not use it at all. It is also worth knowing that Viagra can be contraindicated for use with some other medications for blood pressure and has been known to cause serious health complications when used in conjunction with nitrates.

Pfizer did not rule out reactivating the application for over the counter Viagra at a later stage.