Depends where you buy it online…

This question was posed in the New York Times Ask Well blog this week. We were pleased that PharmacyChecker.com was recommended as an information source for finding credentialed international online pharmacies that sell Pfizer’s brand name Viagra. On the other hand, we were frustrated that the Times answered this question wrongly by writing “In short, no.” Fact: Lawfully manufactured and distributed generic Viagra – sildenafil citrate – is available in Canada and at Canadian pharmacies. Just go to Health Canada’s drug database and you’ll find it – right here [Type in Sildenafil and hit search]. And it has been sold as a generic in Indian pharmacies, lawfully, for a very long time.

So the answer to the blog post’s question is – in fact – yes.

Prices? The price of a Pfizer branded Viagra 100mg pill in many U.S. pharmacies is $50, compared to $7-10 from many safe international online pharmacies. The generic pill sells for as little as a buck.  

But, wait, the New York Times believes that Carmen Catizone, the executive director of the National Association of Boards of Pharmacy (NABP) is the right authority to provide the answer, which is: “Any pharmacy that’s offering generic Viagra is probably using counterfeit product that’s not approved.” First, I’ve shown you that’s probably bull. Second, is there any counterfeit product that is approved? Weird. Not really. NABP takes a lot of money from pharmaceutical companies.

Now, here’s a cool twist. Generic Viagra to treat erectile dysfunction is not available in the United States because it’s still under Pfizer’s patent. BUT, a product called Revatio 20mg, marketed only for the treatment of pulmonary arterial hypertension, which contains sildenafil citrate is available in U.S. pharmacies. This medication can cost less than two bucks a pill. One commenter in the New York Times article recommends asking your healthcare provider for a prescription for a few Revatio pills per day – arguably off label – to get the same effect as – none other than —— Viagra! Compare generic Revatio 20mg local U.S. pharmacy prices on PharmacyChecker.com.

Taking a step back and getting serious here: there are real threats to patient safety when looking on the Internet to buy brand or generic Viagra (as with all medication). Some rogue online pharmacies intentionally and unintentionally sell fake and adulterated medication, with Viagra being the most commonly faked med. So stick to online pharmacies credentialed by PharmacyChecker.com. Also, I encourage you to read the comments that people wrote in response to that NY Times piece. People know the truth because they’ve purchased and used real, decidedly NOT counterfeit, generic Viagra and it worked.

Last year, I went to town on this topic and wrote what I still consider to be the truth about buying Viagra (brand or generic) online.