Viagra Connect (Sildenafil)

Viagra Connect

• No need for a GP appointment to get a prescription
• The first of its kind - over the counter erectile dysfunction medication
• 74% of men who try it see significant improvement in their erections
• Get erections easier for around 4 hours
• Just take it 1 hour before you want to have sex
• Available in 50mg in pack sizes of 4, 8, 12 and 16 tablets

Viagra connect is the new way to get Viagra without a prescription. This medication can be requested from a pharmacy and obtained like any other over-the-counter medication.

This medication contains the same active ingredient as Viagra and generic Viagra, Sildenafil (sildenafil citrate). However, this new form of Viagra is not a prescription-only medication like all other erectile dysfunction medications.

Announced 28th November 2017, Viagra Connect has been reclassified by the Medicines and Health products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) as a pharmacy medicine (PMED) and should be available Spring 2018. See MHRA reclassifies Viagra Connect tablets to a Pharmacy medicine for more details.

Once it’s on the market you can order Viagra Connect online using an online doctor service like Zava (you can also order other erectile dysfunction medication we offer in the same way):

• Use our online consultation service to decide on a medication that you think suits you
• Complete a short online health assessment – this assessment will include questions about you and your health so your online doctor can make a proper treatment suggestion
• Once you’ve completed your assessment you can login (or sign up if you’re new) and place your medication request
• Your doctor will review your assessment answers and decide if your preferred treatment is right for you
• If they approve a medication for you, our pharmacists will prepare it and post it to your door

The decision to introduce a new over-the-counter version of Viagra was in the works from the beginning of 2017:

• The formal proposal for a prescription-free medication containing sildenafil citrate was announced 27th March 2017
• The deadline for comments on the MHRA’s proposal was the April 18th 2017
• The MHRA approved the application to make Viagra available over-the-counter and this was announced on the 28th of November 2017
• Pfizer (the manufacturer of Viagra) have decided to call this new treatment Viagra Connect and have released a statement about the change, which has and it has also been covered by the Guardian and the BBC
• Viagra Connect is set to hit the market in Spring 2018

Some of the arguments for making this change were discussed in the comments on the proposal in March 2017. They include:

• Viagra is already available online so making it available over-the-counter provides the same level of access to Viagra from pharmacies
• Pharmacists will have to use the same standards as an online doctor service to assess people for Viagra Connect
• The decision was agreed to be safe and patient-centred
• The change will mean GPs have more time to spend on other patients
• More men will be able to get treatment more easily
• Less men should be tempted to order badly regulated, illicit treatments online (like ‘herbal Viagras’)

Viagra Connect, like Viagra, is only for adult men who have erectile dysfunction, this means:

• You have erection problems (problems getting or staying hard)
• These problems are regular (one-off instances of erection problems don’t necessarily mean erectile dysfunction)
• You are not looking to improve your erections when you don’t have erectile dysfunction

If you meet the above criteria you could be eligible for treatment with Viagra Connect. Not everyone will able to use medication like Viagra Connect though. It might not be right for you if you have any of the following:

• A history or family history of eye problems
• Sickle cell anaemia
• Multiple myeloma
• Leukaemia
• A history of serious kidney problems
• A history of liver problems
• Some heart problems
• High blood pressure that isn’t under control
• Breathing or pain when you exercise

You also might not be able to take Viagra Connect if you’re already taking one of the following medications:

• Other erection medications like Viagra (Sildenafil, Cialis etc)
• CYP3A4 inhibitors
• Guanylate cyclase stimulators
• Alpha-blockers
• Medications containing nitrates (this also applies to abusing substance like Amyl nitrate – ‘poppers’)

You can use Zava’s assessment service to find out if you are able to take medications like Viagra Connect. If you’ve placed a successful request for medication like Viagra before, and your health circumstances haven’t changed, you could be able to successfully request Viagra Connect when it’s available.

Like other medications that contain sildenafil citrate (Sildenafil and Viagra), Viagra Connect can cause side effects in some people, including:

• Headache
• Redness
• Indigestion
• A blocked nose
• Dizziness
• Feeling sick
• Hot flushes
• Problems with your sight, including your colour vision
• A long painful erection that won’t go away (priapism)
• Non-arteritic anterior ischaemic optic neuropathy (NAION) - a rare sight problem

If you think you’re having side effects please make an appointment with your doctor so you can talk them through.

If you are worried that you are experiencing serious side effect then please seek emergency help using 111 or 999.

Other medication you could try instead of Viagra Connect (or if you want treatment before spring 2018) include:

• Viagra or Sildenafil
• Cialis or Tadalafil
• Levitra
• Spedra

Which is the cheapest option? – Sildenafil is the cheapest erectile dysfunction drug available. Sildenafil is the exact same medication as branded Viagra and Viagra Connect. It is cheaper because you aren’t paying for the brand name, but you still get the same treatment. If you’re ordering online then Sildenafil is the best value option.

As well as medications there are other treatment options including:

• Penis pumps
• Penis rings
• Counselling
• Lifestyle changes, including:
• Exercise – general exercise or pelvic floor exercise to improve your erection muscles
• Weight loss
• Quitting smoking or drinking less alcohol

While you are waiting for Viagra Connect to become available, if you want another prescription-free treatment option we recommend one of the non-medication treatments listed above. We recommend not looking for other prescription-free or herbal erectile dysfunction treatments online as they are not proven to work and can be harmful if bought from the wrong place.

As an online doctor service that is properly regulated, Zava is a reliable way to request medication online.