Many men are reluctant to admit to having erectile dysfunction. As a result, more and more pharmaceutical companies and startups are experimenting with offering online Viagra prescriptions. (Learn More)
For this to happen, patients have to fill out extensive questionnaires online, covering their sexual health as well as their general health and lifestyle. (Learn More) This is because a need for Viagra could be indicative of serious health problems. Providers of online Viagra prescriptions want to ensure that men who are electing not to do an in-person doctor’s visit are aware that simply getting Viagra in the mail might not address the underlying issues. (Learn More)
There are many scam pharmacies that sell fake Viagra online. Be wary of these operations as you could get pills that contain no Viagra at all or that contain dangerous substances.
Moving Viagra Online
The need for Viagra can be a very sensitive subject for many men. Fortunately, there are ways for patients to get Viagra without enduring the embarrassment of going to a pharmacy in person.
One of the biggest reasons that the purchase of legitimate Viagra has moved online is because there are many bad actors who are taking advantage of the perceived embarrassment of men who have erectile dysfunction.
Pfizer, the manufacturer of Viagra, opened an online store that will allow patients to make purchases directly from them. It did this due to the hundreds of fake “online pharmacies” that sell imitation-Viagra pills to patients without conducting any form of medical evaluation. These pills are often fake, of bad quality, and made in very poor conditions, which can pose serious health risks to those who take them.
To counter this, Pfizer’s website option lets patients submit a Viagra prescription that they’ve received from a doctor. Alternately, they can refill an existing prescription as well as estimate their copay and track their order.
The service is operated by CVS, which authenticates the prescriptions and authorizes the pharmacist to dispense the Viagra. To do this, CVS received accreditation from the Verified Internet Pharmacy Practice Sites (VIPPS) program.
Getting Viagra Online
Pfizer is not the only place that men can comfortably buy Viagra. A number of startups have realized the need for private and accessible Viagra prescriptions, and they have used telehealth resources and services to facilitate those exchanges.
U.S. News & World Report writes of a company that sells a number of medications, including Viagra, purely online, so patients will not “ever see a doctor face to face.” Viagra and other erectile dysfunction drugs have been approved by regulators to be sold online, and the transactions are completely legal.
One company, KwikMed, reached a deal with the Utah Legislature to allow doctors the authority to prescribe medications through their telehealth service. An independent researcher concluded that the system is as safe as having an in-person primary physician perform an examination on a patient who presents with erectile dysfunction.
How It Works
With these types of systems, a patient has to fill out a “relatively lengthy medical assessment form,” answering questions about their erectile dysfunction, family medical history, lifestyle, and health decisions.
There are doctors on staff, and one of them will evaluate the form and reach out to the patient. According to this particular company, the system and the doctors are trained to recognize the difference between someone trying to score some Viagra for recreational purposes and a patient who really wants relief for their erectile dysfunction. The company reserves the right to run background checks on people who request Viagra from them.
If the doctor feels that the form has been filled out by a legitimate patient, they contact the patient. If the conversation goes well, the doctor prescribes Viagra and sends it out in the mail. Before the patient takes delivery, they will have to sign for it in person.
Other health care providers are offering the opportunity for patients to see doctors via telehealth appointments.
Viagra and Telemedicine
According to U.S. News & World Report, telemedicine might be the best tool to help men who are too embarrassed to see a doctor in person.
Online questionnaires ask a wide range of questions to determine the exact nature of the problem. Sometimes, patients might not clearly articulate the details of their condition in a face-to-face conversation. For example, erectile dysfunction and premature ejaculation are too very different conditions, and the differences can be made quite clear in a questionnaire.
There is research that suggests people are more honest in online interactions, especially when they have to disclose sensitive health conditions, than they are in real life. The University of Utah expounds on this, detailing why patients lie to their doctors. Examples include an electronic greeting card company that allows sexual partners to alert one another that they may have been exposed to a sexually transmitted disease.
U.S. News & World Report cautions that while there are many benefits to getting a Viagra prescription online – it saves time and embarrassment – erectile dysfunction can be an early warning sign of heart disease. Being seen by a doctor for an in-person examination can reveal any underlying problems behind the erectile dysfunction.
Encouraging Men to Get Help
Another startup takes this into consideration. Its CEO was diagnosed with erectile dysfunction at 17, and further checkups revealed a serious heart condition. Motivated to help other men, he founded Roman, which lets patients answer questions about their medical history for $15. The answers are reviewed by licensed physicians, who will then write a prescription if they feel that the patient’s need for Viagra is authentic. If so, the Roman Pharmacy Network arranges for the medication (or a more affordable generic) to be shipped to the patient’s house for free and will set up automatic refills.
Most men who experience erectile dysfunction do not seek treatment, says the American Urological Association, usually out of shame or denial. But a difficulty in demonstrating sexual arousal can be a sign of anything — heart disease, diabetes, high blood pressure, or high cholesterol. The survey that Roman requires patients to fill out asks if they have experienced other signs related to these conditions.
The makers of Roman hope to end the stigma around erectile dysfunction and to encourage more men to take the initiative when they notice a problem. Most men who use the service are between the ages of 25 and 45, which trends younger than the public perception of men who have ED.
The Future of Viagra?
Roman, KwikMed, Pfizer and other similar online portals provide private, safe, and effective ways for patients to get their ED treated. They also can help patients find out if their erectile dysfunction is a symptom of a bigger problem and ensure that patients are not paying for cheap knockoffs.
There are more questions being asked about how to make Viagra more easily available. In the United Kingdom, for example, Viagra is an over-the-counter drug, but a pharmacist needs to review the purchase regardless of the lack of a prescription. This has led some physicians in the United States to suggest that a similar system can be enacted here, and telemedicine services will provide a way for that to happen.
Viagra is not a dangerous substance on its own, but it can be abused. The screening tools via an online platform will ensure that the medication is not diverted, and they can also raise a warning flag if there is evidence that the erectile dysfunction is part of a larger health problem.
For this to happen properly, patients will have to be honest about their sexual and personal health. This is an area where telemedicine may allow more freedom and comfort than a traditional setting.
References
Pfizer Launches Website for Purchasing Viagra Safely. (May 2013). American Pharmacists Association.
Ordering Viagra Online, Without Visiting a Doctor’s Office. (October 2008). U.S. News & World Report.
Can the Internet Actually Make Us More Honest? (October 2015). Psychology Today.Why Patients Lie to Their Doctors. (November 2008). University of Utah.
Got Unhappy STD News? Break It With an E-card. (October 2008). CNN.
Erectile Dysfunction Often a Warning Sign of Heart Disease. (October 2011). Harvard Health Publishing.
Start-up Delivers Viagra to Your Door. (January 2018). CNBC.
Majority of Men Do Not Treat Their Erectile Dysfunction. (May 2013). American Urological Association.
Real Viagra to Be Sold Directly to Patients Online in Move Against Fakes. (May 2013). NBC News.
Should Viagra Be an Over-the-Counter Drug? (December 2017). Healthline.
