THE impotence drug Viagra will go on sale in the high street for the first time this week through Boots the chemist.

Customers will be able to buy a pack of four tablets for £50 after a consultation with a Boots’ pharmacist from Wednesday, Valentine’s Day.

Until now men wishing to take Viagra have been able to obtain it only on prescription by appointment with a doctor. They will not face the same embarrassment at Boots, which will sell the drug through pharmacists.

Boots already sells weight-loss drugs and treatments for balding under the same arrangement, called a patient group direction.

Men will be able to buy a pack of Viagra after a pharmacist has checked their blood pressure and cholesterol levels. Customers will also be asked to fill out a medical history questionnaire to ensure they do not have any health conditions that would make it dangerous for them to take the drug.

They will then be asked to have a consultation with a private doctor, at a further cost of £37.50, if they wish to buy regular supplies of the medicine. If given the all-clear, they will be able to buy packs of four tablets for £21.25, comparable with prices on the internet.

The sale of Viagra from chemist’s shops will begin in three Boots stores in Manchester before being made available to stores across the country.

A Boots spokeswoman said: “There are a number of safety checks in place to ensure safe and correct supply. People will have to go through a thorough consultation with a pharmacist. They would then need to see a doctor to have a full medical examination before getting an ongoing supply.

“Erectile dysfunction can be a marker for an underlying medical condition and so we are keen to take this extra step.” Viagra is estimated to be taken by about 27m men worldwide, including 900,000 in Britain. But there has been strong competition from rival drugs.

While Pfizer’s Viagra works for four hours, Cialis, made by rival company Eli Lilly, can work for 36 hours, giving it the nickname Le Weekend.

Dr Ian Banks, president of the Men’s Health Forum, a campaign group, welcomed Viagra being made available. He said that it was very safe: “Despite the huge number of men who have taken Viagra I am not aware of one death from Viagra on its own. It is a lot safer than many other medicines that are available over the counter.

“The only problems occur if Viagra is taken by men who are also taking nitrate drugs for chest pain, as their blood pressure could drop to dangerously low levels. Pharmacists will make these checks and that is why we would prefer men to get Viagra from a pharmacist than over the internet.”

Although some men get prescriptions of Viagra on the National Health Service for £6.65, many would struggle to persuade their GP to agree and would be embarrassed to discuss their sexual problems. A private doctor would make the drug more expensive.

Erectile dysfunction is estimated to affect about 10% of men at any one time. Although age itself is not a cause, the risk increases as men get older: 18% of 50 to 59-year-olds have suffered the problem, compared with 7% of 18 to 29-year-olds.

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