To: Anthony Wong who wrote (431 ) 6/29/1998 6:31:00 PM From: Anthony Wong Read Replies (1) | Respond to of 1722
London Telegraph: Ministers move to stop Viagra becoming a 'fun' drug By Jon Hibbs, Political Correspondent June 29, 1998 THE Government is to intervene to prevent the anti-impotence drug Viagra from becoming a "pleasure pill" freely available on prescription. Ministers have decided that if the tablets are licensed for use by the National Health Service later this year their distribution must be strictly controlled. The move follows a strong warning about the potential health risks of the product from the Medicines Control Agency, which is examining whether Viagra should go on sale. Frank Dobson, the Health Secretary, signalled his concern yesterday that Viagra in America was being promoted as a recreational aid. "I didn't think it was a relaxation drug really - quite the reverse," he told BBC1's Breakfast with Frost. "Its up to the official body to check whether it is safe. If they decide that it is safe, then the advice we will offer to the NHS is that it should be available providing there are good, sound clinical reasons for it. But if people just go rushing round to their doctor and say, 'can I have some Viagra', because they've lost a bit of their zeal, I don't think they're likely to succeed." Viagra is available on private prescription in limited circumstances. Doctors who recommend it as part of a course of clinical treatment can supply it only to a named patient. Similar restrictions would be imposed to ensure that NHS doctors take personal responsibility for prescribing the drug if it is licensed by the MCA, which is due to report in the autumn. Pending the official investigation, which is taking place in parallel with a similar evaluation by the European medicines agency, it remains illegal to sell Viagra in Britain and even advertising it is a criminal offence. "Viagra is a powerful medical product and should be used only in accordance with the directions of a doctor," the MCA said in a statement this weekend. "People run very real risks with their health if they obtain it from other sources such as mail order or the Internet and take it without the direction of a doctor. We strongly advice against buying Viagra this way."telegraph.co.uk