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Biotech / Medical : PFE (Pfizer) How high will it go? -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: Anthony Wong who wrote (6987)	2/11/1999 10:28:00 AM
From: Anthony Wong	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 9523

U.K. patients chop up Viagra pills to save money LONDON, Feb 11 (Reuters) - British patients are chopping up Viagra pills to save money, sparking fears that some may be receiving the incorrect dose of the top-selling anti-impotence drug, doctors said on Thursday. "I have got people on the 25mg dose who buy the 100mg and chop it in four. I do warn them that they are not getting an exact dose but it is the cheapest way of doing it," Dr David Delvin of Cambridge in southeastern England, told the medical newspaper The Doctor. "I had one patient who chopped up a Viagra tablet, when a bit went under the piano the dog ate it." Impotence patients are buying the largest 100mg dosage because of the way the pill, made by the U.S. firm Pfizer <PFE.N>, is priced. The problem was compounded in January when Britain decided to restrict subsidised prescriptions of the blue pills on the country's National Health Service (NHS) to patients whose impotence was caused by specific physical conditions. The decision means up to 85 percent of impotent men cannot receive the drug on the NHS and must receive more costly prescriptions from private doctors. The move enraged the British Medical Association which encouraged NHS doctors to prescribe the drug to anyone they thought would benefit from it. Patients who receive the drug through the NHS pay 16.59 pounds ($27) for four 25 mg tablets, or 4.15 each. Cutting a 100mg tablet into quarters works out at 1.46 pounds each piece. Impotence suffers who receive the drug through private doctors have even more incentive because 50 mg tablet costs about 7.50 pounds but some pharmacies are selling 100 mg for just a fraction more. "I'm sure it widespread. Patients are not at any increased danger but they may get side-effects," said Dr Douglas Savage of Doncaster in northeastern England. Pfizer said patients might be taking too high a dose and it was up to the doctor and pharmacist to make sure patients received the correct amount. ($1=.6131 Pound)