The dangers of fake medicines: Let’s work together and counter the counterfeits

A common line that Medical Specialists™ Pharmacy hears is “I can get Viagra for a lot cheaper from my mate at the pub” from men who suffering with erectile dysfunction and are coming to us because we are a fully-registered online pharmacy and a trusted source.

However, Steve down the pub flogging what appear to be ‘Viagra’ tablets, for a fraction of the cost of genuine Pfizer Viagra, is not a trusted source. He is more than likely neither a qualified doctor nor pharmacist, will not ask you about your medical history, for a recent blood pressure reading, or if you take medications for other health problems. For instance, men taking nitrate-based drugs such as Nitroglycerin for heart problems should not take Viagra as the two drugs can cause a sudden drop in blood pressure.

Simply put, this friendly chap you meet in the toilets to buy your impotence pills does not care for your well-being but is looking to make easy money off you. It might seem appealing to save a few pounds to buy from Steve instead of a reputable and established pharmacy like Medical Specialists™, but do you really know what you are even buying?

To counter this, Medical Specialists™ now actually offer Sildenafil Teva and Sildenafil Actavis, two erectile dysfunction medications that contain the same active ingredient as the more expensive Pfizer Viagra, but for substantially less in price. Why purchase an unknown product from an unreliable means when you can spend a similar amount for the aforementioned Sildenafil brands and can rest assured you are receiving UK-manufactured medicines, with your consultation questions assessed our GMC-registered doctors who actually do care about your health. Prices for Sildenafil Teva from Medical Specialists™ works out from as little as £2.69 (based on pack of 4 x 25mg tablets on private prescription).

Ingredients in cheap Viagra-like tablets are likely to be of poor quality, expired, or many not even contain any Sildenafil Citrate whatsoever (Viagra’s active ingredient).  This can result in very little, if any at all, improvement in your erections or potentially deadly consequences from taking the cheaper knock-off. On the other end of the scale, tablets with unregulated higher doses are highly dangerous. Super-potent drugs with more than a safe level of Sildenafil Citrate could result in a heart attack.
You may also be shocked and disgusted to learn about some of the ingredients that have previously been found in confiscated counterfeit Viagra include:

. Antifreeze.
. Blue printer ink.
. Cyanide (sometimes used in rat poison).
. Drywall and plaster.
. Dye to replicate genuine Viagra’s texture and colour.
. Speed or amphetamine.

If all that isn’t enough to raise eyebrows, it’s how these drugs are made which is equally shocking. Steve in the pub may have seemingly real-looking blue ‘Viagra’ pills, but he will not tell you about the processes to produce them, and probably doesn’t know himself. Within the dirty, grotty warehouses where these pills are made, there lies the danger of potential toxicity from heavy metals and other unknown ingredients, not the risk of bacterial and fungal infection from the pills being produced in unhygienic conditions.