Amid an international celebration of a new potency drug, six deaths occurred believed to be linked to the use of Viagra. The Food and Drug Administration approved the drug in March, and has yet to confirm if the deaths are related to the potency pill. The phenomenal sales of Viagra in the United States alone indicate a misuse of the drug in order to increase sexual potency. The European Union’s recommendation Friday to expand Viagra to the 15-country region shows that the recent deaths are not enough to stop the drug’s worldwide demand.
In most cases, the causes of impotence are physical ones. Impotence, or erectile dysfunction, is the failure to obtain or maintain an erection for more than 20 percent of the time during intercourse on a regular basis. Impotence can be a misleading term, because many men with erectile problems can still desire sex, achieve an orgasm or ejaculate. In almost all cases, impotency is related to other health problems. Impotency can be a side effect of heart disease and other cardiovascular illnesses. Although Viagra cures impotency, health issues still remain. All five men who used Viagra and died during or shortly after having intercourse were believed to have a history of cardiovascular illnesses. Another man died because the pill was mixed with a nitrate drug, which is commonly prescribed to heart patients.
Pfizer, the U.S. pharmaceutical company that manufactures the drug, contends that the drug is safe. Because the FDA approved the drug and because warning labels are marked on the pill bottles, it is up to doctors to prescribe Viagra carefully. An estimated 1 million patients were prescribed Viagra since it came out on the market in April, leaving businesses such as Walmart and K-Mart battling in pricing wars over Viagra prescriptions. Pfizer now wants to build a European headquarters near Reigate, Surray, 35 kilometers south of London. Before the expansion can take place, it must be approved by the European Commission.
The proposal comes at a time when many countries are considering a ban on Viagra until safety concerns are clarified. As a result, Viagra is flowing through the black market. A shipment of the male fertility drug was stolen recently at a Caracas, Venezuela, seaport. Gangsters are smuggling the drug into Taiwan from the United States. Taiwanese newspapers report that use of the drug is not mainly health-related. In Taiwan, male entertainers are among the main purchasers who use the drug for performance reasons.
The drug is not only becoming widely used commercially and underground, it is also being misused. Several doctors report of patients who lie about their physical condition in order to obtain the drug. Before expanding Viagra overseas, impotency prescriptions should distributed more carefully in the United States. Since it is well-known that the cause of erectile dysfunction in most cases is a physical one, doctors should follow that strict criteria before prescribing the drug. A thorough review of the patient’s medical history should also be part of the process. Like any other drug, Viagra should not be considered a cure-all.