ED drug scrips go online in U.K.

U.K. men afraid to discuss a small, er, problem with their doctors will now be able to get their prescription online. That's right, two British pharmacies will begin prescribing ED meds via their websites. Lloyds pharmacy says the service will appeal to men too embarrassed--or perfectly brave but much too busy--to ask their GPs.

Here's how it will work. Patients fill out an online questionnaire that asks for height, weight, blood pressure, other scrips, and info on libido. GPs from the health website DrThom will evaluate the answers to see whether each patient is suitable for one of three popular ED drugs: Viagra, Levitra, and Cialis. At first, men will get an intro pack of eight pills. Then they can order 16 at a time.

The pharmacies are pitching this as an alternative to buying ED drugs online from potentially risky sources. Indeed, Viagra remains one of the most highly counterfeited pills. We'll have to wait and see whether the pharmacies see a deluge of orders--and whether men in the U.S. might ever have this alternative.

- see the story in The Guardian