If you’re living in the 21st century, you head of Viagra – even if you never used or haven’t thought about using it! Countless movies, TV series and other pop culture works referenced Viagra in one way or another, for fun or otherwise. But this popularity of “the little blue pill” is just another “symptom” of its importance in the history of ED treatment. The discovery of Viagra, or more precisely, its active ingredient, sildenafil, changed everything!
Not only were the prior treatments largely ineffective, they were also rather uncomfortable to administer – well, you don’t want us to get into details. Bottom line is – the discovery of a simple to use and safe pill that can make your impotence problems go away in under half an hour after taking the dose was a giant leap.
What’s on this page?
Where can I buy Viagra cheaply?
So, naturally, if you are struggling with erectile dysfunction, you probably already heard about Viagra and know it is super-effective. In fact, the only thing remaining might be actually getting the medicine. But that’s where the problem arises for many. Viagra is a prescription drug, so you need to see a doctor. But there’s also an online clinic option. Not to mention illicit ways of obtaining it – we’re not joking, let’s not mention that. There are many safety concerns even if the product is legit, and there’s no way of knowing that when you’re buying Viagra on the street. So, let’s put that aside and take a look at the two legal and safe ways of obtaining “the little blue pill”.
What price can I expect in my local pharmacy?
Let’s call this the conventional route. So, it’s what you might expect – you go to your doctor, have a talk with him, take your prescription, go to the pharmacy, get your medicine there and done deal, right? Well, almost. But, let’s not get ahead of ourselves.
On a positive note, the price at the pharmacy will always be fixed – and it’s the same for all prescription medications. The price is, at least on the most general level, firmly set by the national health authority, or in case of the UK, NHS. However, the final price is the result of negotiations between drug manufacturers, the government and the health authority. 1 But, once the agreement is reached, all pharmacies in your country will sell the same medicine at the same price. But, let’s now take a look at the downside.
Hidden costs of buying Viagra at a local pharmacy
Time is money, or so they say. And if that is true, you will pay a lot more than just the price of the medicine. To reformulate what we said earlier – getting Viagra the traditional route means going to your doctor, thus, taking a day off work, getting stuck in traffic, waiting for ages at the reception and go through a whole ordeal before you even get to speak to the doctor. After that, you get your prescription. Well, most of the time you do. There are chances that you’re not suitable for Viagra treatment and all that time is wasted for simply learning that.
But, let’s say you get your prescription. Now you have another adventure ahead of you – go to the pharmacy, get stuck in the traffic once again and then enjoy chatting and meeting new people in endless lines while waiting to actually finally buy your medicine.
This only covers the loss in time (and temper for some of us). We haven’t even mentioned the usual health fees you’ll have to (regularly) cover in order to get an appointment and it remains a cost, whether you choose public or private health insurance. But, we can conclude this on a positive note – at least the price is final and only dependant on the dose (the pills with a lower concentration of active ingredient are cheaper, are less likely to cause side effects, but might also be less effective). So, if you can afford the time, the traditional route might be the option you prefer.
What are Viagra costs at online clinics?
Online clinics are the only other legal and safe route of obtaining prescription medicines, and the same goes for Viagra. As with the traditional route, where there are also various pros and cons that can be considered. To begin with a positive side – a lot of people can find it very uncomfortable and awkward to talk with a doctor face-to-face about their impotence issue. While you should always disclose all the relevant information to your doctor, some people just have easier time doing this with a computer screen and mask of anonymity between them and the doctor.
Due to the free agreements signed by the EU, you can legally buy prescription medicines from online clinics regardless of your country of residence as long as both your country and the country the clinic is situated in are part of the Union. Of course, in either case, you need a valid prescription.
However, the prices of Viagra at online clinics are usually higher than in pharmacies and they can also be quite varied. Why is that? Well, let’s not get ahead of ourselves. One could say that online clinics come with their own hidden costs as well, but let’s consider them carefully.
What does the price at an online clinic cover?
Viagra cost is actually the same at the online clinics as in local pharmacies in the same country. But wait a minute, you’re now wondering – haven’t you just said that online clinics are more expensive and the prices can vary? Good point. That is true, but the cost at the online clinics covers not only the cost of Viagra, but also the service fees or more precisely, the cost of the consultations with the doctor and also the shipping costs. But not only that, most of the online clinics today also offer 24/7 customer service that is always there for you for any additional questions and guidance you might need.
When you visit your doctor at the public clinic, the state will cover the costs of the consultations which can easily reach 50 euros. What’s more, if you collect the medicine personally, you won’t have to pay the shipping costs, so the online route certainly is pricier, yet for many, the time saved when going along this route is well worth the cost.
You be the judge of that works best for you!
What’s the monthly cost of Viagra?
This one is hard to answer since it depends on numerous mostly personal factors which include:
- How often you have sex – thus, how many pills you need per month
- Whether you’re obtaining the medicine through your GP or an online clinic
- Whether you’re using branded or generic version
Why is it so costly to begin with?
Even with the cheapest solution – let’s say, a local pharmacy at a country with relatively low pharmaceutical costs – Viagra is still very expensive as compared to the other prescription medicines. There are numerous reasons behind this. For example, research and development at Pfizer worked very hard for many years in order to produce a safe and effective ED pill, and there are, of course, production costs, quality control procedures and on-going studies of the medicine. And then of course, there is the price of a patent – Viagra is a trademarked brand, which also influences the cost.
Is there a generic version and is it cheaper?
The answer to both questions is yes. Prior to 2017, the branded version was the only one available, but after December 2017, when the patent expired, generic version marketed as simply sildenafil stormed the markets.
The generic version is usually 30 to 40% cheaper than the branded one. However, this does not influence its effectiveness – since the patent for Viagra expired, the generic sildenafil contains the same ingredients in the same ratio, meaning it produces the same effects and is available in the same dosages. The choice of generic vs. branded version is yours to make!
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