Pfizer launches website for PDE-5 inhibitor delivery

Saying it’s time to take the guesswork out of buying a legitimate drug online and combat counterfeiters, Pfizer has launched a prescription-fulfillment website for the phosphodiesterase type-5 inhibitor sildenafil citrate (Viagra).

Viagra home delivery, which is powered by CVS/pharmacy and accessible through Viagra.com, offers men with erectile dysfunction (ED) an opportunity to purchase Viagra online (with a valid prescription) from a trusted source.

Fake online pharmacies and the products they sell are an escalating public health threat, Pfizer said in a statement. While the number of online pharmacies has increased in recent years to meet consumer demand, a recent review by the National Association of Boards of Pharmacy (NABP) has shown that as few as 3% of websites selling prescription drugs are legitimate pharmacies, and up to half offer foreign or non-FDA-approved drugs.

“Through our ongoing analyses, we’ve seen how fake pharmacy websites can lure consumers into buying counterfeit medicines with what seems to be an easy purchasing experience, but it may be putting their health at risk,” said Carmen Catizone, of NABP. “We’re pleased to see companies collaborating to develop and support solutions that will help patients obtain legitimate prescription medications online.”

Pfizer’s new Viagra home delivery online offering can be accessed through Viagra.com and includes comprehensive e-commerce functionality. With Viagra home delivery, men with ED can submit a new Viagra prescription or refill an existing one, estimate their co-pay in real time, and check on the status of their order. CVS/pharmacy will handle all of the back-end functions, including the authentication of all prescriptions. Its online pharmacy, CVS.com, has received accreditation from the NABP’s Verified Internet Pharmacy Practice Sites program.

“There are almost 24 million searches a year for Viagra online. By offering men with ED convenient access and a legitimate alternative to purchase Viagra online, our hope is that Pfizer will help rein in the distribution of fake ED products,” said Victor Clavelli, of Pfizer.

In 2011, Pfizer Global Security evaluated 22 websites appearing in the top search results for the phrase “buy Viagra” and conducted chemical analysis of the pills advertised as Pfizer’s Viagra that were ordered from these outlets. The study, which was presented at the 2012 AUA annual meeting in Atlanta, found that about 80% of these pills were counterfeit, and while the fake pills contained the active ingredient, sildenafil, the amount was only 30% to 50% of what was advertised.