Sildenafil Tablets 25mg, 50mg or 100mg – 4 or 8 Tablets

Sildenafil is a prescription-only medicine for erectile dysfunction (ED) in men aged 18 and over. It belongs to a group of medicines called PDE5 inhibitors, which help blood flow into the penis when you are sexually aroused. Sildenafil is the first-choice treatment under our Patient Group Direction (PGD), usually starting at 50mg; we stock 25mg, 50mg and 100mg tablets. At Ways Pharmacy it is supplied only after a pharmacist has assessed your health, heart risk and current medicines and confirmed that it is suitable for you.

How to access this medicine

1. Start your free online assessment. Complete a health questionnaire, including a blood pressure reading taken in the last 3 months with a photo of the monitor display. You confirm your identity by uploading photo ID or showing it on a video call. If you do not have a recent reading, you can have your blood pressure checked free of charge at our Holborn pharmacy.
2. Pharmacist reviews and speaks with you. A GPhC-registered pharmacist contacts you by phone or video to go through your heart health, current medicines and answers, and confirms whether this medicine is suitable.
3. If suitable, order and pay on this page. Once the pharmacist confirms the medicine is suitable, you select the strength and pack and check out on this page, or call 020 8106 7084. If it is not suitable — including when the pharmacist gives advice only — you pay nothing and the pharmacist explains your other options. If you have already paid and the pharmacist finds the medicine is not suitable, you receive a full refund.
4. We post your medicine or you collect it. Once approved, orders placed by 3pm on a weekday are posted the same day (see our shipping policy), or you can collect from Holborn.

There is no separate consultation fee. If the medicine you chose is not suitable, the pharmacist may suggest another option.

About this medicine

Dosage

• Usual starting dose: one 50mg tablet with water about 1 hour before sexual activity
• No more than one dose in 24 hours
• Sexual stimulation is needed for it to work. A heavy meal can delay the effect
• Depending on how well it works and any side effects, the pharmacist may lower the dose to 25mg or raise it to 100mg (the maximum)

You choose a strength when you order, but the pharmacist decides which strength is suitable for you after the assessment. If a different strength would be more suitable, the pharmacist will contact you before anything is supplied.

Under our PGD a supply is limited to 4 or 8 tablets at a time. Further supplies follow a check with the pharmacist on how well it worked and any side effects. Try it on several occasions before deciding it does not work; if it still does not help, the pharmacist can discuss other options.

Warnings and who should not take this medicine

• Women and anyone under 18
• Anyone using nitrates (such as GTN spray, isosorbide mononitrate or dinitrate), nitric oxide donors such as amyl nitrite ("poppers"), or riociguat — the combination can cause a dangerous fall in blood pressure
• Anyone already taking another erectile dysfunction medicine
• Chest pain at rest or on exertion, unexplained breathlessness, fainting, unstable angina or severe heart failure, or anyone not fit enough for sexual activity — you should be able to climb two flights of stairs without chest pain, breathlessness or dizziness
• A heart attack, stroke or mini-stroke (TIA) in the last 6 months
• Very low blood pressure (below 90/50) or uncontrolled high blood pressure
• Severe liver or kidney disease
• Retinitis pigmentosa, or previous sudden sight loss caused by NAION
• A history of priapism, or sickle cell anaemia, multiple myeloma or leukaemia
• A significant penile deformity, such as Peyronie's disease

Tell the pharmacist about every medicine you take. Extra care is needed with alpha-blockers (such as doxazosin or tamsulosin), blood pressure medicines, and some antifungal, antibiotic and HIV medicines. Diabetes, high cholesterol, smoking and heavy drinking can be linked to ED and the pharmacist may suggest you also see your GP.

Possible side effects

The most common are headache, flushing, indigestion, a blocked nose, dizziness, feeling sick and changes in vision such as a blue tinge or blurring. They are usually mild and short-lived. Do not drive if you feel dizzy or your vision is affected.

Stop taking it and get urgent medical help if you have chest pain during or after sex (call 999), an erection lasting more than 4 hours, sudden loss or change of vision or hearing, or swelling of the face, lips or throat.

More information about the service, including pharmacy-medicine options, is on our erectile dysfunction treatment page.

Regulatory information

• Legal status: Prescription-only medicine (POM), supplied under a Patient Group Direction after pharmacist assessment
• Pharmacy: Ways Pharmacy, 77 Southampton Row, London WC1B 4ET · GPhC-registered premises 9012227
• Patient information leaflet: electronic Medicines Compendium (emc)
• Report suspected side effects through the MHRA Yellow Card Scheme

This page gives factual information about a prescription-only medicine and is not an advertisement to the public. It is supplied only after a pharmacist has assessed that it is suitable for you.