Pfizer, the company best known for fighting online purchases of prescription drugs – especially Viagra, has decided on a new approach: setting up its own online site to sell Viagra directly to consumers (see press release here). Pfizer doesn’t call it an “online pharmacy” — wording that might be synonymous with “counterfeit” thanks, in part, to Pfizer’s PR efforts such as the famous dead rat commercial (see “Was a Rat Harmed in the Filming of This Pfizer Commercial?“). Coincidentally (?), that commercial is no longer available on YouTube! I guess you won’t find any dead rats in Pfizer’s “home delivery” of Viagra®.
The “prescription-fulfillment website for Viagra”, 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,” says Pfizer.
Pfizer is now in direct competition with other online pharmacies — legit and otherwise — that sell Viagra at discounted prices. To distinguish itself from the online rabble, Pfizer continues to dis the idea of buying Rx drugs from such sites:
“We have seen counterfeit medicines manufactured in filthy and deplorable conditions, yet some people do not realize the risks that this poses to their health and safety, our top priority,” said Matthew Bassiur, vice president, Pfizer Global Security. “Counterfeit medicines often contain the wrong or incorrect levels of active ingredient, as well as potentially dangerous contaminants. Samples of counterfeit Viagra tested by our labs have contained pesticides, wallboard, commercial paint and printer ink. These findings motivate us to continue our aggressive global efforts to stop those who prey on unsuspecting patients.”
Pfizer, IMHO, will have a tough time competing with legitimate Canadian online pharmacies, which continue to attract online buyers. eDrugSearch, for example, which brings together “top Canadian pharmacies in a single directory to make it easy … to compare drug prices and buy drugs online,” is still in business years after I interviewed its president and founder, Cary Byrd:
So Pfizer will have to also compete on prices by offering discounts, extra free pills, etc. According to the NYT Blog, “customers who buy Viagra through the Pfizer Web site get three free pills in their first prescription — which typically consists of six pills — and 30 percent off their second prescription.” Pfizer says the same deal has been offered to patients at doctors’ offices for months.
Thus, the only incentive for men to purchase Viagra online direct from Pfizer is “convenience” — not having to walk (or drive) to the nearest pharmacy to pick up the prescription. Such laziness may be a contributing factor for ED — lack of exercise leads to cardiovascular problems, which may be a major cause of ED.
Here’s the video from Pfizer:
