Howard Campbell, Sunday Gleaner Writer

LAST WEEK marked 10 years since drug company Pfizer's wonder pill Viagra was released worldwide, causing millions of sexually challenged men to stand at attention.

A recent New York Times report said over 35 million men have used the little blue pill to help cure their erectile dysfunction. Not surprising then that Viagra is one of Pfizer's most profitable products, with annual returns of over US$1.6 billion.

Urologist Dr Robert Wan, who spoke at the local launch of Viagra in late 1998, tells The Sunday Gleaner that Jamaican men are no longer afraid to ask for it.

"When it came out, a lot of Jamaican men were apprehensive about taking Viagra because a few people in the US had died. But now more men are aware of it and are asking for it," Wan says.

According to Wan, the profile of Jamaica's Viagra clientele is varied. Older patients often complain about waning sexual prowess due to age or prostate problems. It is prescribed for younger men suffering from anxiety or other psychological problems. However, these reasons do not guarantee a prescription.

Black market

"It's not a recreational drug, persons have to be assessed. This guy may have heart disease, diabetes or hypertension, things that could have caused the problem in the first place," Wan explained.

Despite the rigid guidelines for getting Viagra, Wan said he has seen patients who admitted buying the drug on the black market.

In July 2005, police arrested four men in St Catherine and charged them with selling pharmaceutical goods without a licence. Among the products seized was Conaga, a clone of Viagra.

The WebMD website says there were over 500 deaths associated with Viagra within the first year of its release. Dr Wan says he has no knowledge of any deaths linked to the drug in Jamaica.