OVERCOMING BARRIERS
Customers coming into your pharmacy to discuss their EPs or purchase VIAGRA CONNECT® may feel embarrassed or self-conscious, so you and your team should always try to make them feel welcome and put them at ease. Below are some top tips to support men who might be looking to purchase the product:
- Use point of sale displays to your advantage to raise awareness about EPs and showcase the OTC availability of VIAGRA CONNECT®
- Encourage men to open up and talk to their partner, who may be a useful source of support – this could offer longer term benefits to both their relationship and overall mental health
- Remind customers of the benefits of treatment for both the man affected with EPs and their partner
- Look out for customers displaying behaviours and body language that may indicate nervousness and always let customers know there is a consultation room available in the pharmacy if they wish to discuss something in private
Think about how you can initiate conversations surrounding men’s health in your pharmacy. Consultations could unlock discussions around medical conditions associated with EPs (such as diabetes, hypertension or high cholesterol). The Men’s Health Check: Lifestyle Questionnaire can help you identify and tailor lifestyle changes for customers and potentially lead to engagement with men’s health services offered in your pharmacy. Download the PDF here
Three key treatment factors
A recent survey carried out in men and their partners affected by EPs explored perceptions around masculinity, sex life and EPs. It identified the three most important factors for customers seeking treatment for their EPs:2
Click [+] to explore how you can provide customers with reassurance.
Tolerability
Sildenafil is well tolerated at 50mg and 100mg dosage strengths. Clinical trials have demonstrated that most adverse events observed are mild or moderate. Based on pooled results from 67 double-blind, placebo-controlled trials, serious treatment-related adverse events have occurred in only 0.1% of patients.3,4
Efficacy
Clinical research continues to support the efficacy and tolerability of sildenafil. Over the years, more than 136 trials have been conducted involving more than 23,000 patients using sildenafil for the treatment of EPs. Furthermore, the validated erection hardness scale has objectively assessed the efficacy of treatment.1
Ease of purchase
EPs are very common and are estimated to affect 6 million men in the UK.5 Despite this, EPs are not something that are openly discussed – only a third of men do so.2 Raising awareness by using point of sale displays and promoting the availability of pharmacists and trained team members for consultations can help address this.