Viagra (drug name, active substance Sildenafil citrate) is one of the world’s most popular drugs for erectile dysfunction.
Viagra – brand name. Apart from it, there are a lot of generics containing the same active ingredient, Sildenafil citrate.
In the Australian market, you can buy Viagra under generic names:
- SILDENAFIL GH;
- SILDENAFIL LAPL;
- SILDENAFIL LUPIN;
- Revatio;
- CHEMMART SILDENAFIL;
- SILDENAFIL SANDOZ;
- SILDENAFIL ARROW;
- SILDENAFIL PFIZER;
- NOUMED SILDENAFIL;
- SILDENAFIL HEXAL;
- SILDENAFIL HX;
- SILDENAFIL RBX;
- SILDENAFIL RANBAXY;
- SILDENAFIL SDZ;
- SILDENAFIL MEDIS;
- SILDENAFIL AN;
- SILDENAFIL WATSON;
- SILDENAFIL ACTAVIS PAH;
- SILDENAFIL SZ PHARMA, etc.
It should be noted that nearly all generic names for Viagra tablets contain the word SILDENAFIL as an indication of the active substance.
And only Revatio (manufactured by the same Pfizer company that makes Viagra) is a brand name because they use it to treat not erectile dysfunction but pulmonary hypertension. That’s why the name doesn’t include Sildenafil so as not to mislead consumers.
Does generic Viagra work the same?
Theoretically, all Viagra generics should be as effective as the brand drug and only have a lower price. After all, they contain the same active ingredient.
However, in practice, a lot depends on the feedstock’s purification degree (the higher it is, the more expensive the raw materials and the drug itself) and compliance with the production technology. For this reason, experienced consumers usually use either a brand name drug or generics from well-known and well-established producers (their price can be the same as that of the original Viagra).
We should add that not all manufacturers copy the look of Viagra (small blue pill). Most generic pills are white. Some tablets have notches that allow you to break them into 2 or 4 parts.
Are generics of Viagra in Australia legitimate, and what are they?
It is well known that Viagra is one of the most counterfeited drugs in the world. So, when buying its equivalents (especially online), you should check the drug’s legitimacy.
You can do this on the Australian Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) website. There you can find the list of all generics authorised for sale on the Australian market, with the years for which the authorisation was granted.
Doctors warn that the use of counterfeit drugs (including Viagra) may not only not give the expected effect but also cause significant harm to the body.
Conclusion
The TGA approved 20 Viagra generics for sale in Australian drugstores.
So, the consumer has a choice, which is a good thing. However, it would be better to consult a doctor, or at least a pharmacist, before buying and starting to take such a drug as Viagra (Sildenafil).
