How Generic Viagra Is Like a Unicorn

By: Antonio LeMaire
Submitted: 2007-11-09 15:09:51
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Beware Too-Cheap Erectile Dysfunction Medications

Unicorns are imaginary creatures and so is generic Viagra. If the price you see for online Viagra is too cheap, a warning bell should go off in your mind. If you see the words "generic Viagra" the bell should become a fog horn, sounding the alarm. That's because the drug maker Pfizer still holds the patent on brand name Viagra, so there is no such thing as generic Viagra, not legally anyway.

If you've ordered and received "generic Viagra", it's a fake. It's a counterfeit copy that isn't real Viagra, wasn't made in the US, and hasn't been tested and approved by the FDA.

So what is the real truth about these so-called cheap, generic drugs for erectile dysfunction? And how can you tell if you're getting the real thing at the best possible price? Let's take a look at some competing online pharmacies and what they charge. These were the posted prices on their websites as of Oct. 22, 2007 comparing the same quantity and dosages of Viagra.

Viagra Price Comparison Chart:

KwikMed 10 X 100mg tablets for $176.99

ViaMedic 10 X 100mg tablets for $188.10

eMedsRx 10 X 100mg tablets for $174.99

AccessRx 10 X 100mg tablets for $188.10

In contrast, the online pharmacy eDrugstore.md offers 10 X 100mg tablets of Viagra for only $168. (Includes free medical consultation.)

More Than Just a Matter Of Money

Price, of course, isn't everything. If you're buying Viagra online (or any other product for erectile dysfunction), you should be concerned about the authenticity and quality of the product and the service you're getting. Do NOT be seduced by unbelievably cheap Viagra, like this:

USOnlineRX 10 x 100mg Viagra tablets for $125

Only $12.50 a pill, you say? What's the catch? You'll notice this website sells brand name Viagra as well as "generic Viagra",which we already know is a unicorn. If your neighborhood pharmacy began selling snake oil, how long would you continue to trust it with your prescriptions?

USOnlineRX's website also says they're based in Great Britain but their physical address is in Cyprus. So if you're not happy with their product, they're thousands of miles away in a remote offshore location.

Using The "Embarrassment Factor" To Cheat Customers

A consumer protection group for retired persons in Florida says it has received complaints that suggest 30% of vendors of cheap Viagra, Cialis and Levitra online are offering erectile dysfunction medications that may not be the genuine article. And getting away with it.

"We believe these vendors are counting on the embarrassment customers might feel over ordering such a product," says a spokesman for the group. "When you order something online, privacy is a key motivation, and if your treatment doesn't work, you may well feel inhibited over making a complaint to a third party, such as government authorities which protect the consumer."

Add to this disappointment the fact that many of the cheap sellers pushing "generic" Viagra or Cialis can pad their prices with hidden charges and high fees for medical consultations. A consultation is standard when you buy prescription products online. You have to fill out an online form that's eviewed by a licensed physician. Respectable online pharmacies don't charge extra for this, they factor it into their operating costs and view it as a necessary step in providing a comprehensive service... not an opportunity to gouge their customers.

A pharmaceutical consultant put it to us this way: "It's extremely irresponsible for these cut-rate vendors to offer a cheaper copy version because we're talking about pharmaceutical drugs - ingesting something foreign into your system. When you purchase Viagra, Levitra or Cialis through a reputable online drugstore, you can be sure you're getting the genuine brand name product dispensed by pharmacists and doctors who take into account how these erectile dysfunction drugs might affect you and your health, what side effects you might experience, any contraindications, a whole range of things. But these other guys are selling something that might have a completely different effect on you.... or no effect whatsoever."

Cheap Viagra Vendor Exposed

Bob (not his real name) is a 56-year-old structural engineer in Montana who got stung by vendors of supposedly cheap Viagra online.

"The treatment simply didn't work," he says with a shrug. "The idiots didn't even get my address right for the delivery, so it was doubly embarrassing because the package went to my neighbor next door. In a strange way, that ended up being a good thing. I know the guy well, he's a cop and has friends in a forensics lab. So they put one of these cheap Viagra pills under their microscope or whatever and found out there was just codeine in it, nothing more special than stimulants you'd get in a cold medicine."

Bob is now getting his Viagra online through a pharmacy that sells the real thing: eDrugstore.md. "You have to do your homework. And once you find a good pharmacy, stick with it."

The way to protect yourself is quite simple. Deal with a legitimate, well-established online pharmacy that demonstrates its commitment to authenticity and has procedures clearly in place for accountability.

How To End The Rip Offs

What if you're like Bob and you've been ripped off or just poorly served by a vendor of too-cheap or generic drugs? Lawyers are expensive and legal recourse is not within everyone's reach. But if you've suffered health problems as the result of taking fake drugs or even if you just lost money on them, think about protecting others who may fall into the same trap.

Use the Internet to spread the word about online pharmacies that have ripped you off. It costs you only a little time to write a blog post or comment on one of our health forums describing your experience. Don't just rant about not getting your Viagra -- lay out the facts, name names, so that others will be warned and know which online pharmacies to avoid and also what is a fair price to pay for genuine, FDA approved products.

The moral of the story is: Don't be dazzled by promises of cheap Viagra, generic erectile dysfunction drugs, or other pharmaceutical unicorns. If something seems too good to be true... it probably is.

Article source: Expert Articles