High street pharmacy chain Boots is to trial over-the-counter sales of Viagra from Valentine's Day.
The trial, which coincides with both Valentine's Day and the Sexual Dysfunction Association's (SDA) national impotence day, will be piloted in three of the chain's Manchester branches.
Customers to the branches will be offered a consultation with a pharmacist and a trial pack of four pills for £50. The pilot scheme will be open to men aged between 30 and 65.
The retail chain also runs hair retention, weight loss and chlamydia testing programmes
It is thought that there are an estimated 2.3 million men in the UK suffering from erectile dysfunction, yet only ten per cent of sufferers receive treatment for the problem. According to the SDA, erectile dysfunction also acts as a factor in one in five relationship breakdowns.
Boots healthcare director Alex Gourlay said: "This programme is a real innovation in access to treatment of erectile dysfunction in the UK."
It is hoped that the move by Boots will provide treatment for more sufferers.
A spokesperson for Boots also pointed to the Viagra consultation acting as a screening process for other medical problems, saying: "Erectile dysfunction can often be a marker for a more serious underlying medical condition."
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