IMPOTENCE drug Viagra - not yet approved for release in Hong Kong - is proving a hot item in the border town of Sheung Shui.
One drug shop owner, who said his wares were 'real' Viagra imported from the United States, revealed he had sold 60 tablets in two weeks at $300 each.
'People, mostly in their 30s and 40s, including some truck drivers, like buying it before crossing the border to Shenzhen,' he said.
The shop owner said he knew it was illegal to sell the unregistered drug, but the profits were attractive.
'I know many operators in the industry who are selling this drug. It's a lucrative business,' he said.
He refused to disclose his source but said it was 'quite easy' to get stocks on the black market. Wholesale prices in the US were about $7 a tablet, while retail prices ranged from $9 to $10.
Queen Mary Hospital urologist Dr Tam Po-chor said up to half of local men unable to achieve an erection gave up on treatment once they realised there was no remedy in pill form.