Five questioned by police over alleged illegal Viagra sales

A pharmacist and four other people were questioned by police yesterday over the alleged sale of Viagra without prescriptions.

The chemist shop swoop, three days after the anti-impotence drug's launch, was carried out with the Department of Health, which said it would step up law enforcement to stamp out abuse of the drug.

Viagra can only be sold with prescriptions at registered pharmacies, and supervised by pharmacists.

During the past two days, undercover health inspectors have purchased Viagra in 76 pharmacies and drug stores in Mongkok, Shamshuipo, Yau Ma Tei, Wan Chai and Causeway Bay.

Yesterday, two tablets were bought for $400 from a Jordan pharmacy without a prescription. Three men and one woman, including the shop owner and a pharmacist, were taken away by police.

In another operation, inspectors purchased two Viagra tablets for $300 without a prescription at a Shamshuipo drug store. One man was taken away for questioning. The store was found also to have an illegal stock of Viagra.

A Health Department spokeswoman warned that people taking Viagra without proper medical supervision risked serious side-effects and even death.

She said the Medical Council would investigate any cases reported of doctors selling Viagra without providing a proper consultation.

Anyone selling the drug illegally faces a maximum fine of $100,000 and two years' jail.

Pharmaceutical Society of Hong Kong president Benjamin Kwong Yiu-sum described the abuse of Viagra at pharmacies and drug stores as only the 'tip of the iceberg'.

Mr Kwong warned that without any monitoring of Viagra sales in private clinics, the drug would be easily abused.

'Public hospitals have such a guideline. Doctors can at most prescribe 10 tablets each month to a patient, but private practitioners have no such limitation. They can prescribe as many as they want,' he said.

The five suspects were released on bail.