Rapid Responses to:

EDITOR'S CHOICE: Jane Smith Alternative reports BMJ 2008; 337: a2331 [Full text]

Rapid Responses: Submit a response to this article

Rapid Responses published:

Standing up for sildenafil

Hackett Geoffrey Ian   (2 November 2008)

Standing up for sildenafil 2 November 2008
Hackett Geoffrey Ian, Consultant in Urology (Sexual Medicine) Good Hope Hospital, Sutton Coldfield Send response to journal: Re: Standing up for sildenafil	The statement that 48% of patients achieve success with sildenafil versus 11% of placebo is misleading as in the vast majorities of studies over 70% of attempts resulted in successful sex. In diabetes responses are of the order of 50%. Many patients get virtually no instruction on the need for sexual stimulation and to use the author's analogy about the toaster, this is akin to turning the "on" switch at the mains or reading the manufacturer's instructions. The beauty with sildenafil is that if the drug is ineffective there is no point in continuing and no need for 1000 to take it for 1 to benefit. This must fit the profile of a very cost effective medication and yet we restrict it to very few patients on NHS prescription.I suggest that if we gave the patient the choice, this would be their favorite medication. Competing interests: none