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Eligible groups for NHS treatment of erectile dysfunction

Authoring team

The following groups of men are eligible for treatment with specified drugs (including Viagra) for erectile dysfunction under NHS guidance (1,2):

  • diabetes
  • multiple sclerosis
  • Parkinson's disease
  • poliomyelitis
  • prostate cancer
  • prostatectomy - includes TURP (2)
  • radical pelvic surgery
  • renal failure treated by dialysis or transplant
  • severe pelvic injury
  • single gene neurological disease
  • spinal cord injury
  • spina bifida

Also drug treatment can be prescribed to those men not included in the above categories but who were receiving drug treatment for impotence from their GP on 14th September 1998.

"For other men who are caused severe distress by impotence, it is proposed that treatment should be available in exceptional circumstances only after specialist assessment in a hospital (1)."

The drug treatments involved are alprostadil (Caverjet, MUSE and viridal), moxisylyte hydrochloride / thymoxamine hydrochloride (Erecnos) and sildenafil (Viagra). The use of non-drug treatments is not affected by NHS regulations.

NHS treatment guidance indicates that one treatment a week will be appropriate for most patients with erectile dysfunction. However "if the GP in exercising his clinical judgement considers that more than one treatment a week is appropriate he should prescribe that amount on the NHS (2)."


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