The New Straits Times, December 14, 1998
Contributed by the National Poison Centre
Between March 27 and Sept 27, since "Viagra" was first approved by the US Food and Drug Administration, the National Poison Centre at Universiti Sains Malaysia has recorded at least 235 articles about the drug in five local newspapers, including the New Straits Times.
By the end of November, the number has increased to about 270. In other words Malaysians on average have been getting their daily dose of Viagra news and it is expected to go on in the months ahead.
The anticipation that the drug would be registered in this country soon will no doubt keep the public wanting more information.
The number of items that have appeared in the local media can be considered unprecedented. In a way it is ironic in the sense that never has a product that is yet to be make available "legally" in the market has had so much publicity.
This is even more worrying considering the fact that much of the reporting is brief, and some carry unbalanced and incomplete information. Some even bordered on sensationalism.
This raises concern that there are bound to be misconceptions as reported in other countries as well. The concern is felt even more considering that Malaysia has a vibrant young population who are sexually active.
On World AIDS Day on Dec 1, we were reminded how vulnerable the young are when it comes to contracting HIV/AIDS. Misinformation about Viagra can only make the situation worse if the drug is perceived a as yet another "recreational" substance.
Indeed, Viagra has raise the curiosity of many segments of society, generating discussions and jokes. The mood is one of cautious optimism. The Health Minister is correct when he was quoted as saying we should be concerned about the adverse effects this drug can bring, despite recognising its usefulness. Given the prevailing situation about the scarcity of accurate information, this statement cannot be overemphasised.
The death toll related to Viagra as of November stands at 130 cases, with more reports being received by the FDA including those from other countries.
Not surprisingly the post-marketing information released to date does show that there are cases of "misuse" due to a lack of information or otherwise caused by "drug misadventure" on part of the patients.
Although the product is still regarded as "safe" this is only in the context of proper and correct usage.
The withdrawal of the anti-obesity drugs "Fen-phen" just a few months before should continue to remind us that no drugs are safe until they are used as directed with full understanding of their implications.
To this end, the FDA has instructed stronger warnings to be labelled on the product in attempting to avert further deaths. Malaysians will have the full benefit of such safety measures in view of the fact that the drug is yet to be registered in this country.
Even then, labelling alone is not a foolproof measure because Malaysians are not accustomed to reading labels and the general awareness about medicines is rather low.
Moreover, in many cases, medicines have never been properly labelled and little information is "dispensed" with the medicine. This has not bothered the patients at all.
Yet for Viagra all these will make a difference. And the difference could be between life and death. It is therefore vital that the public be exposed to all the necessary precautions as soon as possible in the form of public education on the use of Viagra, if not all medicines. The role model set by the government hospitals with their drug counselling services is indeed a good point to start.
For its part, the National Poison Centre has attempted by play its role in redressing the situation by creating a locally available website named VIAGRALERT.
It is aimed at redirecting the consumers and professionals to a number of selected websites about the product.
In so doing, it is hoped more active and comprehensive self-directed learning about the subject could be initiated. Apart from links to other prominent websites, quizzes and moderated discussion have been added where users can actively participate in keeping themselves well-informed.
There is also a news update than will bring the latest reliable information to the public. For the professionals, a free search engine has been integrated enabling them to source the latest research in the field.
All these are intended to alert Malaysians on the need to be fully informed about their medication, particularly on drugs like Viagra.
A full blown colour image and description of the tablets are also incorporated so that patients can as far as possible distinguish them from fakes and counterfeit products.
VIAGRALERT (http://pm.usm.my/viagra.html) is divided into five basic sections. The news update (results of a study conducted among seven countries in Asia), resources for consumers featuring less technical information on all effects of the drugs, resources for professionals, search and selected readings giving access to a free search engine to databases at the National Institutes of Health in the US, and articles and books on related subjects and special section on erectile dysfunction (or impotence) are also featured.
There is also a section on alternative solutions. Some of these alternatives have been tried and proven to be effective albeit they work quite differently from Viagra. A Bahasa Malaysia version is being worked on.
