Fake Viagra: Recognize Original Viagra from Pfizer & Avoid Counterfeits

Medically reviewed by: Thomas Fischer (Pharmacist). This article has been written according to strict guidelines and medical standards. More Info

Medically reviewed by: Thomas Fischer (Pharmacist) More Info

Viagra is a well-known drug (s. also What Is Viagra? What Do Viagra Pills Look Like?) that is commonly prescribed for the treatment of erectile dysfunction. It is also known as one of the medications with the highest number of fake versions. Thousands of counterfeits are confiscated throughout the world each year. In just one instance in 2008, eight million pills were seized at once. 

While fake pills may cause financial loss for the manufacturer, the more serious issue is the health problems they can cause. Some severe complications from counterfeit Viagra can even lead to death.

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Why is Fake Viagra So Dangerous?

Since Viagra is very popular and expensive, many people have seen this as an opportunity to make money. To sell their “Viagra” cheaper (s. also Cheap Viagra – How To Save on Original Viagra?), these laboratories may tend to focus more on the appearance than the composition of the pills they produce. This has led to many deaths in the last few years.

Viagra

Fake copies of Viagra usually fall into one of the following categories:

If you buy fake Viagra and it doesn’t work, you can consider yourself lucky; the health consequences could be much worse. Many counterfeits do not contain the original active ingredient or do not have the right amounts of key components to make the medication effective. Placebos are “medications” that contain no active ingredient intended to affect your health. In placebos that are marketed as Viagra, substances like talc or chalk may be used in place of the correct active ingredient sildenafil.

Food coloring can be used to produce the characteristic blue color, making the pills look like original Viagra. If you consider only the appearance of the product, you may become convinced that you have purchased the official product. However, placebos with food coloring are not the most significant risk. Some fake Viagra pills contain ingredients that are harmful to your health. These additives that could be hazardous to your health have been reported to be printer toner, gypsum, and ink.

Counterfeit versions of Viagra may contain low-quality materials. Since they are typically made overseas, they are not subject to the strict standards that the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) requires of US pharmaceutical companies. Products from India and China are particularly infamous for poor quality control. Information on side effects will typically be based on the original ingredients, even when the contents have been altered. Thus, counterfeit Viagra can have side effects that are not mentioned.

Testing Has Shown Counterfeit Viagra to be Ineffective

In 2013, a team of reporters purchased several different types of counterfeit Viagra. They turned them in to medical laboratories in Germany for analysis. Of the eight samples tested, seven had 50% lower sildenafil content than the original. This means the fake pills would have a weakened effect as compared to the original Viagra. In fact, one of the samples was shown to have 0% effectiveness.

Other studies have detected the presence of harmful substances in fake Viagra. Some examples are lead paint and boric acid. Dirt, rat droppings, amphetamines, and cleaning agent residues have also been found in counterfeit Viagra. These discoveries are not surprising, considering the lack of quality control of manufacturing. Since these Viagra copies are usually made by small companies or labs overseas, they are not subject to FDA regulations.

How to Detect Counterfeit Viagra

There are many ways you can identify counterfeit Viagra. One of the first things you can pay attention to is branding. The original drug is made by Pfizer. Original Viagra will be labeled as Viagra. Viagra comes in three different doses: 25, 50, and 200 mg. In the US, Viagra is a prescription drug and thus can only be sold with a valid prescription. Therefore, you must see a doctor before starting to take it.

If you find Viagra being sold online without a prescription, you can be sure it is not the original. The official product is only sold with a script.

Viagra

The shape of the tablets can also indicate whether you have acquired original Viagra or not. Original Viagra pills are blue and have a diamond shape, four sides with rounded corners. The tablets are printed with VGR on one side, along with the dosage (VGR25, VGR50, or VGR100).

The other side of the tablet bears the name of the manufacturer, Pfizer. If the pills are a different color or shape, you may have purchased a fake. The same is true if the writing is missing on either side of the tablet.

How to Identify Original Viagra from Pfizer

You can learn to identify key features of the original product if you want to avoid becoming a victim of fake Viagra. Another way to know if it’s real or not is the way it’s sold to you.

The Look

As mentioned earlier, if the pill isn’t blue, and doesn’t have the correct printing on it, including the Pfizer brand name on the back, it’s not the original.

Correct Packaging

Most fakes are from faraway countries. So, they are likely to contain spelling and translation errors on the packaging or insert. If the English language doesn’t seem as though a native speaker wrote it, suspect a counterfeit.

Prescription Required

Original Viagra from Pfizer can only be sold with a prescription. If you find someone selling Viagra without a script, you can safely assume the pills are fake.

Delivery Time

Many online pharmacies make it sound like they are located in the US so that they can get more customers from the United States. However, the time it takes them to deliver can be telling. If you order Viagra from an online clinic with a pharmacy in the US, you will typically receive the meds within a few days.

If you go to purchase online, and the expected delivery time is much longer than this, the medication is likely coming from far away. For example, it could be from somewhere in Asia, although the pharmacy may claim to operate from the US or Canada.

Price

If you are interested in obtaining original Viagra, you can expect to pay at least $60 per pill. If you find prices significantly lower than this, you are probably looking at a counterfeit (s. also The Cost Of Viagra – A Viagra Price Worth Paying).

What are the Safety Features of Original Viagra?

Original Viagra has the following identifying features on its packaging:

Viagra

The blister pack also has unique features that aid in identifying the original:

An original Viagra pill has the following appearance:

Risks and Dangers of Buying Viagra Online Without a Prescription

In addition to the health risks mentioned earlier, there are legal issues with buying Viagra online without a prescription. Since Viagra is a prescription drug, it is illegal to purchase it without a prescription.

It is also illegal to import drugs that are available in the United States. While the US government may not always prosecute those who try to import pharmaceuticals, your pills could be confiscated in customs. Federal law also provides that penalties can be as steep as incarceration. Your best bet for purchasing original Pfizer Viagra is to see a doctor. This could be your general practitioner or a urologist.

A newer and more convenient way of getting Viagra is through an online doctor service. You can fill out a health questionnaire, and doctors will approve your medication request, sometimes without even needing to have an appointment.

How Can I Buy Original Viagra Online?

You can buy original Viagra online from a telehealth clinic. You will need to fill out a health questionnaire which will then be evaluated by a licensed physician. If they decide Viagra is appropriate for you, they will issue your prescription.

Some states require more than just a questionnaire. Their legislation requires that you have a remote appointment with the doctor by telephone or video. In states in which this law applies, the physician can only prescribe medication after talking with you.

Original Viagra Home Delivery Option

Many online clinics partner with online pharmacies. This means the telehealth doctor can forward your prescription to an online pharmacy that can mail your medication directly to you. 

To take advantage of this option, you can proceed as usual when you access the online clinic’s website. First, you will select the medication you are interested in and provide the requested health data. If there is no medical reason for your request to be denied, the doctor may be able to issue your prescription immediately. They can then send it to the online pharmacy, which in turn mails the medication to you.

Some states require that you talk directly with the physician before they write the prescription. If this is the case in your state, the clinic will schedule a phone or video consultation for you.  After you “see” the doctor, they can provide your prescription and forward it to the online pharmacy. The pharmacy will then mail the pills to the address you provide.

If this option is not available at your telehealth clinic or if you prefer to have your prescription sent to a pharmacy near you, you can pick up your medication as you would do with any medicine.

Can I Buy Original Viagra and Pay Later?

For customers in some countries in the European Union, including Germany, this is an option. The telehealth process is the same as in the US. The only difference is that you can pay for the product on delivery. In the case of the “pay later” system available in the EU, you will pay after you receive an invoice for the amount of the drugs dispensed. This option is also available in German mail-order pharmacies.

In the United States, the invoice system is not available for paying for prescription drugs. In general, providers accept only debit and credit cards as payment for their services and the pharmaceuticals sold. This transaction must happen before the medication is shipped.

References:
We at Viagra-Prescription.com only use accredited sources and references for content creation. Read our editorial guidelines to learn more about how we determine medical facts and prepare our content in a technically correct, reliable and trustworthy manner.
  1. Counterfeit Medicine. In: U.S. Food and Drug Administration. URL: https://www.fda.gov/
  2. Medicines Made in India Set Off Safety Worries” by Gardiner Harris. In: The New York Times. URL: https://www.nytimes.com/
  3. Viagra (summary of the European public assessment report (EPAR) for Viagra). In: European Medicines Agency. URL: ema.europa.eu
  4. Amanda Burls, Wendy Clark, Lisa Gold & Sue Simpson: Sildenafil – an oral drug for the treatment of male erectile dysfunction. In: Development and Evaluation Committee (DEC) Report for the West Midlands Region produced in collaboration with the Midland Therapeutic Review & Advisory Committee (MTRAC). URL: www.birmingham.ac.uk, (PDF)