Medically reviewed by: Thomas Fischer (Pharmacist). This article has been written according to strict guidelines and medical standards.
Medically reviewed by: Thomas Fischer (Pharmacist)
If you have erectile dysfunction, Viagra may be one of the first medications you’re trying. It is one of the most well-known treatments for erectile dysfunction. Sildenafil is the generic version of Viagra. You may be wondering what the difference is between the two drugs.
Are they identical? Do they work differently? How much difference is there between the price of Viagra and generic sildenafil? All of these questions are important and will be answered in this article. Keep reading to get this information and more.
Viagra vs. Sildenafil - Definitions
Viagra is a brand name medication manufactured by the Pfizer company. It comes in doses of 25mg, 50mg, and 100mg. It is indicated for the treatment of erectile dysfunction (Erectile Dysfunction Treatments – The Best ED Cure in Check) and is also prescribed in case of pulmonary arterial hypertension.
Viagra has the most extended history of any medication for treating erectile dysfunction (s. also Erectile Dysfunction Medicines – What is the Best ED Medicine?). Pfizer patented the formula in 1996, but the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) only approved the drug in 1998. Sildenafil (also referred to as sildenafil citrate) is the active ingredient contained in Viagra. It is a generic medication that produces the same effect as Viagra. It is available in the same dosages.
The body produces phosphodiesterase type 5 (PDE5), which in some people attacks an enzyme called cyclic guanosine monophosphate (cGMP). It’s this protein that relaxes muscles and allows for blood flow. When effective, blood flows to the penis, generating an erection. If stopped, this can cause erectile dysfunction (ED).
Sildenafil is a PDE5 inhibitor. It, in turn, prevents the PDE5 from blocking the cGMP from activating. Once this happens, blood can flow freely again, and the issue is temporarily fixed.
Generic sildenafil is also sold at a dosage of 20mg, equivalent to the brand name drug Revatio. This dosage is more commonly used for pulmonary arterial hypertension than for erectile dysfunction. Sildenafil can also be sold in liquid form for pulmonary arterial hypertension in children. The liquid is commonly prepared with a concentration of 2.5 mg/mL.
Are Viagra and Sildenafil the Same?
Viagra and sildenafil have the same active ingredient. This means they work identically in the body. Both are effective in treating erectile dysfunction. Some differences are in the branding and availability of the two drugs. There are also significant disparities in price between the two versions of the medication.
Does Sildenafil Work as Well as Viagra?
Sildenafil is the generic version of Viagra. This means it contains the same active ingredient as Viagra and works the same way.
What is a Generic Drug?
A generic drug is usually understood to be a copy of a brand name drug. It is generally marketed by a company other than the one that makes the brand name medication. A generic drug has the same active ingredient as the brand name drug. It also comes in identical dosages and typically has matching labeling. It is administered in the same way as the brand name medication.
There may be some small differences between the original drug and the generic. For example, inactive ingredients may differ. There may be some small differences between the original drug and the generic. For example, inactive ingredients may differ.
Manufacturers may obtain FDA approval of generic drugs through the following process:
- Applying using an Abbreviated New Drug Application (ANDA)
- Submitting proof that the medication is equivalent to the brand name version
- Proving the drug performs in the same fashion inside the body (acts in the same ways in the equal amount of time)
- Meeting manufacturing and quality standards
Generic drugs are typically cheaper than their branded counterparts, and sildenafil is no exception to this.
Sildenafil Has an Authorized Generic Version
Sildenafil citrate distributed by Pfizer subsidiary Greenstone is an authorized generic drug. It has been authorized by the FDA as an equivalent to Viagra since 2017. It is precisely the same medication as Viagra.
An authorized generic drug may be sold by the same company as the brand name drug or by another company, with the original company’s permission. Sometimes the generic is sold at a lower price than the brand name drug, even though it is the same medication.
Cost of Sildenafil Citrate vs. Viagra: Which is Cheaper?
By comparing prices at popular US pharmacies, it was found that sildenafil is significantly cheaper than Viagra. All comparisons were made based on the cost of 30 tablets.
Cost of Viagra
Viagra is available at fewer pharmacies than is sildenafil. The prices are identical at most of the pharmacies we found. No matter what the dosage, the most common cost after discount is $1919.74 for 30 tablets. This works out to nearly $64 per pill.
Some recent examples of pricing are:
Viagra 25mg:
- CVS Pharmacy - Retail price $2456 ($1919.74 with discount)
- Costco - Retail price $2379 (also $1919.74 after discount)
- Target (CVS) - Retail price $2447 (same discount price of $1919.74)
Viagra 50mg:
- CVS Pharmacy - Normal price $2369 (also $1919.74 after discount)
- Medicine Shoppe - Normal price $2567 (the same discount price of $1919.74)
- CVS Pharmacy - Normal price $2369 (also $1919.74 after discount)
Viagra 100mg:
- Albertsons - Retail price $1699 ($1919.68 with discount)
- Costco - Retail price $2355 (same discount price of $1919.74)
- Walmart - Retail price $2681 ($1919.74 after discount)
Cost of Sildenafil
Sildenafil is much easier to find than Viagra. At least nine different well-known pharmacies carry it. It is also significantly cheaper. Viagra went through countless clinical trials and underwent costly tests. A great deal of money was spent on research and development, and on government approvals before it was released to the market.
The reason that Viagra is so expensive is that these costs need to be recouped by Pfizer, who created the product. The generic brand, however, didn’t have those initial set-up costs, so it can be marketed a lot cheaper. The best price found was $15.19 for 30 pills (100mg). This works out to 51 cents per pill. The prices found are listed below.
Recent pricing for Sildedafil deviated wildly as shown:
Sildedafil 25mg:
- Costco - $45 retail price ($15.73 with coupon)
- Kroger Pharmacy - Retail price $1985 ($15.98 with free coupon)
- Medicine Shoppe - Normal price of $1596 (reduced to $22.30 with discount)
- Albertsons - Normally $1084 (goes down to $22.50 with coupon)
- Safeway - $1084 retail price (also $22.50 with coupon)
- Walmart - Normal price $870 ($27.59 with discount)
- Rite Aid - $1870 retail price ($214.05 with coupon)
- CVS Pharmacy - Retails for $1288 (drops to $342.80 with discount)
- Target (CVS) - Normal price $1287 (also $342.80 with free coupon)
- Walgreens - $1313 retail value ($621.68 after discount)
Sildedafil 50mg:
- Costco - $1118 retail price ($16.36 with coupon)
- Kroger Pharmacy - Retail price $1994 ($16.61 with free coupon)
- Albertsons - Normally $329 (goes down to $21.20 with coupon)
- Safeway - $371 retail price (also $21.20 with coupon)
- Medicine Shoppe - Normal price of $1118 (reduced to $23.17 with discount)
- Walmart - Normal price $885 ($32.92 with discount)
- CVS Pharmacy - Retails for $1288 (drops to $342.80 with discount)
- Target (CVS) - Normal price $1287 ($433.20 with free coupon)
- Rite Aid - $1891 retail value ($494.92 with coupon)
- Walgreens - $1294 retail price ($572.25 after discount)
Sildedafil 100mg:
- Costco - $46 retail price ($15.19 with coupon)
- Kroger Pharmacy - Retail value $1994 ($15.44 with free coupon)
- Medicine Shoppe - Normal price of $1108 (reduced to $23.72 with discount)
- Albertsons - Normally $311 (goes down to $23.92 with coupon)
- Safeway - $315 retail price (also $23.92 with coupon)
- Walmart - Normal price $840 ($33.07 with discount)
- CVS Pharmacy - Retails for $1288 (drops to $346.80 with discount)
- Target (CVS) - Normal price $1289 (also $346.80 with free coupon)
- Rite Aid - Retails for $1676 ($450.90 with coupon)
- Walgreens - $1375 retail price ($542.25 after discount)
How to Buy Viagra and Sildenafil with an Online Prescription
In the United States, there is currently only one way to get a valid prescription online, and that’s through an online doctor service. Telehealth clinics are like your regular doctor’s office, only online. To use their services and get a prescription, you must follow the procedure explained on their website.
Most internet health clinics work in the same way. First, you fill out an online health questionnaire. It is vital at this point to provide as much information about your current medical situation. Include any data about pre-existing conditions and current medications.
The next step is that a doctor at the clinic will get in contact with you. In most cases, you will need to have a “visit” via video chat or a telephone call. The different US states have various laws regarding what type of contact is necessary between doctor and patient to obtain a valid prescription. Telehealth clinics follow state and federal guidelines very carefully.
After you have your appointment with the doctor, they will hopefully confirm that ED medications are right for you. A script will be created. You can ask the doctor to send your prescription to a local pharmacy, where you can pick up the medication. Alternatively, you may choose to have the online health clinic’s partner pharmacy mail your drugs to you.
Regardless of the method you choose to receive your meds, online health clinics provide a convenient option for obtaining prescriptions quickly. You do not have to wait for a doctor’s appointment, nor sit in the waiting room with others who may have infectious diseases.
Another benefit to this method of obtaining a prescription is that the online doctor’s visit is often cheaper than in-person medical services. This makes healthcare services more accessible to those who need them most.
- What are generic drugs? U. S. Food and Drug Administration. URL: https://www.fda.gov
- Tufts Center for the Study of Drug Development (November 18, 2014). “Cost to Develop and Win Marketing Approval for a New Drug Is $2.6 Billion“. Tufts University. Archived from the original on 2014-11-21. Retrieved 2015-12-01.
- “What’s the difference between brand-name and generic prescription drugs?”. Scientific American. Retrieved 2017-11-11.
- Viagra: A Complicated Case Study of Generic Drug Market Entry in the United States. URL: https://www.drugpatentwatch.com
- Do generic drugs compromise on quality? A new study raises questions about whether they’re truly equivalent to the brand-name versions. URL: https://www.health.harvard.edu
- Mondaini et al.: Sildenafil does not improve sexual function in men without erectile dysfunction but does reduce the postorgasmic refractory time. In: Int. J. Impot. Res. Band 14, Nr. 3, S. 225–228.
- Patrick W. Fisher; Fadi Salloum; Anindita Das; Haroon Hyder; Rakesh C. Kukreja: Phosphodiesterase-5 Inhibition With Sildenafil Attenuates Cardiomyocyte Apoptosis and Left Ventricular Dysfunction in a Chronic Model of Doxorubicin Cardiotoxicity. In: Circulation. Band 111, 2005, S. 1601–1610.