The Ministry of Health has ban-ned the sale of 100mg Viagra tablets because of price irregularities and in view of reports that fake Viagra pills have flooded the market.

The move was taken after it was discovered that the manufacturer had set the same price for both 50mg and 100mg tablets.

Moreover, the ministry has directed pharmacies to refrain from selling Viagra pills without a prescription, said Dr Abdul Ghaffar Abdul Ghafour, Assistant Undersecretary for Curative Medicine at the ministry and Chairman of Medicine Registration Committee.

Pharmacies found flouting the law will be penalised, he added.

Recently, the ministry seized a shipment of 100mg Viagra tablets smuggled into the country. The tablets were to be sold in pharmacies at the rate of Dh55 and Dh65 a pill.

A source from the Dubai branch of Pfizer Interna-tional Corporation, the manufacturer of Viagra, confirmed that the ministry has registered and approved only 50mg tablets.

Meanwhile, Dr Wayil Al Mahameed, Heart Consultant and Head of the Heart Section at the Jazirah and Central hospitals, explained that doctors used to recommend 25mg Viagra tablets because they believed that a higher dosage would cause side effects.

However, it has now been proven that side effects are unlikely to occur even if the dosage is increased.