Erectile Dysfunction · A guide for adults in the UK
Erectile dysfunction.
Start with understanding.
A clear, confidential conversation can help you find a way forward. Understand GP, sexual health clinic and pharmacy options before choosing a service.
This guide is for adults seeking general information. It does not diagnose erection problems or approve treatment. Use emergency services for the urgent symptoms described below. Pick My Pharmacy does not supply medicines.
01 / The guide
What is erectile dysfunction, and when should I get help?
Erectile dysfunction means difficulty getting or keeping an erection. Occasional difficulties can happen; if they keep recurring, arrange a GP or sexual health clinic appointment.
Tiredness, stress and alcohol can contribute to occasional problems. Persistent difficulties can also be associated with conditions such as diabetes, high blood pressure, hormone problems or anxiety. This is a reason to investigate, not to diagnose yourself from a symptom list.
Try writing down when the problem began and what you would like help with. You do not need to arrive with the right medical terminology. Tell the clinician if erection difficulties, reduced desire, pain or another concern is your main priority; these may need different discussions.
Guidance: NHS: erectile dysfunction
02 / The guide
Where can I get erectile dysfunction help in the UK?
A GP practice or sexual health clinic can assess recurring erection problems. A pharmacy may offer advice, a suitability check for pharmacy medicines or access to a prescribing service. Private online care is another route, with its own fees.
Ask what the service actually includes before booking. A pharmacy consultation is not automatically a substitute for a broader medical assessment. Online describes the format of an appointment; it does not establish the clinician’s qualifications or your eligibility for treatment.
Ask the GP or clinic what NHS options and any charges apply to your circumstances. Private payment does not guarantee a prescription or NHS continuation. If you are directed elsewhere after a pharmacy assessment, ask for a clear explanation and the next step.
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| Route | What to discuss | What to check |
|---|---|---|
| GP practice or sexual health clinic | Recurring symptoms, health checks and possible underlying causes. | How to book, what the appointment covers and any referral arrangements. |
| Community pharmacy | Advice and a suitability assessment for products it can supply. | Whether a private room is available and when it would refer you to a GP. |
| Private or online service | A consultation with an identified clinician or pharmacist. | The prescriber, dispensing pharmacy, total cost and follow-up. |
Guidance: NHS: erectile dysfunction · GPhC: guidance for distance pharmacy services
03 / The guide
What happens during a confidential ED consultation?
Expect questions about symptoms, general health and medicines. The clinician may recommend an examination or health checks where appropriate, rather than moving directly to a treatment order.
You can ask for a private consultation room at a pharmacy. For remote care, choose a place where you can speak freely and ask how messages or appointment reminders will appear. Let the provider know if you need interpretation, accessible information or a different way to communicate.
Share a complete medicine list, including non-prescription products, supplements and recreational drugs. Explain any previous treatment and whether it helped or caused problems. Do not omit information to pass a questionnaire: it can change which options are safe.
- Describe the symptoms and what has changed, in your own words.
- Review relevant conditions, medicines and any previous treatment.
- Ask what assessment or checks are needed before choosing an option.
- Agree the next step, any costs and a way to obtain follow-up.
Guidance: NHS: erectile dysfunction · GPhC: guidance for distance pharmacy services
04 / The guide
Does ED treatment always mean taking a tablet?
No. Care depends on the cause and your preferences. It may involve addressing another health condition, reviewing existing medicines, talking therapy, a device or medicine after assessment.
The aim is to choose appropriate care rather than to promise sexual performance. Ask the clinician what problem each option is intended to address, what its limitations are and how you would judge whether it is helping. Do not stop a medicine for another condition because you suspect it affects erections; ask for a medication review.
If an option has not helped, discuss that with the clinician before increasing a dose, combining products or buying something different online. It may be more useful to review the assessment or how the plan is being followed. A pharmacy or online directory cannot select the right treatment from your browsing history.
Guidance: NHS: erectile dysfunction · NHS: sildenafil information
05 / The guide
Can ED medicines be supplied without a prescription?
Some ED products have pharmacy-medicine status and can be supplied after a pharmacist checks suitability. Other products require a prescription. The rules depend on the exact product, strength and formulation.
Sildenafil has both pharmacy and prescription routes. Some tadalafil products also have pharmacy status, so saying that all tadalafil always requires a prescription would be misleading. This does not mean every version can be supplied in the same way.
Ask the pharmacist to explain the status of the particular product and the checks it requires. A pharmacy medicine is still a medicine with risks, interactions and limits on who can use it. A service should be able to decline supply and explain how to seek a medical assessment instead.
Guidance: NHS: sildenafil information · MHRA: tadalafil product with pharmacy-medicine status
06 / The guide
Which safety issues should I discuss before using ED medicines?
Interactions matter. In particular, PDE-5 inhibitor medicines used for ED must not be combined with nitrate medicines for chest pain or recreational “poppers”. Share your full medicine and health history with the pharmacist or prescriber.
Nitrates include glyceryl trinitrate, also called GTN. Combining these with ED medicines such as sildenafil or tadalafil can cause a dangerous fall in blood pressure. A clinician must assess other medicines and relevant heart, blood-pressure, eye, liver or kidney conditions too. This is not a complete list of reasons a medicine may be unsuitable.
Get advice about side effects using the leaflet for the exact medicine supplied. Tell the clinician about bothersome symptoms or a change in health before repeating treatment.
- If chest pain occurs after using an ED medicine, call 999 and tell the emergency team what you took and when. Do not use GTN or another nitrate to treat it yourself.
- Call 999 or go to A&E for an erection lasting more than 3–4 hours. If you have sickle cell disease, a painful erection lasting more than 1 hour needs emergency care. Do not drive yourself.
- Call 999 for severe breathing difficulty or swelling of the mouth or throat that may indicate a serious allergic reaction.
Guidance: Cambridge University Hospitals: sexual advice and heart medicines · NHS: sildenafil information · NHS: priapism and emergency care
07 / The guide
What if stress, confidence or relationships are part of the problem?
It is reasonable to ask for help with the emotional or relationship effects as well as physical symptoms. A confidential consultation should give you room to explain what is troubling you.
You can choose whether to involve a partner in the conversation. A practical first step is to agree the questions you want answered, including whether talking support would be helpful and how to access it. Ask about the practitioner’s qualifications, fees and confidentiality before arranging private therapy.
Do not let a service pressure you with promises about masculinity, performance or what a partner expects. You should be able to consider options without a countdown offer or a commitment to repeat purchases. Ask for written information if you would prefer time to think before deciding.
Guidance: NHS: erectile dysfunction
08 / The guide
How should I compare the cost of ED services?
Compare the complete service, including assessment, any medicine supplied, delivery and follow-up. A price per tablet does not tell you what clinical support is included.
Ask whether a payment is for a consultation, an order or an automatically renewing service. Record the date of the quote and the exact quantity and service included. Prices and supply arrangements can change.
An NHS prescription, a pharmacy-medicine purchase and a private prescription are different routes. Ask your provider which route applies, whether any charge or exemption applies and what happens to your payment if supply is unsuitable. This guide does not assume a standard monthly bill.
| Item | Ask the provider |
|---|---|
| Assessment | Is the assessment included, and what happens to the fee if medicine is unsuitable? |
| Supply | What product, quantity and legal supply route does the quote cover? |
| Follow-up | Who answers questions about side effects or a treatment that has not helped? |
| Delivery and privacy | What does delivery cost, and how will packaging and notifications be handled? |
| Repeat orders | Is renewal automatic, can I cancel easily and when will suitability be checked again? |
09 / The guide
How do I check an online ED pharmacy or clinic?
Identify the dispensing pharmacy and the professional assessing you, then check the relevant live registers. A discreet website, celebrity advert or review score does not establish clinical suitability.
Check a Great Britain pharmacy on the GPhC register, or a Northern Ireland pharmacy on the PSNI register. Match its name, address and registration number. If a different organisation prescribes, ask how it is regulated and check the individual professional’s registration where appropriate.
Read how health information is handled and how complaints can be raised. A questionnaire should support a proper assessment, not provide a way around one. Avoid sellers offering prescription medicines without the necessary checks, or asking you to hide information from the person prescribing.
How to choose a safe online pharmacy
Guidance: GPhC: pharmacy register · PSNI: Northern Ireland pharmacy register · GPhC: guidance for distance pharmacy services
10 / The guide
What should happen after the first appointment?
Agree when to review symptoms, tolerability and the care plan. Repeating an order should not be the only way to contact the service if something changes.
Ask who takes responsibility for a result or referral, and how information will be shared with your usual GP where appropriate. Keep the instructions for any medicine and a record of the agreed next step. If you have been advised to arrange a GP health check, do that even if symptom treatment appears to help.
A review is also a chance to say that a plan does not fit your routine, budget or preferences. Ask what happens if you stop, switch provider or need an in-person assessment. Do not assume that a subscription gives access to urgent care.
Guidance: NHS: sildenafil information · GPhC: guidance for distance pharmacy services
11 / The guide
What should I ask before choosing an ED service?
Take a short list of questions so the consultation covers assessment, safety and support as well as supply. You can decide which questions matter most to you.
Tick the questions you want to discuss, then print this guide if useful. This checklist does not collect symptoms or sexual-health information. Selections are not submitted or saved by this page.
0 of 8 questions selected
Prepare questions for your GP on our sister website HealthAnswers
12 / The guide
How can I find a pharmacy for a confidential conversation?
Contact a pharmacy to ask whether it offers ED consultations and a private space. For recurring difficulties, arrange a GP or sexual health clinic assessment as well.
Our service filter shows pharmacies where an ED service is recorded. It does not include every possible provider and does not confirm availability today. If your nearest pharmacy is missing from the filtered list, ask that branch directly.
You can ask about the consultation arrangements without providing your full health history to a directory. Give sensitive information to the healthcare professional through the provider’s appropriate secure channel.
A few more answers
Common erectile dysfunction questions
Can I speak privately to a pharmacist about erection difficulties?
Ask whether a private consultation room or confidential appointment is available. Explain if you need accessible information or another communication arrangement. Services differ between pharmacies.
Should I see a GP if erection problems keep happening?
Yes. Recurring problems warrant an assessment, even if you are also considering pharmacy treatment. A GP or sexual health clinic can investigate possible underlying causes.
Does every ED medicine require a prescription?
No. Some specific products can be supplied as pharmacy medicines after a suitability check; others need a prescription. Ask about the exact product rather than assuming one rule applies to every strength or formulation.
Can I combine two ED treatments if one has not helped?
Do not combine products or increase a dose yourself. Ask the prescriber or pharmacist to review the treatment and your health information.
Is erectile dysfunction care always free on the NHS?
Ask your GP or clinic which care and supply route applies to your circumstances and whether any charges apply. A private consultation or pharmacy purchase has its own fees.
Will this checklist tell me which medicine to use?
No. It helps you prepare questions. It does not diagnose a condition, approve treatment or provide dosing instructions.
Does Pick My Pharmacy prescribe ED medicines?
No. Pick My Pharmacy is an information and directory service. Assessment and any medicine supply are the responsibility of the healthcare provider.
Why is there a Sanara Health link?
Sanara Health is our sister and affiliate website for comparing private online services. It may earn commission through commercial links. That relationship does not establish clinical suitability or change the safety guidance here.
Where this information comes from
Sources & editorial notes
This guide draws on the public health and regulator guidance listed below. Sources were checked on 7 September 2026. It is educational information from Pick My Pharmacy; it has not been independently clinically reviewed.
Service availability, eligibility and individual care decisions can change. Use the original guidance and your healthcare professional for decisions about your care. Commercial relationships do not determine the clinical guidance above.
- NHS: erectile dysfunctionChecked
- NHS: sildenafil informationChecked
- NHS: priapism and emergency careChecked
- Cambridge University Hospitals: sexual advice and heart medicinesChecked
- MHRA: tadalafil product with pharmacy-medicine statusChecked
- GPhC: pharmacy registerChecked
- PSNI: Northern Ireland pharmacy registerChecked
- GPhC: guidance for distance pharmacy servicesChecked