Can you buy Viagra in Australia without a prescription, or online, legally? Not without a prescription: "In Australia, you need a prescription to get ED medicines", and sildenafil, the medicine in Viagra, is one of them. A doctor assesses you first (healthdirect), and the Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) states that sildenafil "can only be supplied to Australians with a prescription" (TGA).
Is Viagra prescription-only in Australia?
Yes, like every erectile dysfunction medicine here, whatever the brand. The TGA's release of 20 February 2024 names three medicines together: tadalafil, sildenafil and dapoxetine "can only be supplied to Australians with a prescription" (TGA). The Australian Register of Therapeutic Goods (ARTG) holds Viagra as 25, 50 and 100 mg tablets, entered on 4 September 1998 (ARTG search), and a search for sildenafil returns 78 entries, from tablets to sublingual wafers (ARTG search for sildenafil). None of them is sold over the counter. The only Viagra on the register is that prescription tablet; how the UK's Viagra Connect differs is explained in Viagra vs Viagra Connect.
What does the TGA say about ED pills that are not on the ARTG?
That they are not approved. In the same release, about a NSW individual fined for alleged offences relating to unapproved ED medicines, the TGA says that products not listed in the ARTG "are not approved for supply in Australia, have not been reviewed for safety or quality" (TGA). Kamagra is one of them: a search of the register for "kamagra" returns no entry (ARTG search), as Kamagra vs Viagra sets out.
What does healthdirect say about buying sildenafil online?
That buying it online without a prescription isn't a good idea. In healthdirect's words: "Some people buy sildenafil online without a prescription. This isn't a good idea, as you can't be sure whether these pills contain the medicine or are counterfeit" (healthdirect — Sildenafil (Viagra)). What a counterfeit tablet can look like is covered in how to identify real and fake Viagra pills.
Where does a prescription come from?
From a doctor, such as your GP, who "will assess your condition and check if ED medicines are right for you" (healthdirect — Erectile dysfunction medicines). It need not always be in person: "some GPs have been offering consultations by phone or video link. This is called telehealth", although "Most GPs will only offer a telehealth consultation if they are your regular doctor" (healthdirect — The role of a GP). What the doctor checks, and why, is answered in how can I get Viagra without seeing the doctor?
The short answer
In Australia, sildenafil "can only be supplied to Australians with a prescription" (TGA), under the Viagra name or any other, and healthdirect advises against buying it online without one. Pills that are not on the ARTG have not been reviewed for safety or quality. The prescription comes from a doctor, such as your GP, in person or, where your GP offers it, by telehealth. The other over-the-counter and online questions are answered in our guide to buying Viagra over the counter or online.
