Over-the-counter (OTC) sales of male sexual enhancement products among community pharmacists in Ogun State, Nigeria

Background: Over-the-counter sales of male sexual enhancement products is a global concern, particularly in developing countries. Community pharmacists are well positioned to prevent the misuse and abuse of such products.

Objective: To investigate the extent of over-the-counter sales of male sexual enhancement products by community pharmacists in Ogun State.

Methods: A descriptive cross-sectional study was carried out among community pharmacists in Ogun State using a convenience sampling technique. Data was collected using a semi-structure self-administered questionnaire and analysed using Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 20.0 with statistical significance set at p =0.05. Results were presented as frequency tables and charts.

Results: Most respondents sold male sexual enhancement products on a daily basis, particularly sildenafil (64.9%) and tadalafil (50.0%). Highest proportion of the respondents (86.8%) sold the products without prescription but offered medication counselling, while 19.3% asked for a prescription before selling the products. About 46% sold the products over-the-counter based on the assumption that the users were conversant with the products. Additional qualification and monitoring of sales over the counter (p=0.03) were both significantly associated with over-the-counter sales of male sexual enhancement products.

Conclusion: Sales of male sexual enhancement products over-the-counter is a common practice among community pharmacists in Ogun State.