Marley Drug

We told you about the $3 blue pill. Now we’re going to tell you about an even cheaper Viagra knockoff that sells for — wait for it — $2 a pill*.

“Are you taking Viagra or Cialis for ED?” North Carolina-based Marley Drug asks with the subtleness of a skyscraper in a recent radio ad. “Now you can get sildenafil, the active ingredient in Viagra, in generic 20 milligrams, for $2 per tablet.”

Mentioning generic and Viagra in the same sentence may lead you to believe that Marley Drug is selling generic Viagra. But it’s not. The radio ad directs listeners to a website that discloses:

Note: This is the FDA approved generic of Revatio 20mg tablet. The FDA has not approved generic Viagra, even though the active ingredient (sildenafil) is identical, just in a different strength.

Translation: Revatio is a prescription drug that has the same active ingredient — sildenafil– as Viagra, though not as strong.

Want another red flag? While Marley Drug contends that it is “NOT an internet pharmacy,” the website sure functions like one, taking orders for doctor-prescribed medication and distributing that medication. The three-step process outlined on the website: “Get a prescription, send us your prescription, receive your medications.”

An analysis by the National Association of Boards and Pharmacies found that 96 percent of more than 11,000 online pharmacies reviewed violated state or federal law or pharmacy practice standards, or linked to other websites that do.

Be wary of any website selling prescription medication on the cheap.

*At this early point in the ad alert you might be thinking that we are about to endorse a generic form of Viagra promising the same benefits as prescription Viagra. Read on.

Find more of our coverage on Viagra-like products here.