When choosing one, tell your doctor or other health care professional what your preferences are, such as cost, ease of use, how long the drug’s effects last and side effects. Sildenafil is a drug that helps improve blood flow to the penis, allowing you to achieve a firm, longer-lasting erection more easily. This medication is taken with or without food an hour before sex. Its effects might last longer if you have mild to moderate ED. Oral medicines for ED usually work well and cause few side effects.Although erectile dysfunction (ED) may be an upsetting diagnosis for some, many people find their condition is treatable with Viagra — sometimes called the “little blue pill” — and . Viagra, or sildenafil, was the first oral pill approved by the FDA to treat erectile dysfunction. Pfizer released Viagra in and, since then, generic versions of the drug have . Men will no longer require a prescription to obtain the impotence drug Viagra and will instead be able to buy it over the counter at pharmacies. The decision by the UK .