Drug for treatment of erectile dysfunction.

NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde said the error was due to a computer glitch at two city GP sildenafil citrate and discount.

When GPs selected anti-smoking pill Zyban, computers selected sildenafil, the generic name for Viagra.

A health board erectile dysfunction
said: “At no time was patient care affected by this as all erectile dysfunction tabs
are subject to stringent double checking.”

The erectile dysfunction meds
computer system used by GPs automatically selects a list of the most popular drugs when doctors fill out prescriptions.

Some patients went to the pharmacy with a prescription for the anti-impotence drug instead of tablets to help them stop smoking.

The health board was made aware of the problem on Tuesday and alerted all its GPs to the problem.

It is not thought anyone left a chemist with the wrong medication.

A health board spokeswoman said: “A computer glitch was discovered by two Glasgow GP practices that use the Glasgow e-Formulary, following a recent update of the online GPass system used throughout Scotland.

“As a precaution an advisory e-mail and memo was issued to all practices which use GPass and have installed the e-Formulary to alert staff.”