But not all men who have gone to doctors' offices for Viagra prescriptions suffer from impotence, these experts say.
Many men who receive Viagra prescriptions apparently do not fully understand how the drug works.
Some urologists had acquired stamps to apply their signature on Viagra prescriptions.
Someone he had not seen in three years desired a Viagra prescription.
He looked in on another patient, a 52-year-old actor, one of the first he had written a Viagra prescription for.
"It's not at all surprising that insurers will only pay for half the Viagra prescription," said Mr. Abramowitz, the analyst.
Did you get a Viagra prescription?
Smiling, he told me that he had gotten a Viagra prescription from his internist.
When last I saw Dan, he ruefully told me that he had not renewed his Viagra prescription.
Half of all Viagra prescriptions are never refilled, and doctors suspect this is because men find out that erections are not their main problem.