Friendswood police claim the drug in question is Sildenafil-Citrate, which is the generic equivalent of Viagra, frequently manufactured in India and China. It can be purchased without a prescription from the Internet, but that's another story. The story here is that Friendswood police say it cannot be bought at a convenience store.
On West Parkwood Drive in Pearland is the Speedy Mart convenience store. Nothing seems unusual, except a sign that read, We have generic Viagra' 'that police say was taped to the store counter. That is, until yesterday when undercover officers moved in.
"We had another officer who went in and was checking out products in the store and looking at magazines and the guy said, 'Hey, we have Viagra, too. You want some'?" said Friendswood spokesperson Karen Peterson. "And the officer said, 'Well, sure.'
"He was freely asked did he want to buy Viagra and so the officer completed his investigation by completing the sale," continued Peterson.
With that, one of the store clerks, Ashish Shrestha, 22 was arrested and charged with delivery of a dangerous drug. The products, police say, were not the brand name Viagra male enhancement medication, but the generic equivalent.
The investigation started when officers say customers complained about the suspected sale of a prescription drug. On Thursday, though, we found customers stunned by the arrest.
"Unbelievable," said one customer with whom we spoke. "The things you can buy in a convenience store."
The charge against the clerk is a state jail felony. And while the argument may be raised that the same purchases can be made on the Internet, to police, that's not the point.
"If you don't see a doctor and receive a prescription and you purchase something like this, you run a risk of it not being regulated," said Peterson. "You don't know what really is in the packaging."
The medication can have serious side effects if you're not healthy enough to take it. Those side effects Include blood pressure problems that could lead to a heart attack, as well as vision problems. That's why it's always recommended that drugs be prescribed by a doctor.
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