What Colour Are Sildenafil Tablets? A UK Identification Guide

Why the Colour Question Matters#

Most people associate sildenafil with a small blue diamond-shaped tablet. That's Viagra, Pfizer's branded version, and the image is so embedded in popular culture that receiving white or yellow tablets instead can be genuinely unsettling. You might wonder whether you've been sent the wrong medicine, whether it's counterfeit, or whether a cheaper tablet will actually work.

These are reasonable concerns. The MHRA regularly warns about fake erectile dysfunction medicines sold online, and counterfeit sildenafil is one of the most commonly seized fake medicines in the UK. Knowing what your tablets should look like is a practical safety step, not paranoia.

The short answer: genuine sildenafil tablets in the UK come in blue, white, off-white, and occasionally yellow. The colour depends on the manufacturer, the dosage strength, and whether it's branded or generic. None of these colours is inherently more effective than another.

Branded Viagra vs Generic Sildenafil#

Branded Viagra (made by Pfizer) is the blue, diamond-shaped tablet most people picture. The 25mg, 50mg, and 100mg doses are all blue, though they differ slightly in size. Each tablet is marked with "VGR" followed by the dose number (25, 50, or 100) on one side.

Generic sildenafil entered the UK market after Pfizer's patent expired in 2013. Multiple manufacturers now produce it under UK licences, and they are not obligated to copy Pfizer's blue colour. Each manufacturer chooses its own excipients (the inactive ingredients that make up the body of the tablet), and these affect the final appearance.

This is why your generic sildenafil might look completely different to Viagra, even though it contains exactly the same active ingredient at the same dose. It is not a defect or a sign of a substandard product.

A Breakdown of Sildenafil Colours by Type#

Branded Viagra (Pfizer)#

• 25mg, 50mg, 100mg: Blue, diamond-shaped, film-coated
• Markings: "VGR" + dose strength on one face
• Dispensed in foil blister packs with Pfizer branding

Generic Sildenafil (UK-Licensed Manufacturers)#

Generic sildenafil is produced by several manufacturers licensed by the MHRA, including Accord, Teva, Actavis (now Accord), Milpharm, and others. Their tablets vary:

• White or off-white tablets are the most common form of generic sildenafil in the UK. Many 50mg and 100mg generics appear white, round or oval, and film-coated.
• Light blue tablets also appear from some manufacturers, particularly those who have chosen to mirror the branded aesthetic more closely.
• Yellow tablets are less common but do exist from certain licensed manufacturers at specific doses.
• Pale or creamy white coatings appear in some 25mg formulations.

The shape also varies. You'll encounter round, oval, and occasionally elongated tablets depending on who made them. Some carry the dose number stamped into one face; others carry manufacturer-specific codes.

Revatio (Sildenafil for Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension)#

Sildenafil is also prescribed under the brand name Revatio for pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH). Revatio 20mg tablets are typically white and round, distinctly different in appearance from the ED formulations. If you've been prescribed Revatio, it will look noticeably different to Viagra even though both contain sildenafil.

Viagra Connect (Over-the-Counter Sildenafil)#

Since 2018, sildenafil 50mg has been available over the counter in UK pharmacies as Viagra Connect, following the MHRA's reclassification of the 50mg dose from prescription-only (POM) to Pharmacy (P) medicine. Viagra Connect tablets are blue and round, sold in foil blister packs of four or eight tablets. They look slightly different to prescription Viagra but are the same dose and active ingredient.

Does Colour Affect How Well Sildenafil Works?#

No. The colour of a sildenafil tablet has no effect on its pharmacological activity. What matters is the amount of active ingredient (sildenafil citrate), how it is released, and whether it has been demonstrated to be bioequivalent to the reference product.

Before any generic sildenafil can be licensed in the UK, the manufacturer must demonstrate bioequivalence to branded Viagra through clinical studies. This means the generic must deliver the same amount of active ingredient to the bloodstream, within an accepted range, as the branded version. Colour, shape, and non-active ingredients are irrelevant to this process.

So if you've switched from branded blue Viagra to white generic sildenafil, you should expect the same effect at the same dose. If your experience feels different, it's worth speaking with a pharmacist or GP, but the colour itself is not the reason.

How to Tell If Your Sildenafil Is Genuine#

Colour alone is not enough to verify authenticity. Counterfeit tablets have been found that mimic the colour and shape of real sildenafil, making them visually convincing. A more reliable approach combines several checks:

Check the packaging. Legitimate UK sildenafil comes in sealed blister packs or bottles with a patient information leaflet inside. The packaging should display a UK marketing authorisation number (starting with "PL" followed by a code), a batch number, an expiry date, and the manufacturer's name and address.

Verify the pharmacy. In the UK, all registered pharmacies, including online pharmacies, must display the GPhC logo and their registration number. You can verify any online pharmacy on the GPhC register at pharmacyregulation.org. For online pharmacies, look for the EU common logo (a white cross on a green background with the UK flag) which links to the GPhC register entry. Totiva's GPhC registration number is 9012997, which you can verify directly on the register.

Use the MHRA verification tools. The MHRA's Yellow Card scheme allows you to report suspected counterfeit medicines. If your tablets look unusual, feel unusually chalky or friable, have an unexpected smell, or came from an unverified source, you can report this via the Yellow Card website.

Purchase only from regulated sources. Prescription sildenafil should come from a UK-registered pharmacy with a valid prescription from a licensed prescriber. Sildenafil 50mg (Viagra Connect) can be bought directly from pharmacies. Anything being sold without a prescription, at unusually low prices, or without packaging should be treated with serious caution.

Use the electronic medicines compendium (eMC). The eMC (medicines.org.uk) hosts the official patient information leaflets and SmPCs (Summary of Product Characteristics) for all UK-licensed medicines. You can search for your specific product and check its described appearance against your tablets.

What to Do If You Suspect Counterfeit Tablets#

If you believe you've received counterfeit or substandard medicine, do not take it. Keep the packaging and the tablets intact.

You have several reporting routes:

• MHRA Yellow Card scheme (yellowcard.mhra.gov.uk): the primary route for reporting suspected fake or substandard medicines
• Trading Standards: if you've been sold counterfeit goods
• Action Fraud (actionfraud.police.uk): if you believe you've been the victim of fraud
• GPhC: if the seller was presenting themselves as a registered pharmacy but you have concerns about their legitimacy

If you've already taken the tablets and feel unwell, contact NHS 111 or your GP.

NHS Prescriptions and Appearance Variation#

One specific scenario that confuses a lot of people: switching from a privately purchased sildenafil to one dispensed on an NHS prescription, or vice versa. NHS dispensing pharmacies are supplied by different pharmaceutical wholesalers and manufacturers depending on contracted pricing, and the tablet you receive on the NHS may look completely different to the one you bought privately, even at the same dose.

This is normal. Your pharmacist can confirm the product is correct if you're unsure. It doesn't mean something has gone wrong with your prescription or that the medication is inferior.

Dosage and Colour: Does Strength Affect Appearance?#

For branded Viagra, all three strengths (25mg, 50mg, 100mg) are blue and differ only in size. For generics, it depends entirely on the manufacturer. Some manufacturers use the same appearance across all strengths; others use different colours or markings to distinguish doses. There is no universal rule.

This is why it's worth checking the eMC entry for your specific product rather than relying on general guidance. The SmPC or patient information leaflet for your exact brand and dose will describe the tablet's appearance precisely.

Getting Sildenafil from a Registered UK Source#

If you're managing erectile dysfunction and want to make sure you're getting genuine, licensed medication from a proper clinical source, Totiva's ED service offers pharmacist-led online consultations at no upfront cost. You only pay once a clinician has reviewed your consultation and approved a suitable treatment.

Sildenafil 50mg is available from £4.99 for a pack of four, or £9.99 for eight tablets. The 100mg strength starts at £6.99 for four tablets. If sildenafil isn't the right fit, tadalafil (as-needed or daily) is also available, along with branded options like Viagra Connect if you prefer the familiar blue tablet.

Because the consultation is free and there's no subscription required, it's a low-commitment way to get a proper clinical review and a prescription from a GPhC-registered pharmacy.

A Quick Summary#

Sildenafil tablets in the UK can legitimately be blue (branded Viagra, Viagra Connect), white or off-white (most generics), and occasionally light yellow, depending on the manufacturer. The colour has no bearing on how the medicine works. Generic sildenafil must prove bioequivalence to Viagra before it can be licensed, so a white tablet is every bit as effective as a blue one at the same dose.

If your tablets look unusual or came from an unverified source, that's when colour becomes relevant as part of a broader safety check. Always buy from a GPhC-registered pharmacy, check the packaging details, and use the MHRA Yellow Card scheme if something doesn't seem right.

If you'd like to get sildenafil through a proper clinical consultation, start a free assessment with Totiva and a UK prescriber will review your suitability and recommend the right treatment for you.