Criminal liability established for selling highly potent drugs without prescription 

 The law was passed by the Legislative Chamber on May 1, 2020, and approved by the Senate on June 19, 2020.

Article 186-3 of the Criminal Code (production, receipt, storage, transportation or transfer of substandard or counterfeit medicines or medical devices, sale of medicines or medical devices outside pharmacies and their branches, as well as the violation of the order of retail sale of highly potent drugs that are available on prescription only) has been supplemented with another item.

According to it, violation of the order of retail sale of highly potent drugs that are available on prescription only is punishable by a fine of one hundred to three hundred times the BCAs or correctional labor for up to three years, if such an act is committed after the imposition of an administrative penalty or in large quantities – two to five years of restriction of freedom or up to five years of imprisonment.

In accordance with paragraph 4 of the presidential decree PQ-4438 “On strengthening measures to prevent illicit trafficking in medicines” dated September 6, 2019, administrative and criminal liability for violations of the rules of sale of medicines and medical devices is being improved. In particular, liability is being established for violating the order of providing medicines on prescription.