The Ministry of Health has drafted amendments to the regulations governing online sales of pharmaceutical products. The draft has been submitted for public consultation.
Under the proposed rules, only pharmacies holding valid licenses and their branches would be allowed to sell eligible products online. Pharmacies would also be required to have designated areas at their premises for handing over orders.
To offer online sales, pharmacies would need their own digital platform, such as a website or mobile application. Alternatively, they could partner with a marketplace or order-aggregation service under a special agreement.
What information must online pharmacies provide?
The draft sets out requirements for information that sellers must make available on their online platforms. Customers must be able to verify the pharmacy’s legal name, taxpayer identification number, address, contact details and license information.
Product listings would also have to include the international nonproprietary name of the medicine, its dosage, instructions for use, expiry date, availability and retail price. Sellers would additionally be required to disclose their trade markup and provide information about available alternatives to medicines and medical products.
Before completing a purchase, customers must be able to review payment and delivery terms, including delivery charges and estimated timeframes.
New requirements for delivery and packaging
Orders could be delivered either by pharmacies themselves or by third-party companies contracted by them.
Vehicles used for delivery would have to be equipped to maintain the storage conditions required for the products being transported, including appropriate temperature and humidity levels.
Medicines would need protective packaging to shield them from external factors. Products requiring different transportation conditions could not be placed together in a single package without separation. Separate packaging would be required.
Upon receiving an order, customers would be allowed to inspect the packaging and check whether the delivered products match their purchase. If the contents are incorrect or the packaging is damaged, customers could refuse the order directly through the courier. The pharmacy would automatically receive notification of the refusal.
