Distance and online sales of medicinal products by a pharmacy

Distance sales are any sales where the customer does not access their medicinal product at the pharmacy premises and the pharmacy sends the product to the customer’s residence or for collection at another location.

Online sales refer to any sale from the pharmacy via the internet (for all or part of the transaction).

Registering of distance and online sales

Anyone wishing to conduct distance and/or online sales via their pharmacy must notify this to the Swedish MPA when applying for a licence initially, or at least two months before the distance/online sales begins.

Rules for distance sales

Pharmacies are responsible for ensuring that the distance sale is carried out in accordance with the regulatory framework. Retail of medicinal products must be conducted in a manner that will not cause harm or damage to people, property or the environment, and in a way that does not affect the quality of the products. When conducting distance sales, the pharmacy is responsible for the medicinal product until the point at which the product is has been delivered to the consumer. This also applies if subcontractors are used. The pharmacy must ensure that the medicinal products are not adversely affected during the delivery process and that the medicinal product is delivered to the correct person. The pharmacy must also ensure that the consumer can use the medicinal product in the right way.

Self-monitoring

in addition to the requirements for self-monitoring in a regular dispensing pharmacy, self-monitoring of distance sales for example includes:

• monitoring of sub-suppliers;
• instructions for safe packaging, distribution and other handling of medicinal products and technical alcohol;
• instructions  for traceability;
• instructions for how to provide information and advice to the consumer.

Logo for safe online sales

All pharmacies and retail outlets which sell medicinal products online must use an EU-wide logo on the website where the medicinal products are being sold. The purpose of the logo is to provide the consumer a quick way to control and verify the legitimacy of the online retailer outlet. The EU logo shall contain a unique hyperlink that navigates the customer to the Swedish MPA’s website listing all registered online retailers; specifically, to the pharmacy’s name/row in that list.

To have the right to use the EU‍-‍wide logo, the pharmacy licence holder must sign a licensing agreement with the Swedish MPA. The Swedish MPA will send the agreement when the pharmacy licence holder notifies the Swedish MPA of the for online sales of medicinal products. Once the agreement has been signed, the Swedish MPA will provide the electronic version of the EU logotype and the unique link to the Swedish MPA list to the pharmacy licence holder.

Apart from the EU logo, the pharmacy must also have the national pharmacy symbol visible on their website.

The Swedish MPA list of registered retail outlets.