Online Drug Sales Regulated
With the joint approval of the Ministers of Health and Communications, a comprehensive guideline for online sales of medicines and health-related products has been enacted. The aim of this regulation is to organize online drug distribution and ensure patient safety in non-presential purchases.
According to Salamat News, citing Mehr News Agency, the new guideline for providing online pharmaceutical services aims to enhance safety, increase transparency, and facilitate public access to medicines, as announced by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) of Iran.
Mehdi Pirsalehi, head of the FDA, stated that under the new guideline, only pharmacies officially licensed by the legal commission of medical universities are authorized to provide online services. These services include prescription receipt, consultation, packaging, and delivery of medicines, all supervised by a qualified responsible pharmacist.
He added that pharmacies, licensed health-related companies, authorized e-commerce businesses, and certified pharmaceutical delivery companies must register in the designated system and verify their legal qualifications to offer such services.
Key Points of the Guideline:
- Precise recording of prescription details, medicine, price, and patient information in the system is mandatory.
- An official invoice stamped by the pharmacy must accompany the package to the patient.
- Drug packages must be sealed, opaque, and labeled with the recipient’s identity.
- Only authorized and certified delivery companies are allowed to transport medicines.
- Packages with broken seals must not be delivered and should be returned to the pharmacy.
- Transportation of refrigerated drugs is only permitted under strict cold-chain compliance.
Pirsalehi emphasized that the implementation of this guideline allows for smart, electronic monitoring of the entire process—from prescription to delivery—and represents an effective step toward protecting patients’ rights and preventing violations in online drug sales.
