Internet Supply List: Overview

Frequently Asked Questions

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• Do I need to register on the Internet Supply List if I want to provide a ‘click and collect’ on-line service?

  
  No, you do not need to be registered with the PSI if non-prescription medicines that are sold are collected from a pharmacy or a non-pharmacy retailer.
  
  You do however, need to register with the PSI if you intend to sell and supply non-prescription medicines at a distance over the internet.

• I am a superintendent pharmacist for a chain of pharmacies. Can I supply online from any or all pharmacies within the chain if I only register one website and one pharmacy?

  
  No. Each pharmacy supplying non-prescription medicines online must be registered on the Internet Supply List. This is regardless if there is only one company website address.

• My website designer says that they will provide me with the EU common logo. Is this legal?

  
  No. The PSI is the only authorised body who may issue the EU Common Logo to all premises registered on the Internet Supply List.

• Can I set up an online pharmacy?

  
  No. To use the word pharmacy, or to set up an online pharmacy, you must first be registered with the PSI as a Retail Pharmacy Business.

• Can I sell non-prescription medicines online outside the Republic of Ireland?

  
  You can only sell non-prescription medicines if you are registered on the PSI Internet Supply List, and you are selling a medicinal product that is licensed in that EEA country you are supplying to.

• Can I sell prescription medicines online?

  
  No. The sale of prescription only medicines online are strictly prohibited in Ireland, from a website in Ireland to residents in another country, and to a resident in Ireland from another country.

What you need to know

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• What medicines can be sold online?

  In Ireland, only non-prescription medicines are allowed to be sold online. The Internet Supply List is divided into two parts based on the type of retailer:

  Part A of the list contains the registered pharmacies that sell medicines online. Pharmacies selling non-prescription medicines online are allowed to sell the following categories of medicines:

  • Pharmacy only medicines: These are medicines that can only be sold from a pharmacy under the supervision of a pharmacist, for example, ibuprofen. The list of the pharmacy only medicines not subject to medical prescription is available on the Health Products Regulatory Authority (HPRA) website.
  • General sales medicines: These are medicines that can be sold in pharmacies and in non-pharmacy retailers, such as supermarkets and newsagents. For example, paracetamol (maximum pack size of 12 tablets), some cough bottles and certain nicotine replacement therapies. A number of general sales list medicines are restricted to maximum pack sizes, such as paracetamol. The general sales product information list is available on the HPRA website.

  Part B of the list contains non-pharmacy retailers. These suppliers may only sell general sales list medicines.

• What is the common logo?

  The common logo is a safety feature that allows members of the public identify legitimate online suppliers of non-prescription medicines, giving reassurance that the purchase is safe. All websites in the European Union (EU), including Ireland, which supply non-prescription medicines over the internet, have to clearly display the EU common logo.

  The common logo is recognisable throughout the EU and will provide a link to the approved supplier list for the country where the website is established.

• Who can use the common logo?

  Only suppliers who are registered on the Internet Supply List are authorised to display the EU common logo on their website. Only authorised suppliers in Ireland who are registered with the PSI are allowed to sell non-prescription medicines on the internet

• Can I buy medicines from non-Irish websites?

  Websites established within the EU are entitled to supply non-prescription medicines in Ireland provided the product supplied has been authorised for use in Ireland by the HPRA, the medicines regulator.

  
  

  These websites must also display the EU common logo applicable in their country, which is similar to the logo above, but will display the flag of that country.

  Customers and suppliers should be aware that there may be differences between countries regarding classification of medicines and how they can be supplied.

• Where can I find websites displaying the EU common logo?

  You can find a link to websites displaying the EU common logo on the PSI website.

• What other checks should I make before buying non-prescription medicines online?

  Read our leaflet about buying non-prescription medicines safely online.

  Making sure a website has the EU common logo is one of the checks you should make before purchasing your non-prescription medicines on the internet. You should also:

  • avoid websites which offer to supply prescription-only medicines without a prescription;
  • be aware that all websites selling non-prescription medicines online are required to check the following:

  1. The customer is over 18
  

  
  

  2. The customer knows that the medicine should be used in accordance with the recommendations for use contained within the product packaging

  3. The total quantity of the product supplied is reasonably required by the customer for his or her personal treatment

  • Be aware that pharmacies are required to check that a medicine is suitable for a patient before selling it. If you are not asked to provide this information about your health before a purchase, you should consider buying from an alternative vendor.

• Ordering from a Large Pharmacy Group or Retail Chain

  
  

  Not all individual pharmacies or stores in a group or chain are required to be registered on the Internet Supply List. Groups and chains are only required to notify the PSI of those pharmacies or stores from which they supply non-prescription medicinal products.

  
  

  You should be told as part of your order, the name of the pharmacy or store your non-prescription medicine will be supplied from. You can also check if the individual pharmacy or store that is supplying to you is registered on the Internet Supply List.

• Raising Concerns

  
  

  If you have concerns about a supplier registered on the PSI Internet Supply List or about a website that is supplying non-prescription medicines without displaying the EU common logo, please contact the PSI at internetsupply@psi.ie, or on 01-218 4000.

• Your Consumer Rights Online

  
  

  If you would like further information on your rights as a consumer buying products online, the Competition and Consumer Protection Commission has a Consumer Help website. The Commission enforces the distance selling and e-commerce regulations and can investigate possible breaches of legislation or consumer rights.