This page explains the professional and regulatory principles that apply to online pharmacy services and how official information should be verified.
Professional Pharmacy Services
Online pharmacy services should operate through appropriately registered arrangements and authorised professionals.
Registration status, roles and responsibilities should be verified against official public registers before publication.
Professional Judgement
A pharmacist or prescriber must exercise independent judgement and should not approve treatment merely because it was requested or paid for.
Remote Consultation Standards
Identity and location may need confirmation; relevant history, medicines, allergies and symptoms should be assessed; remote limitations should be considered; and further evidence, monitoring, examination or testing may be required.
Prescribing, Dispensing and Supply
Prescription approval, dispensing, payment and delivery are separate stages.
Where a prescription is required, it should follow an appropriate assessment and dispensing checks.
Medicine Quality
Medicines should be sourced, stored, handled and supplied through lawful channels, with authenticity, expiry, packaging integrity and storage requirements protected.
Website Information and Advertising
Information should be accurate, balanced and not misleading.
Prescription-only medicines should not be promoted to the public in a prohibited manner.
Testimonials, pricing, availability and treatment descriptions should be reviewed before publication.
Data Protection and Patient Safety
Personal and health information should be handled according to applicable confidentiality, security, record-keeping and data-protection requirements.
Requests that cannot be managed safely online should be referred appropriately.
Official Register Verification
Users should rely on official public registers to verify a pharmacy or regulated professional.
Website badges or statements are not a substitute for register verification.
Service Partners and Accountability
Third parties may support prescribing, dispensing, technology, payment or logistics.
Responsibilities should be defined through suitable governance, contracts and oversight.
Complaints and Updates
Service concerns should follow the Complaints Procedure, while regulatory concerns may be raised with the appropriate authority where applicable.
This page may be updated when service arrangements or standards change.