Online medicine retailers New
Play it safe - safety logos for authorised dispensers of human and veterinary medicinal products
The Europe-wide harmonisation of the labelling of registered dispensers is intended to ensure the quality-assured dispensing of medicinal products via distance selling and protect consumers from counterfeit medicinal products and fraudulent, illegal offers on the Internet.
In Austria, only human and veterinary medicinal products that are authorised and non-prescription may be sold online. Authorised dispensaries bear a corresponding safety logo.
The green safety logo for legal distance-selling pharmacies guarantees the safe online purchase of non-prescription human medicines.
The blue safety logo for legal dispensing organisations guarantees the safe online purchase of over-the-counter veterinary medicines.
Review of the webshop
To be on the safe side when buying medicines online, you should always look for the safety logo first (see illustrations). The flag symbol in the logo provides information about the registered office of the company authorised to dispense medicines and the competent supervisory authority.
In each EU member state, the respective national supervisory authority is responsible for the registration of webshops as well as the management and maintenance of a list of all registered, national entities authorised to dispense. By clicking on the logo, you will be automatically redirected to this list. There you can check whether the provider you have selected is actually legal or registered. You should only proceed with your purchase once you have verified this.
ATTENTION: When ordering from Austrian suppliers, look out for the Austrian flag symbol. Companies operating from other EU countries can also be recognised by the respective flag symbol.
List of registered and audited Austrian distance-selling pharmacies (human and veterinary medicines)
List of registered and audited Austrian dispensing organisations for veterinary medicinal products
Note: As every dispensing point for medicinal products must register with the national supervisory authority before commencing distance selling activities, the webshop does not necessarily have to be in operation yet. Webshops may still be under construction.
Professional background
Every year, large quantities of counterfeit medicines, which are often ordered from illegal dealers on the internet, are confiscated by customs. The manufacturers of these products succeed in making banned and potentially dangerous counterfeits look deceptively genuine on the outside. In contrast to the original, however, counterfeit medicines are produced under unknown, uncontrolled and harmful conditions.
Counterfeit medicines pose a massive health risk:
- They contain either no active ingredient or a different active ingredient or an active ingredient in ineffectively low or dangerously high concentrations.
- The use of counterfeit medicines can have dangerous and sometimes even toxic or life-threatening effects for humans and animals due to unknown additives or impurities.
Legal background
Medicinal products for human use
According to the German Medicinal Products Act (AMG), medicinal products may only be dispensed to patients by pharmacies. The dispensing of medicinal products through self-service or distance selling (mail order) is generally prohibited (Section 59 (8)).
An exception to this prohibition is the dispensing of non-prescription medicinal products authorised in Austria by registered distance-selling pharmacies (Section 59 para. 9).
Pursuant to Section 59a para. 2, any public pharmacy wishing to offer this service must notify the Federal Office for Safety in Health Care of the commencement of this activity. After registration, the Federal Office for Safety in Health Care includes the pharmacy in a list of authorised distance-selling pharmacies.
The Distance Selling Ordinance describes additional requirements that pharmacies must fulfil. Compliance with the legal provisions is evaluated by the Federal Office for Safety in Health Care as part of an operational review.
Veterinary medicinal products
On 2 January 2024, the national Veterinary Medicinal Products Act (TAMG) came into force, which regulates the implementation of the Veterinary Medicinal Products Regulation (EU) 2019/6, as well as supplementary provisions at national level.
§ Sections 49 and 50 TAMG regulate the authorisation to dispense veterinary medicinal products and the distance selling of these. Accordingly, public pharmacies, veterinarians with a veterinary in-house pharmacy (but only in relation to animals undergoing treatment with them), druggists, traders in possession of a trade licence for the manufacture of medicinal products and retailers pursuant to Section 49 para. 12 (but only in respect of veterinary medicinal specialities for animals intended for external application to the skin or veterinary medicinal specialities for bees with the active ingredients organic acids or essential oils which, due to their special composition or the intended indications, have been designated by the Federal Office for Safety in Health Care for dispensing outside pharmacies and drugstores) are authorised to sell veterinary medicinal products at a distance.
Public pharmacies that are already registered as distance-selling pharmacies are automatically authorised to sell veterinary medicinal products at a distance. All other dispensing outlets mentioned in the previous paragraph must register with the BASG before commencing distance selling activities.
The Distance Selling Ordinance for Veterinary Medicinal Products, which came into force on 1 March 2025, describes additional requirements that dispensing outlets for veterinary medicinal products must fulfil. Compliance with the legal provisions is evaluated by the Federal Office for Safety in Health Care as part of a company inspection.
Further information
- Information from the EMA on the distance selling of medicinal products for human use
- Information from the EMA on the distance selling of veterinary medicinal products
- FAQ on webshops for human and veterinary medicinal products
- Information brochure of the European Commission on distance selling pharmacies
