Before a pharmacy puts a single product in an online shop, it needs a clear view of what it is allowed to sell there, to whom, and with what checks. The rules are not complicated but they are specific, and they differ between the three legal categories of medicine. This guide sets them out for a registered pharmacy in Great Britain. It is a practical summary, not legal advice — the GPhC guidance and the Human Medicines Regulations are the sources.
The three categories of medicine
- General Sale List (GSL) — medicines that can be sold from any retail outlet (supermarkets, garages) without a pharmacist. Paracetamol in small packs, some antihistamines, many cold remedies.
- Pharmacy (P) — medicines that can only be sold from a registered pharmacy, under the supervision of a pharmacist. Larger packs, stronger painkillers, emergency contraception, many products with an interaction or misuse risk.
- Prescription-only (POM) — medicines that require a prescription from an appropriate prescriber.
What an online shop can sell
GSL: yes
A registered pharmacy can sell GSL medicines online with the same conditions as any retailer, plus the pharmacy's own professional standards. Pack-size limits still apply where they exist (for example, paracetamol and aspirin have legal pack-size and quantity restrictions for general sale).
P medicines: yes, with pharmacist involvement
A registered pharmacy in Great Britain can sell P medicines online. The GPhC's guidance for pharmacies providing services at a distance expects that the sale is under a pharmacist's supervision in a way that allows them to intervene; that appropriate questions are asked to check the product is suitable; that quantities are limited for products with a risk of misuse or overuse; and that the patient receives the information they need. In practice a shop meets this by asking a short set of questions at checkout, holding the order for pharmacist review before dispatch, and only taking payment once approved. How to build that flow is in selling P medicines online.
POM: not through a shop basket
Prescription-only medicines cannot be sold as retail products. A pharmacy can dispense a POM against a valid prescription (NHS or private) and can, with the right arrangements, provide services that lead to a prescription — but that is a consultation and prescribing pathway, not a shop transaction, and it is outside the scope of an online shop. Do not list POMs as products, and do not name them on shop or service pages as if they were available to buy.
Non-medicinal products: yes
Toiletries, vitamins and supplements (as food supplements, with their own labelling rules), medical devices, skincare, baby products, mobility aids, and so on. General consumer law applies.
Registration and the MHRA
Since the UK left the EU, a pharmacy in Great Britain no longer needs to register with the MHRA to sell medicines online and the EU "common logo" no longer applies; GPhC registration of the premises is the relevant requirement, and the GPhC operates a voluntary internet pharmacy logo. Northern Ireland retains the EU arrangements. Your shop should display the pharmacy's GPhC premises registration number, the superintendent pharmacist's details where the owner is a company, and the pharmacy's name and address as the seller — see what a UK pharmacy must display on its website.
Who you can sell to
Selling medicines online to patients in Great Britain is the straightforward case. Selling to Northern Ireland, the EU or elsewhere brings other jurisdictions' rules and is generally not something a community pharmacy shop should attempt. Age restrictions apply to some products; the checkout should ask.
Advertising rules on the shop
Product pages for medicines are advertisements and fall under the Human Medicines Regulations and the MHRA Blue Guide. Keep product descriptions to the licensed indications and the information on the pack; do not make claims beyond the licence; do not run promotions that encourage buying more of a medicine than needed (multi-buys on medicines are restricted). Promotions on non-medicinal lines are fine under general consumer law.
Consumer law
Online sales are distance sales, so the Consumer Contracts Regulations apply: clear pre-contract information, confirmation of the order, and cancellation rights — with the important exception that the 14-day cancellation right does not apply to medicines and other goods that cannot be returned for health or hygiene reasons once unsealed. Your terms should say this. Refunds for faulty goods are unaffected.
A practical checklist for the shop
- No POMs listed as products
- P medicines flagged, with checkout questions and pharmacist approval before dispatch
- Quantity limits on relevant products
- GPhC premises number, superintendent and seller details visible
- Product copy limited to licensed information; no medicine multi-buys
- Terms covering distance-selling information and the health-and-hygiene exception
- Age checks where relevant
- A privacy notice covering order and health-related data
PharmGrowth's online pharmacy shop is built around this: P-medicine orders are authorised but not captured until a pharmacist approves them, POMs cannot be listed, and the seller disclosures are in the shop's terms. Whether a shop is right for your pharmacy at all is the subject of should your pharmacy sell online.
Sources
- General Pharmaceutical Council — Guidance for registered pharmacies providing pharmacy services at a distance, including on the internet
- The Human Medicines Regulations 2012 (legislation.gov.uk)
- MHRA — The Blue Guide: Advertising and promotion of medicines in the UK
- The Consumer Contracts (Information, Cancellation and Additional Charges) Regulations 2013