The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) has advised us that from the end of the transition period at 11pm on 31 December 2020, it will be the UK’s standalone medicines and medical devices regulator. From that point, the online sale of medicines to members of the public in Great Britain (GB) will no longer be using the EU distance selling logo.
In Great Britain, the following requirements will be removed for persons who sell or supply medicinal products at a distance to the UK public online:
- register with the MHRA to sell medicines at a distance to members of the public
- display in a visible position the Distance Selling Logo on every page of the listed person’s website that relates to medicines that are offered for retail sale at a distance to members of the public
- include the contact details of the MHRA and a hyperlink to the MHRA website on the website used to sell medicinal products
The Distance Selling Logo will be removed from the MHRA server and the links to the registered websites that display the logo will be broken for GB and not for Northern Ireland. Those registered with the MHRA to sell medicines at a distance to members of the public, using the Distance Selling Logo, are advised to discuss the removal of the logo and the MHRA details from their website after the end of the transition period with their developer.
In addition, the register of persons who sell medicines at a distance to members of the public will no longer be available. Further guidance to inform buying medicines online will continue to be available.
For Great Britain the MHRA will be considering an alternative to the use of the logo in the future. In the meantime, the MHRA will continue to disrupt illegitimate online retailers through enforcement activity and promote guidance to inform consumer choice when buying healthcare products online through public health campaigns.
An overview of this information can be found on the MHRA website.