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The president of the Iranian Pharmacists Association has announced that online platforms are not authorized to sell or prescribe medications directly. He emphasized that under current regulations, these platforms can only act as intermediaries between patients and pharmacies.
Shahram Kalantari Khandani stated that these platforms may only obtain the tracking code of a patient's prescription, procure medications from pharmacies near the patient's location, and deliver them. He stressed that online transport services are prohibited from storing medications.
Legal Concerns Over Direct Sales
Kalantari Khandani explained that the direct sale of medications by online platforms has arisen due to a lack of specific laws governing cyberspace. He stated, "These platforms are not permitted to prescribe medications or sell them directly. They cannot establish pharmacies or maintain drug warehouses because all of these actions are illegal and considered criminal."
He added that no licenses for pharmacies or drug storage facilities have been issued to any of these platforms. Previous licenses for online sales were strictly limited to supplements and cosmetic products.
Call for Regulatory Improvements
Kalantari Khandani highlighted the shortage of regulations for addressing violations in cyberspace and the lack of infrastructure for proper monitoring. He advised the public against using these platforms to acquire medications until a smart regulatory network is established.
He explained, "The Food and Drug Administration currently does not oversee the sales conducted by these platforms and is working on drafting related regulations. In the absence of oversight, the most prudent action is to refrain from visiting these websites."
The president concluded by stating that the Food and Drug Administration has been tasked with approving and implementing a smart regulatory infrastructure through a joint working group. He suggested that it is better for people to wait until these measures are in place.
