Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether his Department is taking steps to prevent the selling of prescription drugs online without requiring a prescription; and if she will make a statement.

Existing regulatory controls govern the retail sale and supply of medicines. The Human Medicines Regulations 2012 prohibit the sale or supply of prescription only medicines (POMs), unless in accordance with a prescription given by an appropriate practitioner and dispensed through registered pharmacy premises, by or under the supervision of a pharmacist. ‘Appropriate practitioners’ include doctors, dentists and independent nurse or pharmacist prescribers.

Websites offering to supply POMs without a relevant prescription are in breach of the United Kingdom’s legal requirements and the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency will investigate and take appropriate action, including criminal investigation and prosecution.