Introduction
The Act on Medicinal Products (AMG)(1) and the Trade and Industry Act (GewO)(2) set strict rules on the sale of medicinal products. Broadly, only pharmacies may sell medicinal products to consumers. Pharmacies may also sell medicinal products not subject to prescription by distance selling, provided that:
the purchaser buys only the quantity needed for personal use;
the products are not negatively affected by shipping; and
the pharmacy provides advice during the order process.
Drugstores may sell to consumers only a limited number of medicinal products (primarily officinal plants), which are listed in the Ordinance Concerning the Distribution and Labelling of Certain Medicinal Products for Retail Sale (delimitation ordinance).(3) However, they may not sell such products via self-service or mail orders.