European Union · medicines access
How to verify an EU online pharmacy
Use the common logo and official register to identify the responsible seller, then check what that seller is permitted to supply.
What the common logo does
EMA describes the common EU logo used to identify legally operating online medicine retailers. Its flag identifies the country where the retailer is registered; an EU flag in that logo position is not the permitted substitute. Clicking the logo should lead to the national authority’s listing for that retailer. This verification logo has a legal purpose; MediSearcher’s decorative hero flags simply identify page geography.
Start with a register, or follow the logo there
Open the medicines regulator’s official guidance or the national register linked from it. You can use EMA’s directory to find the relevant national route. If starting on a shop, click its common logo and inspect the destination carefully. A logo displayed as a static image has not completed the check.
Compare the listing with the shop
Check the exact website address and the legal retailer or pharmacy identity. Confirm which dispensing premises serve the order where the register or retailer identifies them. Similar names and a brand shared by several branches can obscure the business responsible for supply. Do not stop at finding a vaguely matching company name.
- Does the link land on an official authority or its authorised register?
- Does the entry identify this retailer and this website address?
- Do the business and dispensing/contact details correspond?
- Does the country permit the type of medicine sale being offered?
- Is your product and destination within the separate permitted supply route?
Registration has a defined scope
A legal retailer may be authorised for non-prescription products only. In Ireland, the Internet Supply List distinguishes pharmacy businesses from non-pharmacy retailers; in Italy, eligible online sellers include authorised pharmacies and parafarmacie. A register entry does not turn every product or service on a website into an authorised prescription sales route.
A foreign registration does not settle delivery
After confirming the seller, check both dispatch and destination conditions. A valid register entry in one country is not evidence that it may send every medicine to every EU address. The relevant product authorisation, prescription status and import rules still require assessment. Use the country directory and the online-purchase guide for that second stage.
If the listing and website do not match
Pause payment while you ask the relevant authority or pharmacy to explain the discrepancy. A broken link can have several causes, but it should not be treated as successful verification. If a seller offers a prescription product without the documented prescription process, check that offer against national rules rather than relying on customer reviews.
When a country does not offer a general online-sales route
The logo system does not require every country to allow every kind of internet medicine sale. Cyprus and Greece’s authority information describes restrictions that differ from countries with prescription mail order. A local-looking website or foreign badge cannot replace the national check.
Retain a useful record
Save the register link, exact website, retailer details and the order or enquiry reference. This is practical recordkeeping if you later need to contact the dispensing pharmacy or regulator. It does not guarantee medicine quality, clinical suitability, delivery or reimbursement; those questions require their own evidence and professional assessment.
Explore the EU guides
- EU medicines hub and country directory
- Using an EU prescription in another country
- Buying medicines online in the EU
- Cross-border ePrescriptions and MyHealth@EU
- Prescription costs and reimbursement across the EU
Official sources / References
- EMA: buying medicines online and national registers — Logo verification; national-register directory
- Your Europe: buying medicines online — Official guidance
- PSI: internet supply overview — Internet Supply List Parts A/B; prescription prohibition; EEA sales
- Italian Ministry of Health: authorisation for online medicine sales — SOP/OTC scope; pharmacies and parafarmacie
- Cyprus Pharmaceutical Services: online pharmacies — National prohibition and Second Table exception
- EOF: illegal GLP-1 medicines and online sales — Statement that online medicine sales are prohibited in Greece
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