Outrage over internet sale of pharmaceuticals prompts gov’t warning

ONLINE SELLING An internet user reviews Goree whitening cream and other products being sold on an online shopping site despite warnings last year by the Food and Drug Administration that these contain toxic mercury levels beyond the limit set by the agency. —FILE PHOTO/EDWIN BACASMAS

MANILA, Philippines—The Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) and the Department of Health (DOH) on Tuesday reminded the public that online selling of drug products, supplies and food supplements is against the law.

According to DTI Undersecretary Ruth Castelo, only those with a physical store can sell drugs online.

“Unless you have a license to operate a physical drugstore, hindi ka pwedeng magbenta online (you cannot sell online), whether food supplement or essential drugs,” Castelo said in a forum with the DOH.

Castelo added that the DTI has a team dedicated to tracking online sellers.

“So kapag meron tayong nakikitang ganyan (So when we see something like that,), we report them to FDA (Food and Drug Administration), at the same time we communicate with the platforms para alisin nila ‘yung mga sellers nila (so that they can remove their sellers),” she said.

“Thankfully, ang online platforms naman cooperate with the DTI kapag may mga ganyan tayong requests, sumusunod naman sila (Online platforms cooperate with the DTI whenever we make these requests),” she added.

As of May 28, Castelo said the DTI received over 4,000 complaints about online purchases, including the sale of drugs.

Dr. Melissa Guerrero of the DOH’s Health Technology Assessment Unit explained that stores without pharmacists cannot sell drugs online.

“Kailangan may trained pharmacists ‘yan, para alam nila kung paano ang pagbibigay ng product at pagaadvise sa pasyente, kung online store wala ‘yan, so sino po ‘yung magbabantay kung tama ‘yung binibigay nilang gamot?” said Guererro.

(The online store must have pharmacists trained to provide products and advise patients. If there are no pharmacists to provide the product to the patient, then who will ensure the medicine is correct?)

“May panganib din po ‘yung maling pagbibigay ng gamot eh, kaya kailangan po FDA-licensed ‘yan (drugstore),” she added.

(It is dangerous to give the wrong medicine, so it must be FDA-approved.)

Under the law, she said drugstores must have certified pharmacists to get a license from the FDA.

Guerrero said the FDA could slap “criminal sanctions” on people who sell health products online without following the rules.

On June 11, last year, the FDA warned consumers against buying medicines sold online due to potential health risks.

READ: FDA warns public against buying medicine online

A few days later, on June 15, the FDA ordered online shopping sites Shopee and Lazada Philippines to “cease and desist” from selling drug products online.

READ: Shopee, Lazada ordered to stop selling meds online

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