(PM) Berlin, 05.03.2012 - On December 29, 2011 the Ministry of Health (an organ that provides the introduction of state policy in public health) has put a new law concerning internet sales of medicines and drugs in place. From this date the changes for distribution drugs to patients and consumers are the following:

• Distance sale of medicine (by post, via Internet or other retail shops with no pharmacy status) are prohibited
• Sale of medicine is only allowed in pharmacies
• The advertising of prescription drugs is forbidden

There are a few countries in the world so far, where sales of medicine or OTCs via Internet were successful. Mostly people do not want to wait for 1-2 days to receive their medicine. Other reasons in the CIS region might be the lack of trust in the quality of delivered products.