The online sale of medicines in an illegal manner has been occurring in Albania for some time.

The denunciation comes from Diana Toma, President of the Order of Pharmacists, who says that despite being over-the-counter drugs, they should only be obtained from pharmacies, otherwise our health is at risk.

“The danger comes from buying medicines online. The law considers the online sale of medicines impossible and illegal. We say it is a threatening situation and does not guarantee the health of citizens,” Toma told Euronews Albania journalist Brunilda Cami.

The way these medicines are administered, from the seller to the patient, is another uncertainty added to the purchase of medicines online.

“We do not know how safe the medicine being obtained is, considering that it is an illegal activity that is being carried out outside the law and without monitoring. If we talk about guarantees to maintain the standard of storage and distribution of the medicine, we do not have them,” noted Toma.

Pharmacists themselves have raised this concern, however a solution is yet to be found.

“At the Order, we have received complaints from pharmacists. We have conveyed it as information, but unfortunately, we remain in this situation, collecting complaints, forwarding complaints, and no solutions are being provided,” added Toma.

According to her, even though over-the-counter medicines can be obtained without a doctor’s prescription, it is still the pharmacist’s responsibility to guide the patient on usage, effects, and various situations that are not covered by the accompanying leaflet of the medicine.