Selling drugs on the Internet in Russia

Pharmaceutical market of Russia

Main article: Pharmaceutical market of Russia

2024

Sales of drugs via the Internet in Russia for 3 years increased 10 times to 56.7 billion rubles

The volume of remote sales of drugs in Russia in 2023 reached 56.7 billion rubles, which is more than 10 times higher than in 2020 (5.5 billion rubles). This was announced on May 31, 2024 by the Deputy Minister of Health of the Russian Federation Sergei Glagolev during a plenary session at one of the medical conferences.

Glagolev noted the rapid dynamics of growth in sales of drugs via the Internet in 2024: in the first quarter alone, drugs worth 26 billion rubles were sold remotely. It is expected that by the end of 2024 the figure may reach 100 billion rubles.

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In February 2023, the Russian Ministry of Health approved the list of prescription drugs allowed for remote sale as part of a pilot project. The list includes 904 international generic names of various therapeutic groups. However, it did not include drugs that require strict medical supervision, as well as potent, narcotic and psychotropic drugs, and drugs containing ethyl alcohol.

General Director of the Ryazan pharmacy chain "Pharmacy Pharma" Alexander Mironov believes that the legalization of the delivery of prescription drugs can contribute to the growth of Internet sales. He expects that as part of the experiment, which started on March 1, 2023 in Moscow, Moscow and Belgorod regions, this figure will increase by 2-3% in the first year and by 4-5% in the second.

Deputy Minister Glagolev stressed that the successful experience in the sale of over-the-counter drugs by remote method allowed in 2023 to launch an experiment on the remote sale of prescription drugs in three regions of Russia. This required building an electronic document management system between medical organizations, pharmacies and patients using electronic prescriptions.

He expressed the hope that in two years a sufficient texture will be obtained to assess the role of remote sales in the drug supply of citizens. It also became known that the Ministry of Health extended the accelerated drug registration programs for 2025.^[1]

Online delivery of prescription drugs is in weak demand in Russia

Almost a year since the launch of the experiment on the remote sale of prescription drugs in March 2023 to mid-February 2024, only 800 such orders have been issued in Moscow, and 291 in the Moscow region. This is evidenced by the data of the Moscow Department of Health and the Ministry of Health of the Moscow Region.

The Belgorod region is also involved in the experiment. Data on the demand for the delivery of prescription drugs in this region by mid-February 2024 were not disclosed.

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The Association of Internet Commerce Companies (AKIT) estimates that "several hundred" prescription drugs were created and delivered in almost a year in three regions participating in the pilot. Among the reasons why the service did not become popular is the difficulty in placing an order. So, in particular, in Moscow, buyers need to indicate the number of the electronic prescription, which is checked with the data of the regional medical system. In the Moscow and Belgorod regions, it is required to present an identity card. In addition, the high cost of delivery affects, writes Kommersant.

The list of drugs allowed for sale online included 904 prescription drugs. 29 companies have permits for remote drug trading today, including Sber Eapteku"," Gorzdrav"" (group 36,6""), "Здоров.ру," GC Erkafarm"," etc. Market participants reported a small number of orders involving prescription drugs.

Experts interviewed by the newspaper agree that the low demand for the service of buying prescription drugs through online pharmacies is due to the fact that the business processes of companies turned out to be incompatible with the requirements of the regions. According to AKIT estimates, sales of over-the-counter drugs in 2023 increased by one and a half times, to 31.5 million orders.^[2]

2023

Sales growth in online pharmacies by 14% to 296 billion rubles

Sales of online pharmacies in Russia in 2023 increased by 14% compared to 2022 and reached 296 billion rubles. The number of orders issued on such sites increased by 19%, to 198 million units. This is evidenced by data from the analytical company Data Insight, published in May 2024.

According to the study, the largest online platform for buying pharmacy goods was the Аптека.ру service with a share of 39%. Next are the marketplace Ozon and service Eapteka"." 70% of all online purchases of pharmacy goods are made on 7 pharmacy online sites, experts say.

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Data Insight

According to the report, 59% of buyers of pharmacy goods in the online channel in 2023 used only pickup from the pharmacy to receive an order. Younger generations are more likely to use online order delivery than shoppers in other age groups. Analysts cited two main reasons for the growing popularity of online drug and medical device sales:

• saving money, favorable prices;
• saving time is the main reason for using the delivery of online orders at home (contained in 39% of responses).

Pharma, usually not the first category to buy online, becomes a familiar purchase on the Internet for the user. New buyers (who have been using the online channel for less than a year) are more likely to start their shopping journey with apteka.ru, the report said.

It follows from it that 49% of online buyers of pharmacy goods are people aged 25-44 years. Among buyers of this category of goods, the online channel has 24% more women than men. 98% of online buyers have more than a year of experience buying pharmacy range online, and 96% of respondents said they intend to continue using online channels to buy pharmacy products in 2024.

Online channel in the purchase of pharmacy goods. Customer behavior

Sales of drugs via the Internet are growing in Russia. Market leaders

At the end of 2023, the total volume of online sales and booking of pharmacy products (drugs and parapharmaceuticals) in Russia amounted to 326.4 billion rubles. This is a 10.8% increase compared to the previous year, as stated in the report of the analytical company RNC Pharma, published on February 13, 2024.

It is noted that the growth rate of the Internet market for drugs in Russia has slowed down sharply. So, in 2022, the increase in relation to the previous year was estimated at 40%, and in 2021 - at 53%. Analysts say that in 2023, positive dynamics in the online segment helped to support the projects of individual players who are in an active investment stage. At the same time, the industry is increasingly feeling pressure from large domestic marketplaces, which are actively increasing their work in the category of beauty and health products, including the sale of medicines.

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RNC Pharma

The leader of the Russian online drug market in 2023 was Apteka.Ru with revenue of 73.1 billion rubles and a share of approximately 3.7% (from the total volume of the commercial retail market for drugs and parapharmaceuticals of the Russian Federation). Rigla is in second place with 32 billion rubles and 1.6%, and Eapteka closes the top three with 28.9 billion rubles and 1.5%. The top ten also includes April (1.2%), Neopharm (1%), Zdravsiti (0.8%), Uteka (0.7%), Iris (0.7%), Farmland (0.5%) and Pharmacy chain 36.6 "(0.5%).

The total revenue of organizations in the Tor-20 rating at the end of 2023 reached 289.7 billion rubles (in final consumption prices, including VAT): this is approximately 88.8% of the total volume of the online drug market in Russia. The report said that 11 of the 20 largest companies showed dynamics above the market average.^[3]

2022

Drug sales in online pharmacies up 40.3%

The revenue of Russian online pharmacies in 2022 amounted to 294.6 billion rubles, which is 40.3% more than a year earlier. Growth rates decreased - in 2021, market dynamics were measured at + 53%. This is evidenced by data from analysts at RNC Pharma, released at the end of March 2023.

According to experts, the reduction in development rates by the end of the year was due to a number of factors, including a general decrease in consumer activity due to falling incomes, a decrease and redistribution of promotion volumes by manufacturers.

There is also a general decrease in the degree of interest in investments in the segment on the part of a number of players both from among the aggregators and from large pharmacy chains. Many pinned their hopes on starting online sales of Rx drugs, but when the parameters of the pilot project were released, it became clear that one could not count on the quick launch of full-scale activities in relation to the prescription range, the study said.

In the total volume of Russian pharmaceutical retail, including sales of parapharmaceuticals, the share of the e-commerce channel in 2022 reached a record 16.5%. However, the maximum was achieved primarily due to the relatively low activity of the offline channel, analysts say.

The leading Аптека.ру in the market in 2022 showed an increase of 24%, Zdravsiti - by 48%, and ASNA - by 62%. All these companies in 2022 seriously expanded their quantitative composition, and even for organizations comparable in format, there was no direct correlation between the number of affiliated pharmacies and the growth rate. Implosion demonstrated minimal dynamics in the top at the end of 2022: the turnover of the company's online project lost about 5% over the year (in rubles).^[4]

Law passed on the online sale of prescription drugs

In early October 2022, the State Duma of the Russian Federation in the third (final) reading adopted a government bill on the online sale of prescription drugs. From March 1, 2023 to March 1, 2026, an experiment will be conducted in Moscow, Belgorod and Moscow regions on the sale of drugs manufactured on a doctor's prescription on the Internet.

{{quote 'Creating the possibility of remote sale of medicinal products for medical use, prescription, will provide additional support to small businesses working in the pharmacy market... will increase the availability of prescription drugs for the drug for all categories of citizens, - says the explanatory note to the bill, which is quoted by RIA Novosti. }}

Russia adopted a law on the online sale of prescription drugs

It also says that within the framework of this experiment, participants will be able to sell prescription drugs remotely, including those that are issued in the format of an electronic document. The list of drugs allowed for sale online will be approved by the Ministry of Health. The exception will be:

• Preferential drugs available for free or at a discount;
• Drugs that contain narcotic drugs, psychotropic substances and their precursors;
• Drugs that contain potent substances;
• Radiopharmaceutical and immunobiological drugs;
• Medicines that should be stored at temperatures below 15 degrees;
• Preparations with a volume fraction of ethyl alcohol more than 25%;
• Drugs made by pharmacies.

Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin noted that online drug purchases will make life easier for many Russians, especially people with limited mobility and patients with chronic diseases. He emphasized that strict compliance with all safety requirements should be ensured.^[5]

Most Russians are ready to order medicines from an online pharmacy instead of visiting an offline pharmacy

Media holding Rambler & Co and Sber Eapteka conducted a survey among 3,500 respondents in large cities of Russia and found that almost every second respondent (46%) is ready to completely switch to online orders of medicines. And 88% said that it was online pharmacies that helped them get the right medicine at a difficult moment. Rambler & Co announced this on June 24, 2022.

The study made it possible to find out how the consumer habits of Russians have changed recently. According to the survey, the majority of those who choose delivery have begun to use the services of online pharmacies since their appearance (68%). The choice of a quarter (25%) was influenced by the pandemic, and only 7% began to buy medicines online relatively recently. The most popular products for June 2022 are over-the-counter drugs (ordered by every second respondent - 53%). In second place are prescription drugs (36%), and in third place are vitamins and dietary supplements (7%).

We see an increase in interest in online ordering of medicines on our own data. For, in the information DSM Group first quarter of 2022 alone Sber , EAPTEKA sales increased by 2.3 times compared to 2021. And the indicator of knowledge of our brand - as consumers often call our brand in surveys about online pharmacies - increased 2.2 times over the year, to 73%. People all over the country are used to ordering medicines on the Internet - thanks to a large assortment, saving money and time, - said the general director of SBER EAPTEKA. Maria Timofeeva

Two-thirds of the respondents (69%) replied that they were ready to abandon going to the pharmacy in favor of online orders. Nevertheless, in reality, every third (33%) has already switched to online. Russians call the reasons for their choice the availability of prices (43%), time savings (26%) and a larger choice of medicines than in a regular pharmacy (16%). Interestingly, most often Russians replenish their first-aid kit once a month (71%). Of these, every third (36%) reported that it is customary for him to buy drug supplies at least once every two weeks. The remaining 29% purchase drugs several times a year.

Putin supported the sale of prescription drugs via the Internet

As it became known in early February 2022, Russian President Vladimir Putin supported the initiatives of United Russia in the field of health care. One of them concerns the remote sale of prescription drugs.

It is important to use remote technologies to write prescriptions for the treatment of the patient during the period of overload. Now the doctor can only adjust his diagnosis, and you have to apply for prescriptions in person. We propose to enable the doctor, in the presence of a medical card in paper and electronic form, to make a remote reception, make a diagnosis and write out electronic prescriptions, - said the head of the United Russia health commission Denis Protsenko, addressing Putin, at a meeting with members of the public organization "Business Russia."

Russian President Vladimir Putin supported the sale of prescription drugs via the Internet

According to Protsenko, a number of regions, including Moscow, have long been ready to implement such technologies. Moreover, in the capital by February 2022, due to the COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic, sick leave is already being issued and closed using teleconsultation without visiting a clinic, he said.

Denis Protsenko suggested that the president support for this purpose the adoption of a federal law on experimental legal regimes in the field of digital innovation. The bill, which will allow organizing the delivery of such drugs in pilot mode in certain regions, has already been submitted to the Government. It was developed by the Ministry of Economic Development and the Ministry of Health together with United Russia.

The head of state called the initiatives put forward logical and noted that the experiment with electronic recipes should be developed, since it showed a good result. Representatives of the Ministry of Health of the Russian Federation also approved the party's proposals.

At the same meeting between Putin and members of the Business Russia public organization, Sber Eapteki Vice President Anton Buzdalin asked the president to support and accelerate the adoption of a bill on remote trade in prescription drugs, and also proposed developing a unified federal register of electronic prescriptions so that patients can buy drugs for prescription even in another region. The head of state agreed and expressed the wish that bureaucratic procedures would not take much time.^[6]

2021

Online drug sales in Russia have grown by half over the year

The volume of sales and booking of pharmacy products (parapharmaceuticals) via the Internet in Russia in 2021 reached 210 billion rubles (in prices for end consumers), which is 52.7% more than a year earlier. This was announced on March 3, 2022 by analysts at RNC Pharma.

According to their calculations, in 2021 the share of e-commerce in the total volume of Russian pharmaceutical retail, including sales of parapharmaceuticals, reached 13.4%. At the same time, the 20 largest companies on the market provided revenue in the amount of 179.5 billion rubles (in final consumption prices, including VAT). This is almost 85.5% of the total volume of operations of the e-commerce segment.

The maximum growth rate in 2021 was recorded in the second quarter, when the dynamics exceeded 79% in rubles. True, such a rise is primarily due to the relatively small results of the comparison period, which was the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic. In the third and fourth quarters, growth was measured at 62%, which analysts associate with the active development of the online direction on the part of specialized interested parties.

"It seems that a large pharmaceutical retail realized that if revolutionary changes in the market cannot be changed, it is better to lead them, and rushed to e-com, including actively investing in this area," the study says.

The first place in online sales in 2021 was taken by the Аптека.ру service, whose share was 3.8%. As of January 1, 2022, the company united 22,840 pharmacy institutions, in total, about 71,850 outlets operated in our country at that time, which corresponds to about 32% of Russian retail. In addition, the total number of pharmacies of the company compared to January 1, 2021 increased by 6973 objects.^[7]

85% of consumers look for information on nonprescription medicines before purchase

On November 8, 2021 it became known that 85% of consumers look for information on nonprescription medicines before purchase, and 45% use for this purpose the Internet. Ob­shchy ob­em on­layn - pro­dazh and bro­niro­vaniya in ap­te­kakh sos­ta­vil 94 billion rubles, which is 30% bol­she than in 2020.

Such data are provided by Google together with Kantar following the results of the study.

70% of users use search engines, 50% turn to online pharmacies and 37% read reviews on sites intended for this. Buyers are mainly interested in issues of cost (46%) and comparison of drug prices (40%), as well as instructions for use (32%) and reviews (31%). The second most popular source of information after the Internet is a doctor's appointment (36%).

Before buying a drug, buyers also often look for additional information about the problem itself - 28% watch treatments, 24% prevent the disease, 21% want to understand what exactly causes the disease, and 20% are interested in how to recognize symptoms.

Kirill Yakobenko, General Director of Uteka LLC, believes that the growth of online sales will increase due to new players and improving the quality of service. At the same time, according to Kirill Yakobenko, the number of those who are looking for information about medicines on the Internet will increase.

[[:Шаблон:Quote 'Consumption will not change much, but one hopes that it will become more reasonable. A larger percentage of people will consult with doctors, including remotely, - said Kirill Yakobenko.]]

The study said about 20% of consumers could switch to an alternative brand if it simply appeared on screen at the time of purchase.

Vyacheslav Chernyakhovsky, academician of the Russian Academy of Advertising, notes that Russia has very strict legislation regarding the advertising of medicines, medicines and methods of treatment.

Such advertising is distributed in accordance with the requirements of the Law "On Advertising" and the Law "On the Circulation of Medicines." But no one has canceled the competition between brands. And on the Internet, brands have an extensive range of tools that allow direct access to the user 24 hours a day, using network navigation, content advertising, blogs, influencers, marketplaces, social networks, etc., "Vyacheslav Chernyakhovsky emphasized.

He notes that the marketing of medicines actively uses the advantages of omnichannel promotion, careful targeting and personalization of the target audience and takes into account the features of the psychology of a client who has not yet made a final decision, but is facing the pharmacy counter.

It is no secret that it is not easy, especially in a pandemic, to get an appointment with the right specialist who will diagnose, write out prescriptions for the recommended medicines. The temptation to use the online hint is very great, especially since it is simple and accessible. But the possibility of choosing is not only full of temptations - there are also dangers, - added Vyacheslav Chernyakhovsky. - It remains to rely on the fact that the "alternative brand" will not be inferior in its quality characteristics to the previously chosen, but not won in the competition brand[8].

The Ministry of Health and the Ministry of Justice approved the regulation on the sale of prescription drugs via the Internet

In mid-October 2021, the Ministry of Health and Justice of the Russian Federation approved a regulation on the sale of prescription drugs via the Internet. The updated version of the document took into account the following initiatives of the Ministry of Health:

• creation of a unified register of prescription drug assignments;
• expansion of the list of drugs, the ban on the sale of which via the Internet will remain.

Initially, this list included only narcotic, psychotropic and alcohol-containing drugs with a volume share of ethyl alcohol over 25%. In the new version, the prohibited list was supplemented with potent drugs containing small amounts of narcotic drugs, psychotropic substances and their precursors, as well as radiopharmaceutical and immunobiological drugs.

The Ministry of Health and the Ministry of Justice approved the regulation on the sale of prescription drugs via the Internet

In addition, the document included a provision on the creation of a register of drug prescriptions, which will be maintained using a unified state information system in the field of health care (Uniform State Health Information System). It should ensure centralized accounting of prescriptions, including registration and storage of prescriptions for drugs in the form of electronic documents, the Ministry of Economic Development said .

Participants in the drug retail market will develop a program of an experimental legal regime (EPR) for the online sale of prescription drugs. The terms and list of EPR participants will be established when finalizing the program with the participation of Mindrav, the Ministry of Economic Development told TASS.

In parallel, in July 2021, the mayor of the capital Sergei Sobyanin and the head of Sberbank German Gref applied to the Government of the Russian Federation with an initiative to conduct an experiment on the remote sale of prescription drugs in Moscow. The experiment should begin on January 1, 2022 and last a year.

By October 2021, Russia allows the online sale and delivery of over-the-counter drugs, except for narcotic, psychotropic and alcohol-containing drugs.^[9]

Roskomnadzor blocked the Superapteka.ru website for selling prescription drugs via the Internet

In mid-April 2021, Roskomnadzor first blocked the website of a large pharmacy chain for selling prescription drugs via the Internet. The work of the Superapteka.ru site belonging to the Erkafarm Group of Companies was suspended. Read more here.

Ministry of Digital Development proposes to allow sales of prescription drugs via the Internet

The Ministry of Digital Development, Communications and Mass Media of the Russian Federation proposes to develop a draft government decree by July 2021, according to which Internet sellers and marketplaces will be able to trade prescription drugs. This became known on March 11, 2021.

The fact that Ministry of Digital Development it proposes to allow the online sale of prescription drugs is written "" Sheets with reference to the industry development plan developed by the ministry information technology in Russia.

The representative of the press service of Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Chernyshenko confirmed the receipt of the document, the newspaper writes, but he did not comment on the drug initiative. It is noted that the Ministry of Digital Development and the Ministry of Health are indicated as executors in the draft plan.

Ministry of Digital Development Science proposes to allow sales of prescription drugs via the Internet

According to the Deputy Head of the Ministry of Digital Development Maxim Parshin of the initiative was proposed by the industry, and it is important, since it will make it possible to purchase such goods of the highest priority as medicines quickly and without leaving home.

At the same time, the safety and responsibility of aggregators are our unconditional priorities, - TASS quotes the Russian Information Agency as saying the deputy minister.

By March 11, 2021, online trade in only over-the-counter drugs is allowed in Russia. Before that, they could only be booked and picked up at the pharmacy. After the adoption of the relevant law, the Association of Internet Trade Companies (AKIT), which includes Ozon, Wildberries, Sberbank Market, iHerb, Russian Post and others, took the initiative to legalize the delivery of prescription drugs. The Ministry of Health then replied that this would be possible only after the emergence of the practice of selling over-the-counter ones.

AKIT President Artyom Sokolov noted that due to the ban on the sale of prescription drugs, the online market is still poorly developed. More than half of pharmacy sales come from prescription drugs, he said. To implement the Ministry of Digital Development project in a short time, it is necessary that there is a system of electronic prescriptions in all of Russia, Sokolov added.^[10][11]

2020

Roszdravnadzor approved criteria for blocking sites selling drugs

On September 8, 2020, the Federal Service for Supervision of Healthcare (Roszdravnadzor) approved the criteria for blocking medical sites. The relevant order of department registered the Ministry of Justice of the Russian Federation. The document indicates nine criteria that may cause restrictions on access to the resource.

Roszdravnadzor approved criteria for blocking medical sites

Sites can be included in the Unified Register of Sources Containing Information, the distribution of which is prohibited in Russia, if the following are posted there:

• proposals on the sale of medicines, including by remote means, the retail trade of which is limited or prohibited in accordance with the legislation on the circulation of medicines, by persons who do not have a license to carry out such activities;
• retail offers for unregistered medicines;
• retail proposals for remote distribution of prescription drugs;
• proposals on the retail trade in the remote method of narcotic and psychotropic drugs;
• proposals for the remote retail of alcohol-containing drugs with a volume share of ethyl alcohol over 25%;
• proposals on the retail trade in drugs by remote method using domain names and page pointers of sites not specified in the permit for the retail trade in drugs by remote method;
• data aimed at creating a positive image for the target audience of persons engaged in the retail trade in medicines, including online, the sale of which is prohibited.

The explanatory note to the draft document states that the criteria for assessing the information necessary for Roszdravnadzor to make decisions on blocking sites are established in agreement with the Federal Service for Supervision of Communications, Information Technologies and Mass Media.^[12]

The Government of the Russian Federation approved the rule of online sales of drugs

On May 18, 2020, the Government of the Russian Federation approved the rules for pharmacies for the remote sale and delivery of over-the-counter medicines. The corresponding decree was published on the website of the Cabinet.

According to the document, medicines can be purchased by phone or online. To carry out remote sales, pharmacies must obtain permission, for which it is necessary to send an application and a set of documents to Roszdravnadzor. The department should consider the application within five days.

The procedure for issuing permits for online drug trading has been approved

Among the important conditions is the availability of a license for this type of activity, from the moment of issuance of which at least one year has passed, a website or mobile application, its own courier service or an agreement with a company providing such services.

According to the order of the Cabinet, when accepting an order, the buyer must be informed about the indications for the use of the drug, its retail price, expiration date, storage rules, and so on. 

In addition, within six months, the Ministry of Health will be obliged to monitor the application of the rules for the sale of drugs online and submit a report on the results.^[13]

Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin explained that remote pharmacy services are especially in demand during the self-isolation regime and in patients in quarantine at home. Many will take advantage of this opportunity, and at the same time it is necessary to carefully monitor that the conditions for storing and transporting drugs are not violated, sanitary standards are observed when transferring them to customers, he said.

In Russia, a fairly large number of pharmacies, however, leaving a doctor with a list of drugs, very often patients have  to bypass pharmacies in an already difficult state in search of the necessary medicine, "says Boris Mendelevich, a member of the Health Protection Committee. - Now  the patient has the opportunity almost   in the clinic, via the Internet, to order everything necessary.

The State Duma allowed the sale of prescription drugs via the Internet

On April 1, 2020, the State Duma in the third reading adopted a law on the online sale of drugs. This applies to both prescription and over-the-counter drugs, with the exception of narcotic and psychotropic drugs, as well as alcohol-containing drugs with a volume share of ethyl alcohol of more than 25%.

The law allows the online sale of prescription drugs in an emergency or in the event of "a threat of the spread of a disease that poses a danger to others." The rules for the sale of prescription drugs in such cases will determine the government, the law says. The responsibility for the quality of the drugs sold will be assigned to pharmacies.

The State Duma in the third reading adopted a law on the online sale of drugs

The clause of the law on the right of the government to allow the remote sale of prescription drugs will be valid only until December 31, 2020, said Leonid Ogul, deputy head of the Duma health protection committee. According to him, this amendment is a response to the situation with the spread of coronavirus infection COVID-19.

The parliamentarian explained that in order to implement this right, "the government must develop a procedure for issuing permits for remote trade in" prescription, "requirements for pharmacy organizations that can carry out such trade, and the procedure for its implementation, as well as rules for the delivery of medicines to citizens

Yandex is ready to start delivering drugs immediately after the corresponding government decree appears, a company representative told Forbes.

We have a large flow of appeals from people, they often ask about the possibility of receiving medicines at home. We are in touch with the country's largest pharmacy chains all the time, agreements in principle have already been reached, all processes have been debugged and tests have been carried out, the company said.[14]

Putin allowed the sale of over-the-counter drugs via the Internet

On March 17, 2020, the president Russia Vladimir Putin signed a decree on the remote sale of over-the-counter medicines. At the same time, the head states demanded to strengthen responsibility for the sale of counterfeit goods.

Putin signed a decree on the remote sale of over-the-counter drugs

I ask you to draw the government's attention to this - and there is also this in the decree - to make the necessary proposals for changing the regulatory framework, to the law on increasing responsibility for counterfeiting, so that it would not occur to anyone to take advantage of the situation and supply people with something that is completely unsuitable for cure, - said Vladimir Putin at a meeting with members of the government (quoted by Interfax).

Due to the new decree, pharmacies will be able to sell medicines via the Internet. This applies only to over-the-counter medicines.

Attempts to legalize sales of drugs online in Russia have been made for several years. The corresponding bill was adopted by the State Duma back in 2017, but the introduction of the initiative stalled due to numerous approvals.

In mid-March 2020, industry associations of Internet companies asked officials to speed up the adoption of a bill on online drug trading due to the coronavirus epidemic, which leads to more and more Russians being forced to stay at home in isolation. As the President of Russia noted, the issue of remote sale of drugs is important for families who are in quarantine.

Putin, addressing the Russian government and telecommunications companies, demanded "to use all reserves" in order to establish free access from computers to socially significant Internet resources as soon as possible for the possibility of ordering drugs, distance learning, obtaining public services, watching domestic films and children's programs.^[15]

2019: Russian government refuses to allow online sales of prescription drugs

On December 16, 2019, it became known about the refusal of the Government of the Russian Federation to allow online sales of prescription drugs, with the exception of narcotic and psychotropic drugs, as well as alcohol-containing drugs with a volume share of ethyl alcohol over 25%. A negative conclusion was made on the amendments prepared for the second reading of the bill on remote trade in medicines.

Deputy Alexander Petrov, a member of the State Duma Health Protection Committee, told Kommersant about the position of the authorities. The bill does not resolve issues related to the procedure for recording prescription forms, as well as checking the reliability of prescriptions sent to the pharmacy remotely.

Another reason why the government opposed online sales of prescription drugs was the lack of a document on the issue of identifying buyers receiving such drugs and checking the powers of those who delivered it.

The deputies will defend their position on the introduction of remote sale of drugs, said Andrei Isaev, first deputy head of the United Russia faction. According to him, the deputies will discuss this topic at a meeting with the Ministry of Health at the end of December 2019.

It became known about the refusal of the Government of the Russian Federation to allow online sales of prescription drugs, with the exception of narcotic and psychotropic drugs, as well as alcohol-containing drugs with a volume share of ethyl alcohol over 25%

According to the changes that were submitted for discussion in the fall of 2019 Russia , from July 1, 2020, it was envisaged to legalize the purchase of drugs without a prescription on the Internet, and from January 1, 2022, the permit concerned prescription drugs.

Russian President Vladimir Putin made a call to speed up the adoption of the bill in February 2019. He noted that selling both over-the-counter drugs and prescription drugs is "where we need to go."

In the first reading, the bill legalizing the remote trade in over-the-counter drugs was adopted back in 2017, since then its consideration has slowed down.^[16]

Notes