TheJakartaPost

Please Update your browser

Your browser is out of date, and may not be compatible with our website. A list of the most popular web browsers can be found below.
Just click on the icons to get to the download page.

Jakarta Post

Government to issue regulation on online pharmacies

The Health Ministry is drafting a regulation on online pharmacies in a bid to contain sales of unlicensed medicines.

Anton Hermansyah (The Jakarta Post)
Jakarta
Tue, May 1, 2018 Published on Apr. 30, 2018 Published on 2018-04-30T16:49:17+07:00

Change text size

Gift Premium Articles
to Anyone

Share the best of The Jakarta Post with friends, family, or colleagues. As a subscriber, you can gift 3 to 5 articles each month that anyone can read—no subscription needed!
BPOM distribution and service monitoring director Hardaningsih speaks to journalists on the sidelines of a seminar in Jakarta on Monday. BPOM distribution and service monitoring director Hardaningsih speaks to journalists on the sidelines of a seminar in Jakarta on Monday. (JP/Anton Hermansyah)

The Health Ministry is drafting a regulation on online pharmacies in a bid to contain sales of unlicensed medicines.

Under the draft regulation, only licensed offline pharmacies, drug wholesalers (PBF) and drugstores would be allowed to establish e-pharmacy businesses, said the Food and Drug Monitoring Agency’s (BPOM) distribution and service monitoring director, Hardaningsih.

"By allowing those who have offline drug-selling licenses to run online stores, we can easily monitor both businesses," she said during a seminar about counterfeit goods held by Pelita Harapan University in Jakarta.

According to the draft, medicine sales through social media and blogs would also be prohibited to minimize the distribution of counterfeit drugs, said Hardaningsih, adding that e-pharmacy players should only sell drugs that were allowed to be distributed in Indonesia.

"The regulation will also regulate the issuance of e-prescriptions, so that a doctor’s prescription cannot simply be captured with a camera and sent through WhatsApp," Hardaningsih said.

The draft also contains rules barring the delivery of drugs by ordinary delivery services, apparently to ensure the right drug goes to the right person.

"E-pharmacy players must take responsibility until the delivery [to the customer] is completed. If they use Go-Jek or some other online transportation app, something may happen during the delivery process," she said. (bbn)

Your Opinion Matters

Share your experiences, suggestions, and any issues you've encountered on The Jakarta Post. We're here to listen.

Enter at least 30 characters
0 / 30

Thank You

Thank you for sharing your thoughts. We appreciate your feedback.

Share options

Quickly share this news with your network—keep everyone informed with just a single click!

Change text size options

Customize your reading experience by adjusting the text size to small, medium, or large—find what’s most comfortable for you.

Gift Premium Articles
to Anyone

Share the best of The Jakarta Post with friends, family, or colleagues. As a subscriber, you can gift 3 to 5 articles each month that anyone can read—no subscription needed!

Continue in the app

Get the best experience—faster access, exclusive features, and a seamless way to stay updated.