Online sales

Belgian and most European legislation prohibits the sale of medicines anywhere other than in a pharmacy. This means that there is no such thing as a mail-order pharmacy, or selling medicines over the Internet. At least, Belgian law prohibits it, which is not necessarily the case for foreign legislation. 

On the other hand, products which cannot legally be called medicines, such as dietary supplements, can be sold anywhere: in supermarkets, "nature" stores, mail-order catalogs, on the Internet, etc. Since they are not controlled in the same way as medicines, either for their efficacy or their quality and safety, their use can be dangerous. Since they are not controlled in the same way as drugs, either for their efficacy, quality or safety, their use may not be without danger. What's more, most of the time, they are sold at a very high price, especially herbal products, as manufacturers take advantage of fashion trends. With a great deal of advertising, we can make people believe in the miracle product... Many products that are banned from sale (and therefore from purchase) in Belgium, not without reason, can be found in the catalog of a virtual boutique on the Internet. The identity and location of the manufacturer are often concealed when the product is fraudulent. You may never receive your unauthorized purchases, because they have been blocked on import… and you will not be reimbursed for any sums paid !

If you buy products over the Internet, you need to be aware that some countries, particularly on the other side of the world, have much less stringent legislation and controls than our own. It's not uncommon for products to be contaminated by pesticides, chemicals or heavy metals. Several different products may bear the same name, depending on the country where they are manufactured, but a product bought abroad does not necessarily have the same composition as the one you buy in Belgium. What's more, the instructions for use of products sold online may be neither correct (errors, approximate or erroneous translation, or even misleading information) nor complete (dosage, precautions for use, interactions with other substances, etc.).

So, if you're an online shopper, be very careful. For example, avoid websites that advertise their products in terms such as "scientifically proven", "absolutely risk-free", "recently discovered", "exclusive", "secret composition", ...

They often include testimonials from people who have been "cured", but are you sure they're not made-up, and, if they are true, that they're representative? If they are testimonials from doctors, are you sure they are actually medical doctors with a degree recognized by a competent university? Are you sure that these people are not financially interested in the industry's profits?

Finally, in this type of Internet commerce, it's not uncommon for the information collected on buyers (name, address, pathology, etc.) to be treated in the strictest confidence.

Above all, it's your health you're jeopardizing, as buying products from self-medication can harm it and/or delay the implementation of effective treatment.