Additional information on the online buying and selling of veterinary medicinal products
Registration required
New rules for the online supply of veterinary medicinal products have been in force since 28 January 2022. Since 28 January 2022, websites that offer veterinary medicinal products via the internet must be listed in the Register for internet trade in veterinary medicinal products on this website. In addition, they must display a European logo on their website.
Laws and regulations
Since 28 January 2022, specific requirements apply to retailers who have (or wish to set up) a website for the retail of veterinary medicinal products. These requirements are set out in:
- Veterinary Medicinal Products Regulation – Article 104 ‘Retail of veterinary medicinal products at a distance’
- Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2021/1904. This Regulation provides information on the ‘design of a common logo for the retail of veterinary medicinal products at a distance’.
The national implementation of retail of veterinary medicinal products at a distance is set out in Section 4.4 of the Veterinary Medicinal Products Decree 2022.
Within the European Union, internet trade in veterinary medicinal products is only permitted for non-prescription veterinary medicinal products, which are also known as veterinary medicinal products in the VRIJ category. This is set out in the Veterinary Medicinal Products Regulation.
The Netherlands has made an exception to this provision at national level. This means that retailers who hold a so-called DR licence may also offer veterinary medicinal products that are subject to a veterinary prescription (URA category) via the internet. This is a Dutch exception. For that reason, URA veterinary medicinal products may not be offered or supplied to persons in other countries. After all, those territories may be subject to different national legislation.
Please note: Only holders of a DR licence may offer these URA veterinary medicinal products and may only do so with a prescription from a veterinarian.
Other online services
Registering and displaying the logo is only compulsory for suppliers of veterinary medicinal products with a web shop. Pet shops and veterinarians who do not sell products via a web shop are not subject to these regulations.
Medicines for human use
The information on this page only applies to the online trade in veterinary medicinal products. Similar rules apply to the online trade of medicines for human use. These are available on Aanbiedersmedicijnen.nl.
Retail to companies
Registration and displaying the logo is only intended for suppliers (retailers) who sell veterinary medicinal products to consumers (animal owners).
Advertising
The information about a veterinary medicinal product must always be in accordance with the official package leaflet texts that are available in the Veterinary Medicines Information Bank and must comply with the statutory requirements on the advertising of veterinary medicinal products.
Claims
If your company does not sell veterinary medicinal products online, you are not required to include the logo on your website. In fact, this is prohibited. This does not mean that your website is not governed by any rules. You must comply with relevant laws and regulations even if you sell other products, such as animal feed. For example, rules apply to the way in which you describe these products on your website. There must be correct use of claims. You should not create the impression that a specific product is a veterinary medicinal product when this is not the case. Please find more information on the correct use of claims regarding animal feed here.
Foreign suppliers
Only companies and institutions that are registered with the Dutch Chamber of Commerce can be included in the Dutch Internet trade register. Foreign companies and institutions can be registered in the country where they are registered.