Germany OKs Dutch on-line drug sales

The District Court of Berlin, Germany, has given the Dutch Internetpharmacy company Doc Morris permission to sell pharmaceuticals over the Internet, according to the Europe Intelligence Wire. The decision was based on a European Union regulation, the wire service noted, adding that because a Frankfurt court had granted a temporary injunction last November, the legal basis for the on-line sale of medicine was unclear.

Doc Morris had offered German medical insurance companies an average 20% discount on medicines, and the suit had been brought by the German federation for social competition, the VSW, which represents the pharmaceutical industry. A spokesman for the group said it would appeal the decision.

Doc Morris offers about 1,000 prescription and over-the-counter drugs on the Internet at discount prices in several EU countries. Unlike some other websites, it requires a prescription before medications which need one can be delivered.