Norway lifts ban on mail-order drugs

After finally deciding that increased competition in the drug retail sector is worth reducing government control over distribution channels,  the mail-order trade in pharmaceuticals in Norway looks set to be  legalized in 2009. Although the use of the Internet has previously been  permitted for placing orders for medicines, the authorities refused to  allow the use of the postal service for the delivery of products,  forcing on-line retailers to use more expensive courier services.

Initially, the plan is to allow over-the-counter agents to be  distributed through the mail, and the necessary regulatory changes will  likely take effect in the summer of this year, a spokesman for the  Norwegian Medicines Agency (NoMA) said. If this is successful, the NoMA  anticipates extending deregulation to prescription drugs.

A spokesman for the Norwegian Association of Pharmaceutical  Manufacturers (LMI) told the Marketletter that it is monitoring changes  to the retail distribution sector very closely. The lifting of  restrictions to allow properly-licensed pharmacies to operate more  efficiently, is a development that is welcomed by drugmakers.