PRESS RELEASE

ONLINE DRUGS: ANTITRUST INTIMATES SUSPENSION OF SALE TO BRITISH COMPANY. UNLAWFUL PURCHASE ON THE WEB OF DRUGS THAT ARE SUBJECT TO A MEDICAL PRESCRIPTION

The intervention to safeguard the health of consumers was decided following a joint report by Aifa-Nas, in collaboration with the Ministry of Health and the Ministry of Economic Development and further reports by the Special Market Protection Unit of the Guardia di Finanza (Italian Tax Police), by Federfarma and by the Federation of the Association of Italian Pharmacists

The Antitrust Authority gave notice to the British company Hexpress Ltd to suspend the online sale of drugs that are subject to a medical prescription (so-called ethical or prescribed drugs). The company, which sells products through websites identified by the domain name 121doc.net, it.121doc.net and 121doc.it and accessible through connection requests coming from Italian territory, was given 5 days within which to comply with the Authority’s decision.

The measure was adopted as part of the proceedings that were commenced in the light of a joint report by AIFA, Nas, the Ministry of Economic Development and the Ministry of Health and reports by the Special Market Protection Unit of the Guardia di Finanza (Italian Tax Police), by Federfarma and by the Federation of the Association of Italian Pharmacists against several sites: besides 121doc.net, it.121doc.net and 121doc.it, there were also the sites www.anagen.net and www.webpharmacy.biz In particular the site www.anagen.net served as a bridge to the British sites and to the site Webpharmacy which marketed generic drugs that are subject to a prescription. All the reported sites seemed to lead Italian consumers to believe that, contrary to the truth, the online purchase of drugs is lawful. In fact at present the online sale of all drugs in Italy is not permitted since the law stipulates that the physical intervention of a chemist is always needed and that, for some drugs, a prior prescription is required. The suspension applies only to the sites of the company Hexpress Ltd because throughout the proceedings all the information concerning the promotion of drugs was removed from the site www.anagen.net while all online links to the two pharmacies were deleted and, as from 11^th September, the site Webpharmacy is no longer accessible.

According to the Antitrust Authority the suspension was necessary because the online sale of drugs that require a medical prescription exposes a potentially growing number of consumers who are encouraged to purchase prescription drugs (mainly those for sexual dysfunction) without any medical supervision, with serious risks to their health.

Moreover, drugs that are sent to Italian consumers carry a leaflet – that lists all the contraindications, dosage and side effects – in English in contrast with the requirement that is in force in Italy that drugs sold to the public must be accompanied by a leaflet and by a package in Italian.

Rome, 07^th October 2013