Do you buy medicine online?

If you buy medicine online or if medicine is sent to you from another country, please be aware that it may be illegal to import medicine to Denmark when sent from abroad. Certain conditions must be met for it to be legal.

Does your medicine contain what you think? The rules on the import of medicine aim to protect you as a consumer and ensure that the medicine you buy has been manufactured in compliance with the applicable European rules and control measures. Some analyses of potency-enhancing products manufactured in countries outside the EU and EEA have shown that these products contained traces of paint and asphalt, etc.

The determining factor is the country you import the medicine from

When you import the medicine, it is important to know if the product is imported from an EU/EEA country or a country outside the EU/EEA.

You can legally import medicine in consignments from an EU/EEA country

The import of medicine in consignments from an EU/EEA country is legal if:

• the medicine is for prevention or treatment of diseases in humans,
• the medicine is for your own personal use,
• it is legal to sell the products to private individuals in the country they are sent from,
• the medicine does not contain doping or euphoriant substances. You can read more about this on the page about the import of medicines containing doping substances or euphoriant substances.

It is illegal to import medicine in consignments from a country outside the EU/EEA

It is not legal to import medicine in consignments from a country outside the EU/EEA. This means that imports of medicine sent by post or courier from countries such as China, Thailand Switzerland and the USA is illegal.

Be careful!

Some online retailers will try to mislead you. We know from experience that many online medicine retailers attempt to mislead buyers. For example, the retailer will pretend to be Danish or will give you incorrect information about what country the product is dispatched from. We encourage you to read our advice on how to buy medicines safely online.

You responsibility

When you import medicine, it is your responsibility to ensure the import is legal.
Ask us if you are not sure if the product is a medicine or if you are allowed to import it to Denmark.

You could get a fine if you break the rules

If you import medicine illegally, you risk being reported to the police and getting a fine.

Find more information in the executive order on private individuals' import of medicines (in Danish only).