The EU has introduced a common logo for the sale of veterinary medicinal products by online pharmacies/retailers in EU countries. The logo vouches for the authenticity of the websites and guarantees the safety of the products.
Legal background
Article 104 (7) of Regulation (EU) 2019/6, the EU veterinary medicines regulation, sets out provisions concerning the retail of veterinary medicinal products at a distance.
These provisions include the establishment of a common logo that must appear on websites offering veterinary medicinal products for sale at a distance.
The design of this new logo is set out in Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2021/1904.
 | Please note: The logo displayed is for example purposes, only. |
The logo needs to be displayed on every page of the websites of retailers permitted to offer veterinary medicines for sale at a distance in each Member State.
The logo needs to include a hyperlink to the relevant Member State competent authority’s list of retailers established in that Member State and permitted to offer these products for sale at a distance.
The aim is to assist the public in finding out whether a website offering such products for sale at a distance is legally entitled to do so.
How does the logo work?
The logo consists of a national flag on the left side of the middle region of the logo which corresponds to the EU country where the pharmacy or retailer is registered or authorised. Only national flags of EU countries or those of Norway, Iceland and Lichtenstein are authentic. A logo displaying the EU flag, for example, would not be legal.
The logo links to the website of the national competent authority where the retailer is registered (may be different from the country of the website), listing all legally operating online pharmacies or retailers. By clicking on the logo, a buyerof veterinary medicines online will be sent to the entry of the pharmacy on that national list.
The logo can be trusted only if after clicking on it, a buyer is redirected to the entry of that pharmacy on the list of legally operating online pharmacies and retailers registered in the relevant EU country on the corresponding national website.
National websites are also listed on the Buying veterinary medicines online webpage of the European Medicines Agency (EMA) website.