Provisions on the Administration of the Sales of Over-the-Counter Drugs by Automatic Medicine Vending Machines (for Trial Implementation)

The Chengdu Food and Drug Administration issued a notice on the issuance of the Chengdu Food and Drug Administration Regulations on the Sales of Over-the-Counter Drugs by Vending Machines in Chengdu (for Trial Implementation), aiming to meet the 24-hour demand for medicines by the public and ensure the health of the medicine circulation industry in Chengdu development of. The notice shows that pharmaceutical retail companies (including chain stores and single stores) can rely on their physical pharmacies to set up automatic medicine vending machines at their business addresses. For drug retail chain stores where the chain company implements 100% distribution of drugs, they can set up automatic drug vending machines in crowded places such as 24-hour convenience stores or hotels, airports, stations, TOD business districts (outside the registered address), etc. The store management capacity should be suitable, and the location should be within the jurisdiction of the district (city) county where the drug retail chain store is registered. At the same time, the notice pointed out that pharmaceutical retail companies that have obtained relevant certificates in accordance with the law can set up automatic drug vending machines in accordance with these regulations to serve as sales points for Class B non-prescription drugs and Class II medical devices. Among them, some of the second-class medical devices that can be sold include thermometers, sphygmomanometers, medical absorbent cotton, medical absorbent gauze, medical cotton swabs, and medical sanitary masks. However, the notice emphasized that during the trial implementation, if the installation and use of automatic drug vending machines violated the relevant laws and regulations on the supervision and management of drugs and medical devices, the regulatory authorities should investigate and deal with the enterprises or units that set up automatic drug vending machines in accordance with the law. According to the industry, automatic medicine vending machines appeared in my country a few years ago. For example, in 2015, stations, factories, universities, some remote communities and other places in Fujian set up automatic drug vending machines to retail drugs to facilitate the purchase and use of drugs by the general public. They mainly sell some commonly used OTC drugs, such as common cold and acute. Gastrointestinal disease, motion sickness, heat relief, planning supplies, contraceptives, band-aids, cotton swabs, topical skin medications, etc. Naturally, there are many benefits of automatic medicine vending machines, which can meet people's'sudden and general' medication needs, but if there is no good supervision, the people will not be able to buy cheap medicines. It is reported that because of the same medicine, the vending machine sells cheaper than the surrounding pharmacies, which makes some greedy people or pharmacies feel that there are strange things to live in. For example, someone buys medicines and sells pharmacies to make a difference, or pharmacies send people to buy medicines, causing an urgent need for cheap life-saving drugs Monopoly situation. Therefore, it is very necessary for the local drug administration to supervise the automatic drug vending machine. Recently, Zhejiang Tongtaitang pharmaceutical retail chain stores have obtained the 'Pharmaceutical Business License' that includes the business items of automatic drug vending machines. It is reported that this is the first 'Pharmaceutical Business License' issued in China to confirm the operation of automatic drug vending machines by way of administrative license. The automatic drug vending machine sells 14 categories of prescription drugs, including more than 100 drugs, involving cold drugs, respiratory and digestive system drugs, etc., to meet people's daily drug purchase needs. The 'Ningbo City Pharmaceutical Retail Enterprise Establishment Regulations' clearly allow pharmaceutical retail chain enterprises to apply for automatic drug vending machines and sell over-the-counter drugs. As a component of physical pharmacies, they are included in the unified management of drug business licenses and are 'drug business licenses' in physical pharmacies The setting address and business scope are marked on it. The issuance of the 'Pharmaceutical Business License' with automatic drug vending machines this time marks that the installation of automatic drug vending machines for pharmaceutical retail enterprises has entered a standardized operation track.