Uzbekistan will lay down rules for the online sale of medicines and their delivery to buyers

Uzbekistan intends to establish rules for the online sale of medicines and their delivery to buyers

Uzbekistan plans to update the procedures for the sale, storage, and delivery of medicines. The Ministry of Health draft project provides for the possibility of online ordering of over-the-counter drugs and certain medical devices, and also introduces new requirements for pharmacies and courier services.

Only pharmacies and their branches will be allowed to engage in online sales. Delivery will be permitted either independently or through marketplaces and aggregators. Medicines requiring a special temperature regime will need transport equipped with refrigeration units or thermal containers. Transporting medicines together with other cargo will be prohibited.

Pharmacies will be required to provide buyers with complete information about the drug: name, dosage, batch number, expiration date, price, and instructions. The pharmacist will be personally responsible for the correctness of dispensing and the accuracy of the data.

The project strengthens consumer protection: if the packaging is damaged or the order does not match, the purchase can be refused. If counterfeit or improper quality is suspected, the drug will be temporarily withdrawn from sale, and the information will be submitted to the Center for Pharmaceutical Product Safety.

A recall procedure from sale within 24–72 hours, depending on the risk level, is being introduced for dangerous and substandard medicines. Such cases will be reported via the website, mass media, and social networks.

In addition, the rules for the disposal of unusable drugs will be tightened: medicines must be neutralized and incinerated at high temperatures, while drugs containing live microorganisms must undergo disinfection.

The draft project is open for public discussion until November 19, 2026.

The Competition Committee is examining complaints from pharmacies stating that when purchasing in-demand medicines, wholesale suppliers require them to additionally purchase drugs they did not order.