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View all search resultsBPOM tightens OTC drug sales in modern retail outlets
Under the regulation, non-pharmaceutical retail outlets, such as supermarkets and convenience stores, are only allowed to sell over-the-counter (OTC) medications under the supervision of store employees who are trained and certified in drug storage, packaging and product handling.
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Police officers visit a drug store to inspect syrup formulas for children following numerous child deaths from kidney injuries attributed to harmful substances in medicinal syrups in Banda Aceh, Aceh on Oct. 24, 2022. (AFP/Chaideer Mahyuddin)
T
he Food and Drug Monitoring Agency (BPOM) has issued a new regulation to tighten drug sales in modern retail outlets amid concerns over medicine abuse caused by weak oversight of drug distribution outside pharmaceutical facilities.
Under the regulation, non-pharmaceutical retail outlets, such as supermarkets and convenience stores, are only allowed to sell over-the-counter (OTC) medications under the supervision of store employees who are trained and certified in drug storage, packaging and product handling.
They should also work under the oversight of pharmacists at distribution centers or pharmaceutical wholesalers.
The regulation is aimed at establishing clearer standards for drug sales in modern retail outlets, which had been previously operating without a comprehensive legal framework, according to BPOM head Taruna Ikrar.
“Pharmaceutical products are sensitive. Even changes in room temperature could damage the medicines,” Taruna said during a press briefing on May 4.
“This regulation will govern how medicines are stored in retail outlets to ensure proper handling and prevent improper consumption,” he went on to say.
Read also: Authorities raid illegal nitrous oxide storage amid abuse concerns
