The Pharmaceutical Journal
Vol 280 No 7504 p659-661
31 May 2008

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Negotiating the parallel imports rules

The final article in the series looks at the rules governing the sale of parallel-imported products. A thorough grounding in the procedures can help importers to maximise their market share by avoiding legal challenges to their trade, according to Cathal Gallagher and Richard O’Neill

Parallel trade series

SUMMARY

To market a parallel-traded product, an importer needs an abbreviated marketing authorisation (PL[PI]) from the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA).

The intricacies of applying for one are subtle and manifold. A good working knowledge of the procedure can help pharmacists not to transgress the Royal Pharmaceutical Society’s fitness-to-practise regime by dispensing an inappropriate product that has been sourced outside the UK.

A thorough grounding in the procedure can also help importers to maximise their market share.

It is important that parallel importers keep their business practices within the letter of EU law, since challenges to the legality of their trade have been plentiful.

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