How to sell food supplements in pharmacies

Selling food supplements in pharmacies is one of the keys to increasing the visibility of your products, giving them a better positioning in the minds of consumers and ultimately improving sales. This requires compliance with administrative and legislative requirements, starting with obtaining a National Parapharmacy Code.

Prerequisite for selling food supplements in pharmacies: Obtaining the National Parapharmacy Code.

The National Parapharmacy Code, which is essential for selling food supplements in pharmacies, is issued by the General Council of Official Pharmacists’ Associations (Consejo General de Colegios Oficiales de Farmacéuticos). This code is a unique identifier that allows the sale of non-medicinal products in pharmacies, facilitating their traceability and ensuring compliance with current health regulations. The General Council of Pharmacists’ Associations states that this code “aims to help and facilitate the management of pharmacies in the acquisition of parapharmacy products on the national market by means of computer processing of these products”.

What are Parapharmacy products?

Parapharmacy products are all those which, not being medicines, are consumed, applied or used by the human being and/or on the body, in accordance with the specific technical-sanitary regulations of the different categories that exist on the market, as well as with the general regulations in force on the subject. The National Parapharmacy Code is therefore essential in order to be able to sell:

• Food supplements
• Baby food
• Medical devices
• Cosmetics and personal care products
• Dietary substitutes
• Biocides
• Childcare articles
• PPE
• Other health and wellness related products, which can be sold in pharmacies

The National Parapharmacy Code is not just an administrative requirement.

Obtaining the code, and the possibility of selling the products in a pharmacy, is one of the advantages of having the NPC. Obtaining it does not guarantee the quality of the products sold, but it does allow products to be registered and sold in pharmacies, which, in combination with the pharmacist’s advice, helps to improve their marketing, increasing consumer confidence in the product. It also facilitates product traceability, helping inventory management and sales forecasting.

Selling food supplements in pharmacies in other EU countries

In order to be able to sell food supplements in pharmacies in other EU countries, it is necessary to obtain the corresponding code for each country. Here is an example:

• Portugal: Managed by the National Association of Pharmacies Portugal (ANF). The requirements of this body are that the label of the product to be marketed must comply with the regulations and be correctly notified to the health authorities.
• Germany: IFA GmbH is an information service provider for the pharmaceutical market that provides information services for products sold in German pharmacies. The prerequisite for the allocation and publication of the Pharmaceutical Central Number (PZN) is a supplier contract with the IFA, for which various commercial documents are required. After approximately two weeks, the official publication of the PZN of the products in the IFA Information Service takes place.

You can count on the advice of LegaleGo

We know how important it is to know the market, its characteristics and environment. But we are also aware that we live in a very changing environment with dynamic legislation that evolves practically every day. For this reason, at LegaleGo Regulatory Food Supplements we want to help you with the procedures and formalities involved in obtaining National Parapharmacy Codes, whether in Spain or in any other country. Our multidisciplinary team, our extensive experience in the market and the opinions of our clients are the best indication that your company is in good hands. In addition, we will help in everything your business needs, as a global consultancy. From the implementation of HACCP, to the completion of the Health Registration or the review and notification of product labels.