Online platform for OTC medicines: EU Judgment in Case C-606/21 Doctipharma

Thursday 29th February

Judgment in Case C-606/21 Doctipharma

(Agriculture and Fisheries – Free movement of capital – Freedom to provide services – Internal market – Principles of approximation of laws)

The referring court – the Court of Appeal, Paris – asks the Court about the interpretation of the Directive laying down a procedure for the provision of information in the field of technical standards and regulations (Directive 98/34/EC).

Should Doctipharma’s activity on and from its website www.doctipharma.fr be classified as an “information society service” within the meaning of Directive 98/34? If so, does Doctipharma’s activity on and from its website www.doctipharma.fr fall within the scope of directive 2001/83?

This request was made in the context of a dispute between Doctipharma SAS and the Union des Groupements de pharmaciens d’officine (UDGPO) concerning the legality of the online sale of medicines not subject to compulsory medical prescription from pharmacies’ websites via a platform designed and managed by Doctipharma, www.doctipharma.fr, powered by Pictime Coreyre.

The UDGPO claims that the online sales process offered to pharmacies by Doctipharma allows it to participate in e-commerce in medicinal

products despite not being a pharmacist. The UDGPO submits that such sales activities are unlawful and requests that they be stopped, bringing the case in front of the Commercial Court, Nanterre.

By judgment of May 31, 2016, the Nanterre Commercial Court found that the www.doctipharma.fr site was unlawful as far as the sale of medicinal products was concerned and essentially ordered Doctipharma to stop engaging in e-commerce in medicinal products on that site.

Doctipharma then referred the matter to the Court of Appeal, Versailles, which overturned the judgment by its judgment of December 12, 2017. It took the view that the www.doctipharma.fr site was lawful because the internet users’ orders of medicinal products merely passes through the platform as technical support for the pharmacies’ sites. Indeed, the orders are received by the pharmacists themselves, and the company has no other involvement in their processing since the contested site puts the customers in direct contact with the pharmacies.

By judgment of June 19, 2019, the Court of Cassation set aside the judgment of the Versailles Court of Appeal, and remitted the case to the Paris Court of Appeal, the referring court.

Background Documents C-606/21

Donnerstag, 29. Februar 2024

Urteil des Gerichtshofs in der Rechtssache C‑606/21 Doctipharma

Online-Plattform für nicht verschreibungspflichtige Arzneimittel

Doctipharma betreibt die Website www.doctipharma.fr, über die Kunden bei Apothekern nicht verschreibungspflichtige Arzneimittel bestellen können. Die französische Apothekervereinigung ist der Ansicht, dass Doctipharma rechtswidrig handelt, weil es am elektronischen Arzneimittelhandel teilnehme, ohne Apothekereigenschaft zu besitzen. Sie hat das Unternehmen daher vor den französischen Gerichten auf Unterlassung verklagt.

Das Berufungsgericht Paris hat den Gerichtshof um Vorabentscheidung hinsichtlich der unionsrechtlichen Zulässigkeit einer solchen Tätigkeit ersucht.

Generalanwalt Szpunar hat in seinen Schlussanträgen vom 13. Juli 2023 u.a. die Ansicht vertreten, dass der Gemeinschaftskodex für Humanarzneimittel (Richtlinie 2001/83) dem in Rede stehenden Verbot entgegenstehe, sofern nicht nachgewiesen werde, dass es zum Schutz der öffentlichen Gesundheit sowohl geeignet als auch erforderlich ist.

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