Buying medicine online can be convenient, but Austrian rules are specific. The decisive questions are not how professional a website looks or where it is hosted, but whether the medicine may legally be supplied to Austria and whether the seller appears in an official register.
In brief: according to Austria's Federal Office for Safety in Health Care (BASG), only non-prescription medicines that are authorised or registered in Austria, supplied in finished packaging, may be sold at a distance to customers in Austria by an appropriately registered pharmacy. Prescription-only medicines may not be supplied to Austria through online distance selling.
What medicines may be bought online in Austria?
A lawful offer for delivery to Austria should satisfy all of the following conditions:
- The product is classified as non-prescription in Austria.
- The medicine is authorised or registered in Austria.
- It is supplied as a finished, original package intended for patients.
- The pharmacy is entitled to sell medicines online and can be verified through the official register linked from the EU common logo.
Classification can differ between countries. A product sold without a prescription elsewhere is not automatically non-prescription or lawful for online delivery to Austria.
What is not permitted?
BASG states that prescription-only medicines cannot be sold or supplied to consumers in Austria through online distance selling. A foreign website, foreign prescription service or cross-border shipment does not remove this Austrian restriction.
Products that are not authorised or registered for the Austrian market should not be treated as lawful Austrian online-pharmacy stock merely because they are advertised in German or priced in euros.
How to verify the online pharmacy
- Find the EU common logo on the pharmacy website.
- Click the logo. It should lead to an official national register, not to a copied image or an unrelated page.
- Confirm that the pharmacy name and web address match the official register entry.
- Check the product separately in BASG's Medikamente Info Austria database.
- Compare the name, active ingredient, strength, dosage form and package information with the official entry.
For a detailed walkthrough, read our BASG checklist for verifying an online pharmacy in Austria and our broader EU online-pharmacy verification guide.
Cross-border orders: the Austrian rules still matter
An online pharmacy established in another EEA country may be subject to its home-country registration requirements, but products delivered to Austria must still comply with Austrian rules. Before ordering, verify both the seller and the product, and be cautious if a website claims that a prescription requirement can be avoided by shipping from abroad.
Customs may inspect postal consignments. Austria's Ministry of Finance warns that medicines ordered online can be seized when import rules are not met.
Red flags before you buy
- The EU common logo is missing, does not open, or leads somewhere other than an official register.
- The website offers prescription-only medicines without a lawful in-person supply route.
- The seller gives no verifiable pharmacy name, address or responsible pharmacist.
- The product cannot be found in the Austrian medicines database.
- Strength, manufacturer, batch details or patient leaflet information are unclear.
- Claims promise guaranteed results, no risks or a way to bypass medical advice.
Packaging alone cannot prove authenticity. Review our guide to warning signs on medicine packaging and, if anything is unclear, use these questions for a doctor or pharmacist.
A practical pre-purchase checklist
- Is the seller listed in the official register?
- Does the EU common logo link directly to that entry?
- Is the exact medicine listed in Medikamente Info Austria?
- Is it non-prescription under Austrian classification?
- Are the active ingredient, strength, dosage form and package size clearly stated?
- Is professional advice available if you have medical questions or take other medicines?
Official Austrian sources
- BASG: Distance selling of medicines
- BASG: Distance-selling FAQ
- BASG: Public registers
- Austrian Ministry of Finance: Internet shopping and postal imports
This article provides general consumer information and is not medical or legal advice. Rules and product classifications can change; verify the current official records and consult a qualified pharmacist, doctor or legal professional when appropriate.