Brazilian consumers fear counterfeit medicine in online sales

A survey conducted by the QualiBest Institute for Abrafarma reveals that 69% of Brazilian consumers fear purchasing counterfeit medications online. The study, which surveyed 2,024 people across all regions of Brazil, shows that 85% of respondents hold e-commerce and delivery platforms responsible if counterfeit, unregistered, or expired medicines are offered.

Additional consumer concerns include receiving expired or improperly stored products (59%) and purchasing items without Anvisa registration (54%). Consequently, 82% of those surveyed believe digital sales must be strictly linked to authorized physical pharmacies, and 71% argue that medicines should not be treated as common commodities on digital platforms.

These findings follow the passage of Law No. 15,357/2026, which allows licensed pharmacies to use e-commerce and delivery platforms exclusively for logistics and delivery services. While Anvisa has revoked previous prohibitions on advertising and selling medicines on certain platforms, the agency clarified that this does not grant automatic authorization for direct sales on these channels. Implementation remains subject to specific sanitary regulations and detailed oversight from Anvisa.