In many countries across Asia and South America, pharmacists may dispense prescription medicines without requiring a prescription, particularly to foreign visitors. In contrast, pharmacies in the United States and most European countries generally enforce prescription requirements much more strictly.
Legality of Importing Prescription Medicines for Personal Use
The rules governing the importation of prescription medicines for personal use vary significantly from country to country. The following is a general overview:
- United Kingdom — Individuals may legally import up to a three-month supply of prescription medicines for personal use. See MHRA guidance and this legal overview.
- Australia — Importing a limited personal supply of prescription medicines is generally permitted under the Personal Importation Scheme.
- United States — U.S. law generally prohibits importing prescription medicines unless certain exceptions apply (for example, when the medicine is not available domestically). In practice, small personal-use shipments are sometimes allowed at the discretion of U.S. Customs and the FDA. See the FDA’s Personal Importation Policy.
- Canada — Prescription medicines generally cannot be imported by mail for personal use. However, patients may bring prescribed medicines across the border when carrying them personally.
- European Union — Regulations differ by country:
- Generally permitted: Estonia, Latvia, Malta, Romania, and Slovenia.
- Permit or authorization required: Austria, Bulgaria, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Italy, Luxembourg, Portugal, Slovakia, and Spain.
- Generally prohibited:
Important: Import regulations change periodically and may depend on the specific medicine, quantity, and destination country. Before ordering prescription medicines from abroad, always check the latest requirements from your country’s customs or health authority.
For a country-by-country overview of restrictions on importing non-controlled prescription medicines for personal use, see this reference page.
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The table below lists some popular and reliable long-established prescription-free online pharmacies.
| Popular and Reliable Pharmacies |
Founded |
Monthly Visitors |
Shipping Country |
Shipping Time (Days) |
Express Shipping |
Shipping Info |
| www.inhousepharmacy.vu |
1996 |
90k |
Vanuatu |
14–42 |
|
➤ |
| goldpharma.com |
2005 |
35k |
Germany (Europe) |
6 |
|
➤ |
| www.buy-pharma.md |
2007 |
35k |
India, Germany |
11 |
8 |
➤ |
| www.unitedpharmacies.md |
1998 |
35k |
Hong Kong |
30 |
7–21 |
➤ |
| www.unitedpharmacies-uk.md |
2012 |
95k |
Hong Kong |
30 |
7–14 |
➤ |
| www.alldaychemist.com |
2002 |
400k |
India, Philippines |
20–30 |
|
|
| www.safegenericpharmacy.com |
2014 |
15k |
India |
6–11 |
|
➤ |
| www.cheapmedicineshop.com |
2016 |
95k |
|
21–28 |
|
➤ |
| www.alldaygeneric.com |
2016 |
15k |
India |
15–20 |
|
➤ |
| mexipharmacy.mx |
2014 |
15k |
Mexico |
20–30 |
|
➤ |
| www.medicinesmexico.com.mx |
2020 |
5k |
Mexico |
15–30 |
|
➤ |
| www.premiumrxdrugs.com |
2013 |
10k |
India, Philippines |
14–21 |
|
➤ |
| www.reliablerxpharmacy.com |
2004 |
50k |
India, Philippines |
20–30 |
|
➤ |
| www.4nrx.md |
1999 |
5k |
|
30 |
7–21 |
➤ |
| www.4nrx-uk.md |
2012 |
30k |
Hong Kong |
10–30 |
4–7 |
➤ |
| www.pharmacygeoff.md |
2012 |
10k |
|
30 |
4–7 |
➤ |
| www.pharmacygeoff-uk.md |
2013 |
10k |
Hong Kong |
10–14 |
4–7 |
➤ |
| bio-japan.net |
2013 |
15k |
Japan |
5–10 |
|
➤ |
| onlinepharmacy-uk.org |
2022 |
10k |
Bulgaria (Europe) |
7 |
|
|
| bgpharmadrugs.to |
2021 |
45k |
Germany (Europe) |
14 |
|
➤ |
| www.medzme.com |
2019 |
5k |
India, Singapore, UK, New Zealand, US, Mauritius |
20–25 |
10–12 |
➤ |
| www.pharmacyonearth.com |
2019 |
5k |
Singapore |
2021 |
1k |
|
| www.clearskypharmacy.biz |
2000 |
5k |
Singapore |
3–20 |
— |
↗ |
| www.schickersunichem.co.nz |
2013 |
— |
Worldwide |
10–21 |
— |
↗ |
| www.rxshop.md |
2009 |
— |
India |
14–20 |
— |
↗ |
| internationalpharmacy.com |
1994 |
10k |
USA |
— |
— |
↗ |
| generics.greencrosspharmacy.online |
2018 |
10k |
Swaziland |
14–21 |
5–7 |
↗ |
| www.purchase-prep.com |
2015 |
15k |
India, Singapore |
12–18 |
— |
— |
| www.allgenericmedicine.com |
2012 |
10k |
India |
15–20 |
— |
— |
| www.genericdoctor.com |
2009 |
5k |
India |
14–21 |
5–9 |
↗ |
Notes on These Pharmacies
The above pharmacies are prescription-free (they require no prescription, even if their websites say otherwise).
- Inhousepharmacy.vu — sells high-quality pharmaceutical products from major Western pharmaceutical companies, as well as generic medicines. They offer free shipping, even on small orders.
- Goldpharma.com — specializes in affordable generic and brand-name medicines from European pharmaceutical companies. Goldpharma is known for its high quality, competitive prices, reliability, and extensive selection, so you are likely to find the medication you are looking for. Orders are shipped from within the EU through a network of EU-based pharmacies, with delivery typically taking about a week within Europe. They are also one of the few online pharmacies that ship to Canada. You do not need a prescription. During checkout, simply select the option “No, I do not have a prescription. I would like to attempt to receive the requested treatment by completing a tele-medical consultation.” You will then complete a short online health questionnaire, which takes less than a minute.
- Buy-pharma.md — specializes in affordable Indian generic medicines (Cipla, Sun Pharma, and others). They are reliable, provide good customer service, and can ship some products from Germany for faster delivery (contact them to inquire).
- Alldaychemist.com — offers low-priced Indian generic medicines. Their sister site, Reliablerxpharmacy.com, carries a similar selection. They ship from multiple countries. They may request a phone number during checkout; if you prefer not to receive calls, simply email customer support and ask them to mark your account as “do not call.”
- Unitedpharmacies.md and Unitedpharmacies-uk.md — offer both Western brand-name medicines and lower-cost Indian generics. The U.S. site ships only to the United States, while the UK site ships only to the United Kingdom.
- 4nrx.md and 4nrx-uk.md — sister companies to United Pharmacies, serving the U.S. and UK markets respectively. Free shipping is available on orders over $50 / £50.
- Pharmacygeoff.md and Pharmacygeoff-uk.md — sister companies to United Pharmacies, shipping to the United States and the United Kingdom respectively.
- BGpharmadrugs.to — has a minimum order of $93 but offers exceptionally low prices. It is well regarded by many ME/CFS patients and supplies medicines available through Bulgarian pharmacies. (Previously operated at bgpharmadrugs.com.)
- Onlinepharmacy-uk.org — offers medicines from Bulgaria, Turkey, Russia, and Greece. (Previously operated at onlinepharmacy-bg.com.)
- Safegenericpharmacy.com — offers low prices and is generally reliable, although some customers report occasional communication issues.
- Cheapmedicineshop.com — offers low prices and is generally reliable, though some customers have reported receiving incorrect items and experiencing difficulties obtaining refunds.
- Generics.greencrosspharmacy.online and Purchase-prep.com — primarily specialize in PrEP (pre-exposure prophylaxis) medications used to help prevent HIV infection. Their prices are competitive, and they also stock a wide range of other medicines.
- Internationalpharmacy.com — ships from the United States. Because of this, it cannot supply customers within the U.S., but it does ship to most other countries worldwide.
- Pharmacyonearth.com — has generally positive reviews on Trustpilot and maintains an active presence on X .
Russian and Ukrainian Prescription-Free Pharmacies
These online pharmacies specialize in Russian, Ukrainian, and other Eastern European medicines. Most do not require a prescription for the products they sell.
Notes on These Pharmacies