« Back to Farmacia Journal 4/2026

INFORMING PATIENTS ABOUT FOOD SUPPLEMENTS IN ONLINE PHARMACIES AND DRUGSTORES AUTHORIZED IN ROMANIA

ALEXANDRA TOMA *, OFELIA CRIŞAN

Download Full Article PDF

Current legislation on food supplements does not allow associating them with properties of preventing, treating or curing a human disease, which are characteristic of medicines. The aim of this paper was to investigate the extent to which this legal distinction from medicines is respected in the information provided to patients about food supplements in pharmacies and online drugstores authorized by the Ministry of Health in Romania. We used the websites of these pharmaceutical units as study materials and documentary research and content analysis as methods. In the online pharmacies and drugstores analysed, food supplements are often classified according to human disease or condition and/or organs or systems on which they act. In general, the information on food supplements is not standardized, referring in particular to identity and composition, instructions for use, properties, and benefits. The safety risks associated with the use of food supplements are not always mentioned. Herbal food supplements are often accompanied by therapeutic properties or indications, which is in breach of the applicable legislation. Online information for patients on food supplements relevant to their health is particularly important for their correct and safe use. Updating food supplement legislation, professional regulations, and pharmacist training would contribute to improving the quality of online pharmaceutical services and protecting the health of patients who access them.