Drug Monitoring

Medicines should only be used purposefully. Therefore, they must not be sold everywhere and only by qualified personnel. The health department monitors pharmacies and retail stores.

All businesses that sell medicines are regularly inspected by health department staff. The health department in the Oberbergischer Kreis thus monitors pharmacies, drugstores, health food stores, weekly markets, department stores, grocery stores, and all other businesses that sell medicines.

Distinctions are made between over-the-counter medicines, pharmacy-only medicines (available only in pharmacies), and prescription medicines (available only with a doctor's prescription).

Pharmacies in the Oberbergischer Kreis are regularly inspected to ensure compliance with all legal regulations.

For other retailers offering over-the-counter medicines, it is checked whether a specially trained person (so-called qualified person) is present in the store. This person must have special knowledge about medicines to provide customer consultation.