Vending machines for medicines

The Pharmaceutical Society is strongly opposing a Ministry of Health proposal to allow the sale of unscheduled medicines through vending machines.

The proposal is part of planned wider amendments to regulations under the Medicines Act 1981.

In its submission to the consultation document, the society says there must have been good reason to enshrine in statute that medicines not be sold by vending machine, unless specifically exempt by the regulations.

“To exempt all unscheduled medicines seems too broad a brush! Therefore, we do not support the proposal.”

Section 18(4) of the Medicines Act prohibits the sale of medicines by automatic vending machines, except as permitted by regulations made under the act.

The ministry, while conducting a public consultation process on the proposal earlier this year, said unscheduled medicines are commonly sold from supermarkets, dairies, petrol stations and other mixed-merchandise stores where there is no special supervision of the storage or sale of the medicines.

“Yes, [the general sale] medicines can currently be purchased from outside of a health environment, but that is not to say that two wrongs make a right!” chief pharmacist advisor Euan Galloway writes in the society’s submission.

According to the proposal, vending machines can provide storage that is out of reach of young children and make it more difficult for a consumer to buy multiple packs.

“They can also be placed in locations such as lobbies or waiting areas where there is no retailer operating, thus improving consumer access to general sale medicines. The risk arising from the supply of medicines from vending machines, which are securely sealed units dispensing one pack of medicine at a time, is likely to be less than the risk arising in retail outlets where storage and sale are unsupervised.”

The ministry said the proposal will benefit consumers by providing access to commonly used general sale medicines at more locations. It would also benefit vending machine operators, who want to extend their range of products.

The ministry acknowledges if vending machines are placed in hospitals and medical centres, it may reduce the sales of general sale medicines through pharmacies and sought public views on its impact on businesses. But the society does not believe this to be an issue.

“The issue is the appropriateness of selling medicines from a vending machine – alongside chippies and Coke,” Mr Galloway says.

The society has long held the view and made previous submissions against the sale of paracetamol-containing medicines via vending machine, and Mr Galloway says the same could be said for all unscheduled medicines.

Public consultation on the proposals closed on 26 March and a decision is expected shortly.  

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