Foundations · Belgium

Parapharmacy in Belgium

In Belgium, all medicines — prescription and non-prescription — remain reserved to pharmacies. A Belgian parapharmacie / parafarmacie is therefore confined to cosmetics, food supplements, low-risk medical devices and related health-adjacent goods, supervised by the federal medicines agency (FAMHP) for medical devices and by the FPS Health for cosmetics and food supplements.

Legal definition

Belgian law treats the parapharmacy not as a regulated kind of establishment but as an ordinary retail outlet that does not engage in pharmacy practice. The category exists in commercial parlance — supermarket chains, drugstore networks and standalone shops trade in cosmetics and supplements under the parapharmacy or "drogisterij/droguerie" label — but is not formally defined as such by federal medicines law.

The boundary that matters is therefore the boundary of the pharmacy monopoly, set principally by the law of 25 March 1964 on medicinal products (the Loi sur les médicaments / Wet op de geneesmiddelen) and the rules on the practice of pharmacy (now principally Articles 5 and 6 of the coordinated law of 10 May 2015 on the practice of the healthcare professions and the Royal Decree of 21 January 2009 containing instructions for pharmacists). A retailer that does not engage in the activities reserved to pharmacists by these texts is free to trade in non-reserved goods, including cosmetics, food supplements and medical devices.

The Belgian pharmacy monopoly

Belgium reserves the dispensation of medicinal products for human use to authorised pharmacies. A "medicinal product" is defined in conformity with Directive 2001/83/EC. The reservation covers prescription and non-prescription medicines alike: there is no Italian-style category of non-prescription medicines saleable outside pharmacies. Self-service of medicines is, in addition, prohibited within the pharmacy itself, with the consequence that all medicines must be handed over by or under the supervision of the pharmacist.

This regime aligns Belgium with the French and Spanish models. As in those jurisdictions, the parapharmacy in Belgium is defined entirely by what is left over once medicinal products are removed.

What may be sold

• Cosmetic products under Regulation (EC) No 1223/2009, including dermocosmetics and sun protection.
• Food supplements (compléments alimentaires / voedingssupplementen) within the meaning of Directive 2002/46/EC and Belgian implementing legislation, principally the Royal Decree of 30 May 2021 on nutrients, the Royal Decree of 31 August 2021 on plants and plant preparations, and the Royal Decree of 29 August 2021 on other substances.
• Medical devices bearing the CE mark under Regulation (EU) 2017/745, except those reserved to pharmacies by specific Belgian rule.
• Foods for specific groups, including infant formula, subject to the relevant EU and Belgian rules.
• Hygiene products, oral hygiene cosmetics, and traditional natural products that do not meet the definition of a medicinal product.

What may not be sold

• Any medicinal product for human use, including non-prescription medicines.
• Magistral or officinal preparations, which require a pharmacist and an authorised pharmacy.
• Veterinary medicines beyond the limited regime authorised by veterinary law.
• Products presented as treating a disease, which are by that presentation medicinal products and therefore reserved to pharmacies.

Food supplements and notification

The Belgian rules for food supplements are notable in that operators must notify products to the federal public service FPS Health, Food Chain Safety and Environment (SPF Santé publique / FOD Volksgezondheid) before placing them on the market. The notification regime exists because, while the EU food supplements directive harmonises the vitamins and minerals and the forms in which they may be used, EU maximum levels have not been set, and other ingredients remain under national rules. Belgium has, for example, specific national lists for plants permitted in food supplements. Operators wishing to sell food supplements through a parapharmacy or any other channel must comply with this notification regime.

Online sales

Online sale of non-prescription medicines in Belgium is permitted only by authorised pharmacies, in conformity with Directive 2011/62/EU. Pharmacies must notify their website to the FAMHP and the Order of Pharmacists within one month of going online; notified sites are listed by the FAMHP and must display the EU common logo for legal online pharmacies. A parapharmacy cannot use this route, because it is not a pharmacy. Online sale of cosmetics, supplements and medical devices is permitted without a medicines-specific authorisation but remains subject to the relevant EU product rules and to Belgian consumer-protection law.

Authorities

The Federal Agency for Medicines and Health Products (FAMHP, AFMPS in French, FAGG in Dutch) supervises medicinal products, medical devices and certain related products. The FPS Health supervises food supplements and food law generally. The Federal Agency for the Safety of the Food Chain (AFSCA / FAVV) is the food-safety enforcement body. The Order of Pharmacists (Ordre des Pharmaciens / Orde der Apothekers) regulates the profession of pharmacist.

Frequently asked questions

Are pharmacy chains allowed in Belgium?

Yes. Unlike France, Belgium does not reserve pharmacy ownership to pharmacists: according to the Belgian pharmacists' association APB, any natural or legal person can own a retail pharmacy, and opening one needs prior authorisation. Chains exist. The cooperative Multipharma ran 279 pharmacies in early 2025.

Is a pharmacist needed to run a parapharmacy in Belgium?

No. The Belgian competition authority has noted that parapharmacy products may be sold without a pharmacist, and that the term has no legal definition.

Last reviewed: November 2026.