Amazon Compliance – Canada
Selling health care products in Canada with the help of Amazon has become a widely used practice for many US and European manufacturers of dietary supplements and over-the-counter drug products. Wading through the policies and guidelines to set up an account can be challenging at the best of times, and now another and somewhat more pressing issue is the proper registration of health care products if they require an NPN [for dietary supplements, natural health products] or a DIN [for drug products] to demonstrate compliance with the applicable Canadian regulations.
Amazon, on their site explains to potential and current customers that “If you supply products for sale on Amazon, you must comply with all federal, provincial, and local laws and Amazon policies applicable to those products and product listings”. Specifically for sale in Canada, the Amazon site provides detail on requirements for sale and correctly states that “Pursuant to Canadian laws and regulations, all non-prescription drugs, supplements, and natural health products (“NHPs”) that are sold in Canada must be assigned a registration number by Health Canada”.
Those who wish to avoid the consequences of non-compliance, which may include termination of selling privileges, should take notice of the deadline of October 2018, which is provided on the Policies and agreements / Restricted products / Drugs, Drug Paraphernalia & Dietary Supplements page of the Amazon site.
Tips for registering health products in Canada:
- Consult the Food & Drug Regulations and Natural Health Product Regulations which set out the requirements for selling drugs and natural health products in Canada.
- Correctly classify products according the Regulations.
- Review all product formulations and package claims to assist in proper classification.
- Ensure product labels are compliant with the regulations for NHPs/drugs.
- Submit the necessary application in order to receive the required NPN (natural health products) or DIN (drugs).
