The mail order pharmacy iLekáreň® is the first Slovak mail order pharmacy to accept orders via telephone, fax and the internet. The iLekáreň® product portfolio consists of non-prescription medicines, OTC medicines, medical products (cosmetics), dietary supplements (minerals, vitamins, functional foods, power snacks), gluten-free foods, bandages and health-related literature. The mail order pharmacy was founded in 2001. The company headquarters are located in Komárno.
The sale of non-prescription and OTC pharmaceuticals via the internet was not regulated by the Slovak Pharmaceuticals Act. At first, iLekáreň® deliberately stepped on the toes of regulators and the Slovak Chamber of Pharmacies. Their resistance, however, resulted in various media appearances on Slovak radio, television and in newspapers, which increased the visibility of iLekáreň®. A ruling by the European Court of Justice in December 2003 found the shipment of pharmaceuticals compatible with European law in principle. Ever since the publication of the ruling of the European Court of Justice, iLekáreň® has been supplying the whole Slovak population. In order to expand their business in Slovakia even further, the company initiated a partnership with the Cooperative of Pharmacies (Družstvo lekární, družstvo, founded 2005) and with the senior members of the Slovak Chamber of Pharmacies. This partnership formed an important cornerstone for the initiation of additional brand partnerships. All iLekáreň® partner pharmacies remain pharmaceutically and economically independent. There are now more than 30 pharmacies in Slovakia, that have signed brand partnerships with iLekáreň®.
With the Modernisation of the Regulation on the Operation of Pharmacies Act (passed on 01/12/2009), the Slovak pharmacy market was put into motion once again. The mail order trade for non-prescription and OTC pharmaceuticals was now permitted not only de facto but also in the letter of the law. Prerequisite for the delivery of pharmaceuticals to Slovak patients is that only OTC drugs registered in Slovakia or registration and approval exempted products may be provided by mail order services. In Slovakia, only those pharmacies are permitted to provide mail order services for pharmaceuticals that meet all the legal requirements for a local pharmacy. iLekáreň® complies with these framework conditions because of its pharmacy headquarters ‚Lekáreň pri Váhu‘ in Komárno.
Online advice and discussion forums offer excellent client support. Customers can also benefit from a subscription to the the health journal ‘Apothéka’. In order to make the iLekáreň® business model and business practices more transparent for pharmacists and pharmacy students, iLekáreň® has published all relevant information regarding brand partnerships on their recruitment microsite.
iLekáreň® currently only accepts orders with shipping addresses on Slovak territory.
