Methodology
Legal basis
MedGate is the gatekeeper for online medicine: the register of who may lawfully sell medicines online, and who may not. It assesses Nigerian e-pharmacy websites against the Electronic Pharmacy Regulations 2026, made under the Pharmacy Council of Nigeria Act 2022, together with the Nigeria Data Protection Act 2023. The framework mirrors the registration, display, prescription-handling and cross-border provisions of those instruments.
Assessment is limited to publicly available website content. It does not inspect premises, stock, dispensing records or PCN registers, and it is not a legal determination.
The checklist
1. No controlled substances offered for sale
high severityweight 18Site text scanned for tramadol above 100mg, codeine-containing cough syrup and benzodiazepines offered for sale.
Reg. 23, Electronic Pharmacy Regulations 2026 (Dangerous Drugs Act exclusion)
2. Valid-prescription declaration on homepage
high severityweight 18Homepage must declare that prescription-only medicines are dispensed solely on a valid prescription from a licensed provider.
Reg. 12, Electronic Pharmacy Regulations 2026
3. PCN logo or mark displayed
medium severityweight 10Pharmacy Council of Nigeria logo or identification displayed on the homepage.
Reg. 12, Electronic Pharmacy Regulations 2026
4. Pharmacy licence number displayed
medium severityweight 10A PCN premises/pharmacy licence number is published on the site.
Reg. 12, Electronic Pharmacy Regulations 2026
5. EPSP registration number displayed
medium severityweight 10Electronic Pharmaceutical Service Provider registration number published on the site.
Reg. 12, Electronic Pharmacy Regulations 2026
6. Prescription upload or verification mechanism
medium severityweight 10A mechanism to upload or verify a prescription before dispensing is present.
Reg. 20, Electronic Pharmacy Regulations 2026
7. Superintendent Pharmacist named (one-e-pharmacy cap)
medium severityweight 10Superintendent Pharmacist named on the site. Flagged if the same name is recorded against more than one operator in the register.
Reg. 34(4), Electronic Pharmacy Regulations 2026
8. Privacy policy / NDPA compliance statement
low severityweight 5A privacy policy or data protection statement is published.
Nigeria Data Protection Act 2023
9. Physical Nigerian address and contact details
low severityweight 5A verifiable Nigerian premises address and contact details are listed.
Reg. 12, Electronic Pharmacy Regulations 2026
10. No cross-border sales language
low severityweight 5Site does not advertise shipping or dispensing of medicines outside Nigeria.
Cross-border prohibition, Electronic Pharmacy Regulations 2026
11. Dedicated prescription / Rx-upload page
medium severityweight 10A dedicated prescription upload or verification page is reachable from the site, not only a homepage mention.
Regs. 20 & 22, Electronic Pharmacy Regulations 2026
12. Delivery policy published (Good Distribution Practices)
medium severityweight 10A delivery or shipping policy page is published describing how medicines are transported.
Reg. 29, Electronic Pharmacy Regulations 2026 (Good Distribution Practices)
13. Returns / refunds policy published
medium severityweight 10A returns, refunds or recall policy page is published.
Reg. 29, Electronic Pharmacy Regulations 2026 (Good Distribution Practices)
14. Terms and conditions published
low severityweight 5Terms and conditions of service are published on the site.
Reg. 12, Electronic Pharmacy Regulations 2026
15. About / contact page with Nigerian premises details
low severityweight 5An about or contact page is reachable and carries Nigerian premises and contact details.
Reg. 12, Electronic Pharmacy Regulations 2026
Scoring and tiers
Each check carries a weight by severity: high 18, medium 10, low 5. The score is the weighted proportion of passed checks, expressed out of 100. Checks returned as undetermined are excluded from the denominator so an operator is never penalised for a check the scanner could not evaluate.
- Good — score of 75 or above with no high-severity failure.
- Bad — score between 40 and 74, or minor gaps.
- Ugly — score below 40, or any high-severity failure.
- Unscored — no completed scan yet, or the site was unreachable.
Automated results are published as indicative and labelled “pending analyst review” until an analyst confirms them. Analysts may override any individual check, and the scan record retains both the automated and the overridden value.
Penalties referenced in dossiers
- PCN Act 2022, s.54(1): Operating an unregistered pharmacy: fine of NGN 2,500,000 or imprisonment for two years, or both.
- PCN Act 2022, s.52(4): Offence by a body corporate: fine of not less than NGN 5,000,000.
- PCN Act 2022, s.55: General penalty for contraventions where no specific penalty is provided.
Findings reflect automated test browsing of publicly accessible storefronts and analyst review as of the capture date. Test purchases stop at add-to-cart; no order is ever placed and no payment is made. Results are indicative, subject to analyst review, and do not constitute a legal determination by the Pharmacy Council of Nigeria or any other authority. Corrections are welcome via the dispute form.