Source: Screenshot from the official website of the Animal Husbandry and Veterinary Bureau of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs

Guidelines for Compliance in Online Veterinary Drug Sales and Purchasing

To all member units and relevant entities:

To further standardize online veterinary drug business activities, strengthen industry self-discipline, guide online veterinary drug operators and e-commerce platforms in conducting online veterinary drug sales and transaction services in accordance with laws and regulations, and guide purchasers in rationally selecting veterinary drug products, the China Veterinary Drug Association has drafted the "Guidelines for Compliance in Online Veterinary Drug Sales and Purchasing" (hereinafter referred to as the "Guidelines") in accordance with the Regulations on the Administration of Veterinary Drugs and other relevant laws and regulations as well as the relevant provisions of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs. Following public consultation, the Guidelines are hereby released. Please implement them conscientiously in light of actual conditions.

Attachment: Guidelines for Compliance in Online Veterinary Drug Sales and Purchasing

China Veterinary Drug Association

September 8, 2026

Guidelines for Compliance in Online Veterinary Drug Sales and Purchasing

Chapter I General Provisions

Article 1 To standardize the business conduct of operators engaged in online veterinary drug sales (hereinafter referred to as "operators"), guide e-commerce platforms providing online veterinary drug transaction services (hereinafter referred to as "platforms") in fulfilling their primary responsibilities, guide online veterinary drug purchasers (hereinafter referred to as "purchasers") in purchasing compliant veterinary drug products, effectively block the circulation risks of counterfeit and substandard veterinary drugs, and prevent illegal and non-compliant acts, these Guidelines are formulated in accordance with the E-Commerce Law of the People's Republic of China, the Personal Information Protection Law of the People's Republic of China, the Regulations on the Administration of Veterinary Drugs, the Regulations on the Administration of Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances, the Good Supply Practice for Veterinary Drugs, the Measures for the Administration of Veterinary Prescription Drugs and Non-Prescription Drugs, the Measures for the Administration of Internet Advertising, and other laws, regulations, and normative documents.

Article 2 These Guidelines apply to operators, platforms, and purchasers, and serve as guiding norms for self-discipline and compliant operation in the online veterinary drug industry.

Operators and platforms shall take effective measures to ensure that information throughout the transaction process is authentic, accurate, complete, and traceable, and shall comply with the relevant provisions of the State on personal information protection.

Article 3 Operators shall fulfill their primary responsibilities, establish and improve internal management systems for online veterinary drug operations, and ensure that online sales activities are lawful, compliant, and fully traceable.

Platforms shall establish compliant and effective management systems for reviewing the admission of operators and for inspecting product information, and shall strengthen monitoring of product information published by operators to ensure that operators' qualifications, the veterinary drug products sold, and business conduct are lawful and compliant.

Purchasers shall lawfully and rationally select veterinary drug products on platforms, maintain a sound market environment, and ensure that their own rights and interests are not infringed upon.

Operators, platforms, and relevant entities providing warehousing, distribution, and technical services for online veterinary drug operations are encouraged to lawfully apply digital technologies such as artificial intelligence, big data, the Internet of Things, mobile Internet, electronic signatures, and trusted timestamps to establish a full-process informatized management mechanism covering entity qualifications, product qualifications, procurement review, incoming goods inspection, warehousing and maintenance, transport and delivery, prescription and sales review, adverse reactions, recall handling, and veterinary drug traceability, thereby enhancing risk identification, dynamic early warning, real-time disposal, and collaborative supervision capabilities.

The application of the above technologies shall not reduce or replace the primary responsibilities that operators and platforms shall bear in accordance with the law. Where professional judgment is required, such as prescription review, quality determination, and abnormal situation handling, manual review, authorized approval, and emergency takeover mechanisms shall be established.

Chapter II Compliance Matters for Operators

Article 4 Qualification compliance — eliminating unlicensed operations.

Operators must possess legally valid qualifications. Any online veterinary drug business activity conducted without qualifications is strictly prohibited.

Veterinary drug manufacturers holding a Veterinary Drug Production License may only sell online veterinary drug products produced by themselves and holding lawful veterinary drug product approval numbers, and may not sell veterinary drugs produced by other enterprises.

Veterinary drug trading enterprises holding a Veterinary Drug Business License shall not conduct online sales beyond the business scope specified in the license, and shall obtain online sales authorization from veterinary drug manufacturers and submit the authorization materials to the platform. Conducting online sales activities under another party's qualifications is strictly prohibited, as is operating veterinary drugs beyond the licensed scope.

Documents relating to the operator's compliant operation shall be continuously displayed in a prominent position on the homepage of the online store, ensuring that regulatory authorities and purchasers can verify them at any time. Where qualifications expire, become invalid, or are revoked, online business activities shall cease immediately.

Operators shall display in a prominent position on the homepage of the online store the authority that issued the business qualification, the location of supervisory management, and complaint and reporting channels and contact information, and shall consciously accept supervision by regulatory authorities and purchasers.

Article 5 Product compliance — strengthening source control.

Veterinary drug products sold online must be lawful and compliant products. Drugs and other compounds expressly prohibited by the State from use shall not be sold online, nor shall counterfeit or substandard veterinary drugs be sold. Veterinary drug products without lawful sources or with incomplete source records, human drugs, imported veterinary drug products not approved in China, and veterinary narcotic drugs and psychotropic substances and other veterinary drug products that the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs stipulates may not be sold online shall not be sold.

All veterinary drugs on sale shall be consistent with the labels and instructions approved by the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs. Product labels, instructions, trademarks, and trade names shall not be altered without authorization, and efficacy or indications shall not be falsely stated.

Article 6 Sales conduct compliance — standardizing operating procedures.

(1) Where a veterinary drug manufacturer conducts online sales, it shall display the Veterinary Drug Production License and its complete information in a prominent position on the platform. Core information to be displayed includes the enterprise name, veterinary drug production license number, GMP certificate number, production scope, issuing authority, and certificate validity period. Service commitments and quality commitments shall be explicitly stated. Where production qualifications change, updated materials shall be submitted to the platform on which it operates at the earliest opportunity, and the displayed information shall be updated promptly after platform review, ensuring that qualification disclosure is authentic, valid, and synchronized.

(2) Where a veterinary drug trading enterprise conducts online sales, it shall display the Veterinary Drug Business License and its complete information in a prominent position on the platform. Core information to be displayed includes the enterprise name, veterinary drug business license number, business scope, issuing authority, certificate validity period, and filed business and warehousing addresses. Service commitments and quality commitments shall be explicitly stated. Where business qualifications change, updated materials shall be submitted to the platform on which it operates at the earliest opportunity, and the displayed information shall be updated promptly after platform review, ensuring that qualification disclosure is authentic, valid, and synchronized.

(3) Operators shall strictly comply with the Good Supply Practice for Veterinary Drugs throughout the online business process, strictly control incoming goods inspection, and ensure that veterinary drug products on sale have lawful sources, complete records, complete invoices, full traceability, and compliant warehousing.

(4) Operators shall display the approved labels and instructions on the product sales page and indicate prompts such as "The approval information of this product can be queried in the National Veterinary Drug Basic Database (www.ivdc.org.cn)" and "Please use the drug according to the product instructions or under the guidance of a veterinarian," as well as other prompts helpful for purchasers to use drugs scientifically and reasonably.

(5) Where operators sell veterinary prescription drugs online, they shall mark "Veterinary prescription drugs must be purchased with a veterinary prescription" in a prominent position on the sales page for veterinary prescription drugs. Upon receiving an order for a veterinary prescription drug, they shall proactively request a veterinary prescription from the purchaser, strictly review the contents of the prescription, and only sell the veterinary prescription drug if the requirements are met. After completing the sale, the prescription shall be kept in accordance with relevant requirements.

Veterinary prescription drugs shall not be sold without a veterinary prescription (except in the circumstances specified in Article 7 of the Measures for the Administration of Veterinary Prescription Drugs and Non-Prescription Drugs). Veterinary prescription drugs shall not be sold on the basis of non-compliant veterinary prescriptions.

(6) Selling veterinary drug active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) to animal breeding units and individuals is prohibited, as is selling chemical raw materials or pharmaceutical APIs as veterinary drugs. Where chemical raw materials or pharmaceutical APIs are sold, no claims of preventing or treating animal diseases shall be made.

(7) Operators shall sell and ship strictly in accordance with the products advertised on the sales page, and shall not sell products inconsistent with the page advertisement.

(8) Operators shall establish complete veterinary drug purchase and sales ledgers and sales records, detailing the generic name, trade name, dosage form, specification, batch number, manufacturer, purchase and sales quantities, transaction time, and purchaser information of the veterinary drugs. Purchase and sales records and vouchers shall be kept until 1 year after the product's expiry date, and records for veterinary biological products shall be kept until 2 years after the product's expiry date, ensuring full traceability. The veterinary drug traceability system shall be fully implemented. Inbound and outbound information shall be uploaded completely, accurately, and promptly to the National Veterinary Drug Traceability System as required. Selective uploading or uploading false information is prohibited.

(9) Online promotional activities conducted by operators must be compliant and orderly. Veterinary prescription drugs, illegal veterinary drug products, and prohibited products shall not be bundled or tied-in for sale in any form, including prizes, gifts, or combination sets. When veterinary drugs are sold in broken quantities, the minimum sales unit shall not be opened.

(10) Operators shall establish a medication guidance service mechanism, accurately answer purchasers' inquiries about drug purchases, and provide quality after-sales service.

(11) Where operators discover adverse reactions to veterinary drugs or clues about counterfeit or substandard veterinary drugs during online business activities, they shall proactively report to the local agriculture and rural affairs department.

Where operators receive notice from veterinary drug manufacturers or relevant departments regarding newly discovered adverse reactions or quality problems of products they sell, they shall promptly take delisting measures or indicate relevant adverse reaction information in a prominent position on the product sales page.

Where operators receive notification from veterinary administrative departments regarding verified counterfeit or substandard veterinary drugs or veterinary drug products with serious adverse reactions, they shall proactively delist or suspend the sale of the relevant products.

(12) Operators shall establish an online veterinary drug operation informatized management system commensurate with their business scale, scope, and risk level, with at least the following functions: verifying supplier qualifications, operator qualifications, veterinary drug approval numbers or imported veterinary drug registration certificates, business scope, and certificate validity periods, with dynamic expiry reminders; recording in a linked manner information on procurement review, incoming goods inspection, batch numbers and expiry dates, inventory changes, inbound and outbound movements, orders, prescriptions, sales, returns and exchanges, recalls, and complaints; providing prompts, interception, or referral for manual review of risks such as unlicensed operation, out-of-scope operation, prohibited products, missing or non-compliant prescriptions, batch number inconsistency, abnormal traceability codes, expired products, and abnormal inventory; forming closed-loop records of early warning, disposal, review, escalation, closure, and evidence retention for identified risks; and promptly, completely, and accurately uploading inbound and outbound traceability information to the National Veterinary Drug Product Traceability System as required. Operators are encouraged to improve the automation and real-time performance of the above work through rule engines, artificial intelligence, or intelligent agents.

Article 7 Advertising and promotion compliance — eliminating false marketing.

(1) When selling veterinary drug products online, operators shall not include exaggerated efficacy or other false promotional descriptions on product sales pages or product packaging, and shall not indicate target animals or indications beyond the approved scope.

(2) In various promotional scenarios such as online stores, livestream selling, and short video promotion, operators shall not exaggerate the efficacy of veterinary drugs, fabricate treatment scope, use false cases or false testimonials to mislead consumers, or include prohibited promotional content such as "radical cure" or "specific effect." They shall not use platforms to hype veterinary drug efficacy or mislead purchasers into overdosing or using drugs beyond the approved scope.

Article 8 Warehousing and operational compliance — ensuring product quality.

(1) Where operators deliver veterinary drug products by express logistics according to online sales orders, the conditions during the express logistics process shall conform to the transport and storage conditions specified in the labels and instructions of the veterinary drug products sold. After completing a sales order, an effective purchase voucher shall be issued to the purchaser.

(2) For veterinary drug products with special usage or storage requirements, relevant prompts shall be marked in a prominent position on the product sales page to avoid loss of rights and interests caused by misuse or improper storage by purchasers.

(3) Where operators transport veterinary drug products by express logistics, instant delivery, or other means, they shall establish transport records corresponding to orders, product batch numbers, and veterinary drug traceability information. For veterinary drug products with special storage and transport requirements, transport conditions shall be monitored by means such as temperature and humidity collection, cold chain status monitoring, and location and time node recording. Where abnormalities such as excessive temperature, overtime, packaging damage, delivery interruption, or other abnormalities occur, early warning shall be promptly issued, corrective measures taken, and disposal records fully retained. Express logistics, instant delivery, and other service providers are encouraged to provide standardized data interfaces to operators to support real-time query of transport status, return of abnormal information, and liability traceability.

Chapter III Compliance Matters for Platforms

Article 9 Strict review of admission qualifications.

Platforms shall establish a special review mechanism for operator admission, strictly verify the legal qualification information of admitted entities such as the Veterinary Drug Production License or Veterinary Drug Business License, and urge operators to continuously display their business license, relevant administrative licenses or filings, or links to such information in a prominent position on their website homepage or main page for veterinary drug business activities. Operators without licenses, operating beyond scope, with invalid qualifications, or affiliating or borrowing licenses shall not be admitted. A dynamic verification mechanism for operator qualifications shall be established, with annual review of qualification validity and timely removal of non-compliant stores.

Article 10 Establish an inspection and monitoring system for product information.

Platforms shall establish an inspection and monitoring system for veterinary drug products and related information published by operators, and fully utilize new means such as big data analysis and artificial intelligence to improve monitoring efficiency. Where product information on the platform is found to violate laws and regulations, necessary disposal measures shall be taken in accordance with the law, relevant records shall be kept, and a report shall be promptly made to the agriculture and rural affairs department at or above the county level in the place where the platform is located.

Platforms are encouraged, on the premise that operators authorize and data is lawfully protected, to establish necessary data verification mechanisms with operators' informatized management systems, the National Veterinary Drug Basic Database, and the National Veterinary Drug Product Traceability System, providing operators with cross-verification services for entity qualifications, product qualifications, approval information, prescription requirements, labels and instructions, prohibited and restricted sales rules, and traceability status. Where platforms identify high-risk clues using technologies such as big data, artificial intelligence, and rule engines, they may adopt tiered disposal measures such as prompting operators to rectify, restricting publication, blocking transactions, and referral for manual review, and shall record the triggering basis, disposal process, and review results.

Article 11 Implement routine risk control systems.

A normalized risk control model of "online monitoring + offline verification" shall be promoted. Real-time inspections shall be conducted on information related to veterinary drug products sold on the platform, livestream selling of veterinary drugs, and promotional content, promptly identifying and addressing violations such as unlicensed veterinary drug sales, sales of counterfeit or substandard veterinary drugs, illegal sales of prescription drugs, and false advertising. Upon discovering clues of violations, measures such as delisting products, suspending livestreams, and shutting down stores shall be taken immediately, and a report shall be promptly made to the agriculture and rural affairs department at or above the county level in the place where the platform is located.

Article 12 Key areas of routine risk control:

(1) Whether the relevant administrative license information submitted by veterinary drug manufacturers and trading enterprises is consistent with the content approved by the agriculture and rural affairs department, and whether all elements are complete.

(2) Whether the business scope in the license covers the veterinary drug products intended to be sold on the platform.

(3) Whether the approval documents for veterinary drug product approval numbers (imported veterinary drug registration certificates) sold on the platform are consistent with those approved by the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs.

(4) Whether veterinary narcotic drugs and psychotropic substances are sold, and whether veterinary drug APIs are sold to entities and individuals other than veterinary drug manufacturers and trading enterprises.

(5) Whether the product sales page indicates the prompts required by these Guidelines for operators.

Article 13 Platforms are advised to verify the labels and instructions of veterinary drugs listed by operators, checking whether all packaging information of the veterinary drug products sold is consistent with the approval documents for veterinary drug product approval numbers and the approved labels and instructions, whether there are false promotional descriptions such as exaggerated efficacy or descriptions beyond the approved target animals and indications, and whether the outer packaging of imported products bears Chinese labels.

Article 14 In providing online information services, platforms shall take measures to prevent and stop illegal advertisements. It is advised to monitor and investigate whether advertisements published by operators have obtained veterinary drug advertisement review approval document numbers issued by the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs or the veterinary administrative department of the provincial people's government, and whether the advertisement information is consistent with the veterinary drug product approval number (imported veterinary drug registration certificate) information and manufacturer information of the corresponding product. Upon discovering illegal advertisements, necessary measures such as notification to correct, deletion, blocking, and disconnection of publication links shall be taken to stop them, and relevant records shall be retained.

Article 15 Preserve transaction information. Platforms shall lawfully and completely retain information such as veterinary drug transaction records, playback of livestream veterinary drug sales, and operator qualification files, and assist regulatory authorities in traceability verification and case investigation. Transaction data shall not be concealed, altered, or deleted.

Electronic ledgers, data messages, electronic vouchers, system logs, temperature and humidity records, prescription review records, and risk warning and disposal records formed by operators and platforms in accordance with these Guidelines shall be authentic, accurate, complete, traceable, readable, and exportable, and shall be secured through measures such as access control, backup, and anti-tampering. Electronic records meeting the foregoing requirements may serve as evidence for business management, compliance self-inspection, complaint handling, recall disposal, and supervisory verification; where laws and regulations provide otherwise, such provisions shall prevail. Where automated rules, artificial intelligence, or intelligent agents are used to make risk judgments or trigger disposal, the rule or model version, main input basis, output results, manual review, authorized approval, and final execution results shall be retained to ensure that the relevant processing is traceable, reviewable, and subject to manual intervention.

Article 16 Platforms shall establish and publicize complaint and reporting channels and methods in accordance with relevant provisions, promptly investigate and verify complaints and reports from purchasers or discovered clues of violations, and promptly take corresponding measures where platform rules are verified to have been violated.

Article 17 Platforms shall strengthen review and monitoring of short video or livestream content, and promptly address issues such as promoting counterfeit veterinary drugs, selling veterinary drugs in a personal capacity, exaggerating veterinary drug efficacy, or claiming medicinal efficacy for feed. Platforms shall publish consumer reminders on short video or livestream pages for veterinary drug sales, reminding purchasers to buy compliant veterinary drug products.

Article 18 Where platforms discover the following illegal acts, they shall immediately stop displaying veterinary drug-related information, and where circumstances are serious, cease providing online trading platform services:

(1) Selling veterinary drugs without qualifications;

(2) Selling illegal veterinary drugs and veterinary drugs subject to special State administration;

(3) Being ordered to stop sales or having business licenses revoked due to notification from relevant departments of veterinary drug-related illegal acts;

(4) Other serious illegal acts.

Article 19 Where platforms receive notification from relevant departments of operator involvement in veterinary drug-related illegal acts, they shall promptly take measures such as warnings, product delisting, and store removal to ensure that illegal acts are promptly controlled.

Where verified illegal acts or products exist in operating enterprises across multiple platforms, platform operators shall promptly take effective measures such as issuing prohibition announcements and delisting across the board to prevent the spread of illegal acts.

Article 20 Platforms shall cooperate with supervisory and management departments in supervision and inspection, case investigation, and disposal. Where supervisory and management departments discover that operators have committed illegal acts and lawfully require platforms to take measures to stop them, platforms shall promptly fulfill relevant obligations.

Where supervisory and management departments require the provision of information such as platform operator information and veterinary drug transaction records in accordance with laws and administrativ