Foundations
Parapharmaceutical products
Parapharmaceutical products are health and personal-care items sold alongside medicines without being medicines themselves: cosmetics, food supplements, simple medical devices and baby care. The term is descriptive, not a legal category.
What the term means
"Parapharmaceutical" means sold beside the pharmacy's medicines, from the Greek prefix para-, "beside". EU law has no such category: it regulates these products as cosmetics, foods, medical devices or biocides. The same is true of the shop: see what is parapharmacy. In practice the term is defined by exclusion. A parapharmaceutical product is one that does not need a medicine's marketing authorisation.
List of parapharmaceutical products, with examples
| Group | Examples | Legal status | EU rules |
|---|---|---|---|
| Skincare and dermocosmetics | Moisturisers, cleansers, anti-ageing creams | Cosmetic | Regulation (EC) No 1223/2009 |
| Sun protection | Sunscreens, after-sun products | Cosmetic | Regulation (EC) No 1223/2009 |
| Personal hygiene | Shampoo, deodorant, intimate wash, soap | Cosmetic | Regulation (EC) No 1223/2009 |
| Oral hygiene | Toothpaste, mouthwash, dental floss | Usually cosmetic; some are devices or medicines | Depends on the product |
| Food supplements | Vitamins, minerals, omega-3, plant extracts | Food | Directive 2002/46/EC |
| Baby care | Nappy cream, baby wash; infant formula | Cosmetic; food for specific groups | Regulation (EC) No 1223/2009; Regulation (EU) No 609/2013 |
| First aid and wound care | Plasters and dressings | Medical device | Regulation (EU) 2017/745 |
| Home health devices | Thermometers, saline nasal sprays, compression stockings | Medical device | Regulation (EU) 2017/745 |
| Insect repellents and hand disinfectants | Skin repellents, disinfectant gels | Biocide | Regulation (EU) No 528/2012 |
What is not parapharmaceutical
Medicines are not, even when sold without a prescription. A paracetamol tablet, an antifungal cream with clotrimazole or a nicotine patch is a medicine, because of how it is presented or how it acts. Whether a shop may sell it depends on national law: France, Spain and Belgium keep all medicines in pharmacies, while Italy and Portugal allow non-prescription medicines in regulated outlets. The guide to what a parafarmacia can sell in Spain goes through this product by product.
Parapharmaceutical and pharmaceutical compared
| Parapharmaceutical product | Pharmaceutical product (medicine) | |
|---|---|---|
| Before sale | Cosmetic: safety assessment and CPNP notification. Device: CE marking. Supplement: notification where national law requires it | Marketing authorisation |
| Claims | May not claim to treat or prevent disease | May claim its authorised indications |
| Where sold | Pharmacies, parapharmacies and, in most cases, general retail | Set by national medicines law |
| Marking | INCI list, CE mark or "food supplement", depending on the product | Authorisation number and a package leaflet |
Why the same ingredient can be either
Status depends on the finished product, not the ingredient. Magnesium can be in a supplement, a bath salt or a medicine. Vitamin D can be a supplement or, at a higher dose, a medicine. Melatonin is a supplement in some countries and a medicine in others. When a product could fall under more than one regime, the medicines rules take priority: see borderline products.
Frequently asked questions
What are parapharmaceutical products?
Health and personal-care products sold alongside medicines without being medicines, such as cosmetics, food supplements, simple medical devices and baby care. The term is descriptive and has no definition in EU law.
What are examples of parapharmaceutical products?
Moisturisers, sunscreens, shampoo, toothpaste, vitamin supplements, nappy cream, plasters, thermometers and compression stockings.
Are cosmetics parapharmaceuticals?
Many are. Cosmetics and personal hygiene products such as dermocosmetic creams, sunscreens, deodorants and shampoos are typical parapharmaceutical products when sold in pharmacies and parapharmacies, and legally they remain cosmetics.
Are parapharmaceutical products medicines?
No. A product that meets the legal definition of a medicine needs a marketing authorisation and is not a parapharmaceutical product, even if it is sold without a prescription.
References & further reading
- Directive 2001/83/EC on medicinal products for human use (consolidated text): eur-lex.europa.eu.
- Regulation (EC) No 1223/2009 on cosmetic products (consolidated text): eur-lex.europa.eu.
- Regulation (EU) 2017/745 on medical devices (consolidated text): eur-lex.europa.eu.
- Directive 2002/46/EC on food supplements (consolidated text): eur-lex.europa.eu.
- Regulation (EU) No 609/2013 on food for specific groups: eur-lex.europa.eu.
- Regulation (EU) No 528/2012 on biocidal products: eur-lex.europa.eu.
Last reviewed: November 2026.