How to know what nootropics are illegal?

RoRo979

HPRA recently detained a package containing:
- Coluracetam
- Phenibut
- Sulbutiamine
- Citric acid
- Monk Fruit

They suspect one or more of them may be prescription, however, upon googling all of them I have not seen any good information as to whether each one is legal or not.

I stupidly went with "legal unless otherwise shown" and am getting hit for believing that now that the whole package is detained.

locum-motion

Unless you're a licensed pharmaceutical wholesaler, it's illegal for you to import any drug/medicine into Ireland.

It's also illegal for you to use Irish postal or telecommunications services/infrastructure (including the internet) for order or attempt to order drugs/medicines.

[Exception: If you are travelling back from another EU country and carrying with you medicines for your own use that were legally-obtained in that country, then that's OK.]

El_Dangeroso

locum-motion wrote: »

Unless you're a licensed pharmaceutical wholesaler, it's illegal for you to import any drug/medicine into Ireland.

It's also illegal for you to use Irish postal or telecommunications services/infrastructure (including the internet) for order or attempt to order drugs/medicines.

[Exception: If you are travelling back from another EU country and carrying with you medicines for your own use that were legally-obtained in that country, then that's OK.]

How is a drug/medicine defined?

Queenalocin

El_Dangeroso wrote: »

How is a drug/medicine defined?

Read pages 5 - 7: http://https://www.fsai.ie/uploadedfiles/6342926_guidelines.pdf

While the IMB has been rebranded HPRA, the definitions are still more or less the same.

El_Dangeroso

Queenalocin wrote: »

Read pages 5 - 7: http://https://www.fsai.ie/uploadedfiles/6342926_guidelines.pdf

While the IMB has been rebranded HPRA, the definitions are still more or less the same.

Thanks but the link doesn't work?

locum-motion

delete the part before "www" and try again.

El_Dangeroso

locum-motion wrote: »

delete the part before "www" and try again.

Thanks that works now. So it seems if it's not on the list of the substances specified and is defined as 'research chemicals' (which a lot of nootropics are) then the law is less clear am I correct?

Also if it's a herbal preparation not specifically listed as a prescription substance AND you are not making claims on the label as to its effectiveness in treating any disease, then it's all legal to import?

El_Dangeroso

Also I've actually contacted the HPRA on things like this before and they are more than helpful in clarifying the legality on anything relating to their remit.

locum-motion

Actually, the link includes the definition of a "medicinal product".

There are plenty of chemicals that aren't part of a "product" that would be considered drugs and/or medicines. MDMA certainly isn't a "medicinal product", but it IS a drug.

Given that the OP is asking about Nootropics, and that the word 'nootropic' is defined as

nootropic

(medicine) Any substance purported to increase or enhance cognitive abilities.
(pharmacology) A drug that enhances learning and memory and lacks the usual pharmacology of other psychotropic drugs (e.g. sedation, motor stimulation) and possesses very few side effects and extremely low toxicity.

I think it's safe to say that they most definitely qualify as drugs and/or medicines. Since they either:

1. Don't exist as a product that may be sold without a prescription or
2. Aren't specifically mentioned in legislation as something not requiring a prescription,

they may therefore may only be imported by licenced wholesalers, may only be supplied through registered pharmacies on foot of a prescription from a registered physician.

Either way, I don't think that it's appropriate for a Health Sciences forum to be discussing how to obtain them in some other manner, and will be reporting this thread to the Mods for this reason.

Kurtosis

Mod note:

Thread closed for review.

I am reopening this thread for discussion of how medicines are regulated in Ireland.

Any discussion of how to order medicines from the internet, how to subvert laws regarding ordering of medicines, or any other actions which are not legal will result in mod action.

Any queries, please drop me a PM and please report any posts which are against the rules. Thanks.