Law: Section 58 the Medcines Act 1968 (Although the Medicines Act prohibits imports of medicines, other than in accordance with a product licence, it specifically exempts imports for personal use and imports by householders for administration to members of their household.

It is this exemption that makes it possible for people to buy medicines overseas while on holiday or on business trips and bring them home. It also enables people to buy from any foreign suppliers they know about. And it is the internet that has produced an explosion in awareness of foreign suppliers and has provided an easy means of placing orders and paying for them)


The regulations on imporatation is controlled by the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency, if you speak to Revenue & Customs they will ask you to contact the MHRA direct, they will advise you that you are allowed to import up to 3 months supply now this is the grey area and it is not set in stone. So no Customs Officer can stop you importing medcines but they can queiry the quantity. For guidence on this you should contact the MHRA direct.

This is the response I received from the MHRA when I asked if I could import steroids for my own use:

Dear Enquirer,

Thank you for your recent enquiry to the MHRA.

We can confirm that there is no requirement for a member of the public to notify the MHRA of the importation of medicines for personal use and the legislation does not restrict such importation. The MHRA therefore has no objections, provided that the imported medicinal products is used only for your own personal use and that you do not sell or supply imported medicines to anybody else (including family members).

You should be aware that up to a 3 month supply of a medicine is considered to be an acceptable quantity for personal use, HM Revenue and Customs can prevent importation if large quantities are being imported and/or they have suspicions that the product is not being imported for personal use. You can read more about HM Revenue and Customs from their website at the link below: http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/

We also advise you to investigate whether the product(s) you wish to import are categorised as controlled substances in the UK - Controlled drugs are regulated by the Home Office under the Misuse of Drugs Act, and can require a licence to allow their entry into the UK**. The Home Office have published a list (although not exhaustive) of controlled substances on their website and you will need to contact them directly for clarification on whether a Home Office licence is required for importation into the UK: http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/drugs/

We advise that any posted packages containing medicines should contain a copy of the prescription and/or a letter from the patient's doctor explaining why the product(s) are required, we suggest that the package is clearly labelled on the outside stating the contents of the package and that the products are for personal use. We also strongly advise that the medicines are kept in their original packaging and that they are transported in accordance with storage conditions specified by the Manufacturer (this not only helps identify the medicines, but also helps ensure the product's stability).





Please don't hesitate to contact us again if you need further assistance with this, or any other queries.


Kind Regards,

Central Enquiry Point
Information Centre
Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency
Tel: 020 7084 2000


Class C penaties still apply if caught supplying them etc....

** I have spoken to the Home Office Lic Officer who also confirmed that they are legal to import for personal use, but suggest only in very small amounts.

Further references:

http://www.thamesvalley.police.uk/ne...c-steroids.htm
http://www.mhra.gov.uk
Home Office Licensing Office - 020 7035 4848