Heavy penalties for online promotion and sale of unlicensed medicines

Muscat:  The unauthorized promotion and sale of medicines, herbal preparations, and medical materials through digital platforms now face severe legal crackdowns in Oman, with offenders risking significant jail time and massive fines. The new legal framework specifically targets the unregulated digital trade of medical products to protect public health and ensure that only licensed, safe, and verified treatments are available to the community.

Under Article 38 of the new legislation, any individual who utilizes an electronic site, information system, or information technology tool with the intent to promote or sell unlicensed medicines, materials, preparations, or herbal medicines shall be punished with imprisonment for a period of no less than three months and no more than three years. In addition to imprisonment, offenders will face substantial fines ranging from OMR 5,000 to OMR 100,000, or be subject to one of these two penalties.

The law introduces even stricter deterrents for activities that directly endanger lives. If the medicines, materials, preparations, or herbal medicines promoted or sold online are found to be adulterated, counterfeit, or expired, the prescribed penalties are doubled. This severe escalation in punishment reflects the grave danger posed to public health by fraudulent medical products and reinforces the Sultanate's commitment to maintaining the integrity of its healthcare and digital environments.

These provisions are part of the Law on Combating Cybercrimes, promulgated by Royal Decree No. 61/2026. Issued on June 1, 2026, the law is designed to fortify national digital security and shield society from the growing complexities of cyber threats. Beyond regulating medical trade, the decree aims to safeguard the confidentiality and integrity of electronic information and data, while strengthening the protection of digital evidence through stricter legal deterrents and tougher penalties for all offenses committed using information technology.