Rospotrebnadzor has released a draft document outlining criteria for prohibiting the sale of dietary supplements (BADs). Sales of these supplements will be halted if they contain banned substances, lack manufacturer information on their packaging, or are deceptively marketed as food additives. Doctors surveyed by «Kommersant» view these criteria as a «necessary minimum,» acknowledging that they will help eliminate a «significant portion» of substandard BADs from the market. While major online platforms are expected to adhere to these new regulations, experts warn that smaller vendors might bypass them by selling through Telegram.
New Regulatory Framework
The draft order from Rospotrebnadzor was published on October 14 on regulation.gov.ru for public discussion. The document specifies five reasons for prohibiting the retail sale of dietary supplements, including online sales:
- The agency can ban BADs if they have not undergone state registration, contain substances prohibited by Russian law, or lack manufacturer information on the packaging.
- Additionally, the list includes selling BADs disguised as food additives, and cases where the supplement contains «regulated substances in quantities that do not comply with values established by Russian legislation.»
Anna Popova, head of Rospotrebnadzor, proposes that this order come into effect on March 1, 2026.
It`s worth recalling that in May 2025, the State Duma passed a law (effective September 1) that, for the first time, officially allowed doctors to prescribe BADs to patients. Concurrently, the Ministry of Health gained the authority to approve a list of permissible supplements. Rospotrebnadzor, in turn, was granted the power to block access to websites distributing information about banned BADs, similar to its existing mandate to block sites promoting suicide. The agency identifies such platforms and reports them to Roskomnadzor.
Since then, several sub-legislative acts have been issued. In August 2025, as reported by «Kommersant,» the Ministry of Health drafted a government resolution that would allow doctors to prescribe dietary supplements meeting established «efficacy and safety» criteria.
According to the Ministry`s plan, a BAD is considered «effective» if its ingredients are included in the Ministry of Health`s clinical guidelines and official documents developed by medical centers or professional associations.
The Ministry of Health also proposed that only supplements whose positive health effects have been confirmed through trials (conducted by BAD manufacturers) be deemed «safe.»
The agency decided these criteria should take effect on March 1, 2026. Until now, there have been no defined criteria for what constitutes a prohibited dietary supplement.
Expert Opinions and Market Impact
Remote sales of BADs have long required supervision, states Zarema Omarova, a dermatologist and co-owner of «Dr. Omarova`s Clinic.» Olga Shuppo, scientific director of Grand Clinic`s immunorerehabilitation clinic network, describes Rospotrebnadzor`s proposed criteria for banning BADs as a «necessary minimum,» adding, «Nevertheless, even these measures are quite sufficient to remove a significant portion of substandard products from the market.» Zarema Omarova agrees, remarking, «The proposed criteria are quite reasonable; they are exactly what the professional community has long advocated for.»
Doctors Await Official List of Permitted Supplements
«The resource blocking tool is quite effective. The risk of its application ensures that large sellers will be very careful about the content of their relevant sections and will tighten access rules for vendors. This will genuinely `clean up` the market, especially for marketplaces,» believes Nikolay Bespalov, Development Director at RNC Pharma. However, he adds that the problem cannot be entirely resolved due to the vast number of consumers deliberately purchasing counterfeit products, often believing them to be superior to legal alternatives based on certain criteria.
Smaller online resources and thematic groups on Telegram might continue selling these products, and in case of blockage, they would simply «mirror» the information on alternative platforms, Bespalov suggests. The expert also questions how cross-border purchases of dietary supplements for personal use will be regulated, noting that «a whole stratum of sellers» is involved in such sales. Ms. Shuppo indicates that the criteria will need to be adjusted and expanded «as the control system develops and existing international experience is analyzed.»
Government Control and Oversight
It should be noted that the Russian government recently brought the scheme for doctors prescribing BADs under state control. On October 8, 2025, Resolution No. 1560 was issued, assigning Roszdravnadzor the responsibility to verify requirements for BAD prescriptions and ensure compliance with legislation in this area. The government resolution specifies that state control will include monitoring medical organizations and healthcare professionals` adherence to «requirements related to the prescription of dietary supplements.»
