BAKU, September 8
In recent years, Azerbaijan’s social media feeds have filled with medical tips, ranging from vitamin regimens to detailed treatment plans for specific illnesses.
Some advice comes from doctors, but often it is pharmacists offering guidance — and that, specialists warn, is a growing risk.
Risks of Online Treatment
Medical scientist Adil Geybulla told Media.Az that pharmacists, regardless of their experience, cannot replace physicians.
“Doctors spend years studying pharmacology, pharmacogenetics and pharmacodynamics, and they understand side effects and drug interactions. Sometimes medications intensify each other’s impact, and only a trained physician can judge whether it’s safe,” he said.
He noted that although pharmacies are legally barred from altering prescriptions, loopholes are often exploited. “The role of a pharmacist is the preparation of medicines and oversight of their legal distribution,” Geybulla stressed.
He also warned against “online treatment,” where patients seek advice via chats or video calls without exams or tests. “Such consultations risk patients’ health. Online tips cannot replace real medical care,” he said.
Therapist and hepatologist Zaur Orujev agreed. He argued that specialists giving advice online must clarify that it is only general guidance and that a proper diagnosis requires an in-person consultation.
“Patients often describe symptoms briefly, and the self-reported diagnosis may be wrong. Self-treatment based on online advice can seem harmless, but cases of toxic hepatitis from uncontrolled drug use show the dangers,” he said.
Fines and Warnings
The Health Ministry’s Analytical Expertise Center has also cautioned professionals against online promotion. Advertising prescription drugs, unlicensed medical products, or unapproved treatments can trigger fines ranging from 300 to 500 manats for individuals and 1,000 to 2,000 manats for companies.
Officials reminded citizens that Azerbaijan’s law on medicines bans ordering drugs through websites or social networks, stressing that correct dosage and use must be prescribed by a physician. Medicines, they said, should only be obtained in pharmacies with a doctor’s prescription.
Legal Perspective
Lawyer Afifa Askerova-Kazandji, a member of the Azerbaijani Bar Association and the Mediation Council, explained that under the law on advertising, promoters of over-the-counter drugs must provide a full set of official documents, including certificates of conformity, registration papers, and usage instructions.
The law strictly limits what such ads can say: they may not create a sense of necessity for healthy people, suggest that doctor visits are unnecessary, promise guaranteed effects or safety, or portray medicines as harmless supplements. Free distribution of drugs, as well as promotions linked to medical services, is also prohibited.
Askerova-Kazandji added that if pharmacists or doctors post treatment advice for specific diseases on social media, it legally counts as medical practice. Under Azerbaijan’s law on private medical activity, practicing without a license is forbidden.
