What exactly means parallel trade or the so called PI (parallel imports)?

Parallel trade of pharmaceutical products is a legal and safe form of trading inside the pharmaceutical market in the European Union.

The prices of various pharmaceuticals medications might vary between the EU members, thus Pharmaceutical Wholesalers across Europe are enabled to use the price differences of pharmaceutical goods. The common experience shows that the buying market of the majority of pharmaceutical products are takeing place mostly in the South and the Eastern part of the European Union. These pharmaceutical products are sold usually in the Northern part of the European Union, where governments established higher prices for pharmaceutical products. Therefore, the legislator has settled an exclusive form of trading – parallel import - to simplify the process of trading.

For further information please visit the homepage of The European Medicines Agency (EMA)