In Russia, as of September 1, 2025, doctors officially received the right to prescribe dietary supplements

As of September 1, 2025, federal law No. 150-FZ came into effect, allowing doctors to officially prescribe dietary supplements (DS) from a specially approved list to their patients. Such supplements must be registered and meet strict quality and efficacy requirements established by the Government of the Russian Federation in conjunction with the Ministry of Health and Rospotrebnadzor.

Previously, the legislation did not allow medical professionals to officially prescribe dietary supplements — only medications that had undergone preclinical and clinical trials were permitted. Now, doctors will be able to prescribe dietary supplements strictly within the approved indications and application schemes, which will be communicated through a special methodological guide from the Ministry of Health of Russia.

Key provisions of the new law:

• Doctors have the right to prescribe dietary supplements included in the state list, which is approved by the Ministry of Health of the Russian Federation in agreement with Rospotrebnadzor.
• Prescriptions are made only in the presence of medical indications and in accordance with the approved application schemes.
• Dietary supplements are not equated with medications, so benefits for medications do not apply — patients will purchase supplements independently.
• Control over the circulation of dietary supplements is being tightened: the use of hazardous substances in production, the distribution of banned supplements, and information about them on the internet is prohibited.
• Internet resources with illegal dietary supplement offers will be entered into a register of prohibited items and blocked out of court.

The law also introduces a ban on the use of feed additives, hormones, pesticides, and agrochemicals in dietary supplements, which enhances product safety. Priority in forming the list of dietary supplements for prescription will be given to domestic manufacturers.

These measures are expected to increase the level of regulated use of dietary supplements in Russia and provide additional protection for citizens' health, while simultaneously contributing to the civilized development of the dietary supplement market and reducing the illegal circulation of questionable quality products.