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Buying medications abroad

Buying medications abroad

The possibility of using a Finnish electronic prescription to buy medications in other European countries is being introduced step by step. You can buy medications on your electronic prescription also in pharmacies in other European countries that are able to dispense prescription medicines on a foreign electronic prescription.

Medicines can currently be purchased with a Finnish electronic prescription from pharmacies in Estonia, Croatia, Portugal, Poland and Spain. The possibility of using a Finnish electronic prescription in other European countries is being introduced step by step.

If you want to buy prescription medicines in another European country, take your passport or ID card with you to the pharmacy. You no longer need to give your consent in MyKanta for your prescription data to be shared with pharmacies in another European country. The requirement of consent has been discontinued on 1 January 2023.

Please note that generic substitution of medicines abroad may be made according to other principles than in Finland. If you buy a prescription medicine abroad, the medicine you are given may be a different one than the one you get at a pharmacy in Finland.

Reasons for non-dispensing of prescriptions

A prescription for which you have set up a denial of consent to data sharing cannot be filled abroad. Remember to remove the denial of consent to data sharing regarding your prescriptions in MyKanta before purchasing the medicine.

An e-prescription can be used for purchasing medicines abroad. Medicines do not include, e.g. base creams, clinical nutritional preparations, care supplies, dietary supplements, and dressings.

In addition, the following medicines cannot be purchased abroad:

  • narcotics
  • CNS drugs that have been prescribed by the brand name and require the original prescription (CNS class PA or ZA)
  • CNS drugs that have been prescribed by active substance
  • medications prepared in the pharmacy
  • combination packages that contain several different preparations
  • patient-specific special licensed medicines.

The most common reason for not being able to purchase a medicine abroad is the quantity of the medicine prescribed for a certain period. In such a case, the prescribed quantity is displayed in MyKanta as, e.g. “1 year’s supply.” packages. In the prescription, the amount of the medicine should be provided as the total amount of medicine or number of packages.

Prescriptions that can be re-dispensed at regular intervals cannot be dispensed abroad, either. These prescriptions are marked with "iter semel”, “iter bis” or “iter ter”.

In addition, prescriptions with a related doctor’s fee that have not yet been dispensed in Finland cannot be dispensed abroad.

Acting on behalf of another person in overseas pharmacies is not possible because the required information cannot be shared electronically between the countries.

Prescriptions for purchasing medications abroad

If you intend to buy the medicine in an overseas country where Finnish e-prescriptions are not valid, the prescriber can write you a prescription titled “Prescription for purchasing abroad”. Instead of the patient instructions, the prescriber prints out an English-language prescription, which is used similarly to a paper prescription. It cannot be used to purchase medicines in Finland, and you cannot print it out for yourself in MyKanta. 

The following drugs cannot be prescribed for purchasing abroad

  • CNS drugs containing narcotics or requiring an original prescription
  • medications prepared in the pharmacy.

The EU countries must recognise prescriptions issued in other member states. A pharmacy may refuse to dispense a prescription issued in another member state if it has doubts regarding the authenticity or propriety of the prescription. The pharmacy dispenses the medicines in accordance with the legislation of its own country.

Reimbursement for medicine expenses

You can claim reimbursement from Kela for medicines you have purchased abroad. Keep the receipts, packaging and other documentation. They may be needed to determine your eligibility for reimbursement.

My Health @ EU logo. eHealth Digital Service Infrastructure. The service is provided by the European Union.

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Last updated 4.3.2024