Electronic prescriptions from the following countries are accepted in Finnish pharmacies:
- Estonia
- Croatia
- Portugal
- Poland
- Spain (16 regions from 4 March 2024)
More European countries will be joining in later. Information about new countries will be updated on this page as and when they join the service.
Reasons for non-dispensing of prescriptions
An overseas prescription cannot be dispensed in Finland in the case of medicinal products subject to special medical prescription, such as
- prescription for drug preparations
- CNS medication that requires the original prescription stored in the pharmacy, the classification of which in the Pharmaceutical Database is PA or ZA.
Acting on behalf of another person is not possible because the required information cannot be shared electronically between the countries. If the underage customer is present in the pharmacy, the transaction is possible in principle. However, there are country-specific differences in the transfer of prescription data of an underage person.
Dispensing a prescription
Before the medicine is dispensed, the overseas customer is identified with a personal identification document containing his/her photo. The customer is also given information about the processing of data in Finland.
Electronic prescriptions are retrieved to Finland from the other country and, correspondingly, the dispensing information is sent to the other country via national contact points. The national contact point in Finland is Kela. The national contact points ensure that only prescriptions that are eligible for dispensing in the country of origin will be transmitted through them to another European country. If no prescription is found, it is checked that the customer has given their consent to share data if that is required in the other country.
Dispensing of medicines follows Fimea’s effective administrative regulation concerning dispensing of medicines on the basis of a European prescription.
Reimbursements only later
Until further notice, it is not possible to claim direct Kela reimbursement for the purchase of medicines in a Finnish pharmacy with an overseas e-prescription. The customer must apply for any reimbursement for medicine expenses afterwards in their country of residence or from Kela, depending on their situation. The customer is given a receipt for the purchase, as well as a printout of the PDF version of the prescription for the purpose of applying for reimbursement for medicine expenses. If the customer is claiming reimbursement from Kela, they are also given a statement of the medicine purchases.
Training on electronic prescription
- Rajat ylittävän reseptin toimittaminen apteekissa - koulutus apteekeille 12.2.2020 (thl.fi, in Finnish)
- Apteekkien toimintamallit lääkkeen toimittamiseen ulkomaisella reseptillä (PDF, thl.fi, in Finnish)
Country-specific differences in dispensing e-prescriptions
The special features of countries included in the scheme are described in the following. There may also be other country-specific restrictions concerning dispensing of prescriptions overseas.
