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Purchasing medication with a foreign prescription

Purchasing medication with a foreign prescription

You can buy prescription medicines in Finland with either a paper prescription or European ePrescription. Finland currently accepts electronic prescriptions from a few countries.

You can buy prescription medicines in Finland 

You can buy medicines with a foreign prescription at any pharmacy in Finland. 

In the future, more countries will begin to use the European ePrescription. 

Learn how your data are processed when you buy medicines with a foreign electronic prescription at a Finnish pharmacy:

Using pharmacy services in Finland 

Give your consent before using pharmacy service

The consent policies for electronic prescriptions vary from country to country. If your country requires consent for your prescription data to be disclosed to pharmacies in another country, please give your consent before visiting a Finnish pharmacy.

At the pharmacy 

If you wish to purchase medication with a foreign electronic prescription, you must go to the pharmacy in person. Take your passport or photo ID card with you to the pharmacy. In addition, different countries may have other requirements for dispensing the medicine. Please check this information with the authorities of the country where your prescription was issued. 

You can also buy prescription medicines with a paper prescription issued in another EU or EEA country or Switzerland. Learn more about using pharmacy services with a paper prescription: Using a foreign prescription in Finland (eu-terveydenhoito.fi).

Acting on behalf of another person 

As a rule, you can act on behalf of a minor with a European ePrescription. In this case, the child must accompany you to the pharmacy. However, there are country-specific differences in the transfer of prescription data to Finland for a minor. 

It is not possible to act on behalf of an adult.

Restrictions on using pharmacy services in Finland

You can use your foreign prescription to buy medicine in Finland if:

  • the prescription meets the requirements of Finnish legislation
  • the medicine has a marketing authorisation in Finland.

You cannot buy the following medicines in Finland:

  • narcotics 
  • certain medicines that are central nervous system agents 
  • medicines prepared at the pharmacy 
  • packages that contain several different preparations. 

Please note that

What should I do if I encounter a problem? 

If you are unable to purchase a medicine at a pharmacy and you need the medicine urgently, please contact the Finnish health care services. 

 Applying for reimbursements for medicine expenses 

For the time being, you cannot receive direct reimbursement for medicines purchased from a Finnish pharmacy using a European ePrescription. Depending on your situation, you may seek reimbursement afterwards from your country of residence or from Kela in Finland. For this purpose, please keep the documents, receipts and protective packaging associated with your medicines.

Frequently asked questions about buying a medicine with a foreign electronic prescription

You can purchase the medicine in Finland if you have a Spanish health insurance card with a photo. If your Spanish health insurance card does not have a photo, please also present your passport or photo ID at the pharmacy. 

Please also note that Spain may have additional requirements for dispensing the medicine. Please check this with the Spanish authorities. 

If you do not have a Spanish health insurance card and need the medicine urgently, please contact the Finnish health care services to get a new prescription.

You can use your ePrescription to buy the medicine from a Finnish pharmacy if you have both of the following: 

  • an Estonian personal identity code  
  • a registered address in Estonia.

In addition, you will need an Estonian passport or an Estonian photo ID card. 

Please also note that Estonia may have additional requirements for dispensing the medicine. Please check this with the Estonian authorities. 

If you do not meet the above requirements and you need the medicine urgently, please contact the Finnish health care services to get a new prescription. 


 

Last updated 7.10.2024