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Buying prescribed pharmaceutical products in a Member State other than the one where the prescription was issued, online or in person
From Department of Health
Published on
Last updated on
From Department of Health
Published on
Last updated on
If you have a medical prescription from a doctor in the European Economic Area (EEA), the prescription is valid in all other EEA countries if it contains certain information. The EEA includes the member states of the European Union as well as Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway.
However, a medicine prescribed in one country might not be available or it may have another name.
You can ask your doctor to give you a prescription to use in another EU country, also known as a "cross-border prescription".
There is no specific form or format required in order to be able to use a prescription in another EEA country but the prescription must include certain information about the patient, doctor and medical product prescribed.
Not all of these details are required for a prescription in Ireland so, if you intend to use a prescription in another country, you should check that the doctor has included all the necessary information listed above.
Prescriptions are subject to the rules of the country where they are dispensed. For example, in some countries a prescription may only be accepted for a certain time period after it is written.
Some medicines may not be authorised for sale or may not be available in another country within the EEA. To find out if your medicine is available in other member states, you can check with the national contact point for cross-border healthcare.
If an item is required to have a special medical prescription it should not be issued for use in another member state. This applies to controlled drugs such as strong, opioid-based painkillers and certain sedatives.
If your doctor has given you an e-prescription you will usually need to make sure you ask for a paper copy if you plan to use the prescription in another EU country, as the e-prescription may not be recognised outside your home country.
E-prescriptions issued in Finland can be used in Croatia and Estonia without the need for a paper copy.