An everyday example
Fictional example: Sam, a British teacher living in Hamburg, sees his GP a week before a holiday in Portugal. He leaves with an e-prescription for a medicine he takes every day. At the pharmacy next door he inserts his German health card into the card reader and collects the pack straight away.
In case he needs more while away, Sam asks the practice for an extra paper prescription with the generic name of the medicine, because an e-prescription may not work outside the country where it was issued. In Lisbon, Portuguese rules would then decide how it is dispensed.
How does an e-prescription reach the pharmacy?
In Germany and Austria, the prescription is not kept on your card. In Germany it is stored on a central server in the telematics infrastructure (TI), the digital network of the German health system. In Austria it is stored in the e-card system, and the e-card only works as a key. In Spain, the national health system links the e-prescription systems of the autonomous communities.
Card, app and printed code are simply different keys to that stored prescription. That is also why you can often split a prescription: in Germany each medicine has its own e-prescription, so you can collect them separately and at different pharmacies.
Germany: card, app, CardLink or printout
| Option | What you need | Good for | Worth knowing |
|---|---|---|---|
| Health card at the pharmacy | Your electronic health card (eGK) | Collecting in person, or by someone you give the card to | No PIN needed; the pharmacy retrieves all your open e-prescriptions |
| App «Das E-Rezept» or an insurer's app | Smartphone and a login | Reserving, delivery, keeping an overview | The gematik app shows prescriptions from the last 100 days |
| CardLink in a pharmacy app | Contactless eGK with a 6-digit access number, smartphone | Ordering from local or online pharmacies | No PIN; you confirm with a code sent by text message |
| Printout from the practice | Paper with a prescription code (2D code) | No smartphone, or passing it to someone else | No handwritten signature needed; the pharmacy scans the code |
Germany: at the pharmacy with your health card
- Tell the pharmacy that you want to redeem an e-prescription.
- Insert your health card into the card terminal. You do not enter a PIN.
- The pharmacy retrieves your open e-prescriptions from the TI.
- If a medicine is out of stock, that e-prescription stays open and you can redeem it at another pharmacy.
Menu path as given in the manufacturer’s help; it may differ by device and version: das-e-rezept-fuer-deutschland.de
With the gematik app you show a digital prescription code at the counter or send the prescription to a pharmacy and agree on collection or delivery. According to gematik, from September 2026 the app can only be used with the GesundheitsID from your health insurer; people who logged in with card and PIN are told about the switch in the app. If the pharmacy does not respond, the prescription becomes available again after 10 minutes. Only install such apps from the official store and check the provider, as explained in Installing an app: finding the right provider.
Austria and Spain: what you need at the counter
Austria: according to the social insurance, the e-Rezept has fully replaced the paper prescription for statutory insurance in surgeries and pharmacies. You can redeem it with your e-card, by having the e-Rezept code scanned or with the e-Rezept ID (REZ-ID). A printout in A4 or A5 is free on request and always shows the code and the ID. The apps of ÖGK, SVS, BVAEB and MeineSV, with login via ID Austria, show your prescriptions. You cannot opt out of the e-Rezept.
Spain: at the pharmacy you only need to show your tarjeta sanitaria individual, even in another autonomous community. The pharmacist sees your full active treatment with dispensing dates. A dispensing can be cancelled within 24 hours at most, and a medicine marked confidential at the time of prescribing is only shown and dispensed with a confidentiality code.
Tip: Buying from an online pharmacy? Check first that it is a registered seller: Online pharmacy: spotting legitimate sellers.
How long can you wait before redeeming it?
In Germany, e-prescriptions are valid for as long as paper ones, whichever route you use. For medicines that used to be on the pink statutory form, that means 28 days at the expense of the statutory health insurer. After that you can still redeem the prescription until three months after the date of issue, but you pay for the medicine yourself.
- Germany: unredeemed e-prescriptions are deleted 10 days after they expire.
- Germany: redeemed e-prescriptions are deleted 100 days after redemption.
Whether a medicine is still right for you after a long gap is a question for your doctor or pharmacist, not for a checklist.
Can someone else collect it for you?
Germany: hand over your health card or the printout. With the card, the pharmacy can see all your open e-prescriptions, with a printout only the one printed on it. If someone helps you regularly, they can add a profile for you in their e-prescription app. gematik describes a one-off login with your health card and PIN for this, which may change now that the app runs only on the GesundheitsID.
Austria: another person can collect if you pass on the code or ID from the app, if you give the pharmacy an e-authorisation (e-Berechtigung) or if the person has a power of attorney. Statutory prescriptions for your co-insured children under 14 appear in your app when you are named as the insured person on the e-Rezept.
Sharing access to prescriptions means sharing health information. The same question comes up with your electronic patient record.
Using a prescription in another country
According to the EU portal Your Europe, a prescription issued by a doctor in one EU country is valid in all other EU countries. The medicine may not be authorised or available there, or may be sold under another name, and dispensing follows the rules of the country where you collect it. An e-prescription may not work outside your home country, so ask for a paper copy or a cross-border prescription if you plan to use it abroad.
- Patient: full surname, first name and date of birth.
- Date of issue.
- Doctor: full surname and first name, professional qualification, direct contact details, work address including country, and a written or digital signature.
- Medicine: common name rather than brand name, form, quantity, strength and dosage.
Some countries already exchange e-prescriptions: those issued in Finland, for example, can be used in Croatia, Estonia and Portugal without paper. Austrian e-prescriptions can be used in participating EU countries after a one-off registration in the ELGA portal under «EU-Rezept Teilnahme»; exceptions include free-text prescriptions and magistral preparations.
Switzerland is not an EU member, so EU law does not apply there automatically, and the Your Europe page on prescriptions does not mention it. eHealth Suisse has published exchange formats for eMedication, the electronic exchange of medication data, including one for the prescription. A new federal law, the EGDG, is intended to replace the current EPDG and to allow a central database for dynamic data, around which the eMedication infrastructure is to be designed. Before a trip, ask your practice or pharmacy whether a paper copy makes sense.
| Country | How you redeem it | Worth knowing |
|---|---|---|
| Germany | Health card, app «Das E-Rezept» or insurer's app, CardLink, printout | 28 days at the insurer's expense; self-pay up to 3 months after issue |
| Austria | e-card, e-Rezept code or REZ-ID; insurers' apps with ID Austria | Free printout on request; one-off ELGA registration for use in participating EU countries |
| Spain | Tarjeta sanitaria individual, also in other autonomous communities | Cancellation within 24 hours; confidentiality code for sensitive medicines |
| Switzerland | Ask your practice or pharmacy which route it uses | Not an EU member, so EU rules do not apply automatically; eMedication with a prescription exchange format is being built up |
Common mistakes
- Travelling with an e-prescription only: it may not work outside the country that issued it.
- Asking abroad for your usual brand name: the medicine may be sold under another name, so a prescription with the common name helps.
- Giving your German health card to a helper without thinking: the pharmacy can then see all your open e-prescriptions.
- Letting the German 28-day period pass: after that you pay yourself, and after three months the prescription has expired.
Your checklist
The checkboxes are for your own reference. No entries are sent to us. To keep a copy, print the page or save it as a PDF using your browser menu.
Common questions
Do I need a PIN to redeem an e-prescription?
Not at a German pharmacy counter: the health card is simply inserted into the terminal. CardLink in a pharmacy app also works without a PIN, using a code sent by text message. Card and PIN could also be used to log in to the gematik app; according to gematik, from September 2026 the app runs only on the GesundheitsID. In Spain you simply show your tarjeta sanitaria.
Can I use my e-prescription in another EU country?
A prescription from one EU country is valid in the others, but the electronic version may not work abroad. Ask your doctor for a paper copy or a cross-border prescription before you travel. Some countries exchange e-prescriptions already, and Austrian ones can be used in participating countries after a one-off registration in the ELGA portal. The medicine itself may not be available or may have another name.
Can a family member collect my e-prescription?
Yes, in different ways. In Germany you give them your health card or the printout, or they set up a profile for you in their app, which gematik describes with your card and PIN. In Austria they can use the code or ID from your app, or a power of attorney. Think about how much of your health information you want to share.
Sources and further information
Primary sources from public authorities, consumer organisations and providers. A source may be in another language; follow the guidance that applies to your service and where you live.
- Your Europe (EU): Using prescriptions abroadSource review date:
- gematik (Germany): Das E-Rezept – FAQSource review date:
- gematik (Germany): Das E-Rezept für DeutschlandSource review date:
- Austrian social insurance (chipkarte.at): e-Rezept for insured personsSource review date:
- Spanish Ministry of Health: SNS e-prescriptionSource review date:
- eHealth Suisse (Switzerland): Medication exchange formats (in German)Source review date:
