E-prescriptions in Poland: how e-recepta works, codes, validity
Short answer: You collect an e-recepta at any pharmacy with your PESEL and a 4-digit code from SMS or e-mail, or by QR in mojeIKP. Most are valid 30 days; antibiotics 7 days.
In Poland almost every prescription is electronic. If you see a doctor under the public system or privately, you will usually get an e-recepta (e-prescription) and take it to any pharmacy with a PESEL number and a short code. This guide explains how it works, how long a prescription is valid, how to get your codes by SMS or e-mail, and what to do if you do not have a PESEL yet. It uses the pages of the Ministry of Health, the National Health Fund (NFZ) and the patient portal pacjent.gov.pl. It is general information and not medical advice.
What an e-recepta is
The Ministry of Health explains that a prescription can be electronic or paper, and that the electronic form is the basic one. A doctor has to issue an electronic prescription, and a paper one is allowed only in special cases, such as when the IT system is not available, for a cross-border prescription to a country that does not accept electronic ones, for a person whose identity is not established, or when the prescription is issued by a doctor from another EU country.
A prescription can be issued by a doctor or dentist, a feldsher, a pharmacist in limited cases, and by a nurse or midwife in the limits set by law. Only a doctor can prescribe any medicine.
The four forms you can receive
According to pacjent.gov.pl, information about your e-recepta reaches you in one of these ways:
- an SMS with a 4-digit access code,
- an e-mail with a PDF attached,
- a notification in the mojeIKP app with a QR code,
- a printed information sheet from the doctor.
These are the only correct forms. The portal warns that you should not trust fake e-mails that pretend to be e-prescription notifications.
The free SMS or e-mail comes from the e-health system only if you log in to the Internet Patient Account (IKP) at pacjent.gov.pl and enter your phone number or e-mail address under "My account". If you do not use IKP, the doctor gives you the printed sheet. You can ask for the printout at any time, even when your IKP is active. During a home visit or a phone consultation, if the doctor cannot print and you have no active IKP, you get the information in another agreed form that has at least the 4-digit code and the name of the medicine.
How to collect your medicine
At the pharmacy you need your PESEL number and the 4-digit code. The patient portal describes the options this way: give the 4-digit code from the SMS and your PESEL, show the PDF from the e-mail, or, if you do not use IKP, let the pharmacist scan the bar code from the printout. With the mojeIKP app you do not have to give your PESEL, because the pharmacist can scan the QR code. The app also has an offline mode if your phone has no internet.
You can have all your e-prescriptions in one place. NFZ points out that if the doctor prescribes several medicines, you do not need a copy to buy them in different pharmacies, and you do not lose the reimbursement for them. E-prescriptions are saved in your Internet Patient Account, so you cannot lose them. For a chronic illness, you can get a next prescription without a visit after you agree this with your doctor. Parents can check the prescriptions of their children up to the age of 18 when they have IKP access.
How long a prescription is valid
The Ministry of Health lists these time limits:
- Usually 30 days from the date of issue, or from the date "valid from" that the doctor writes on it.
- 7 days for antibiotics in the form for internal or parenteral use.
- 120 days for medicines, special dietary foods and medical devices imported from abroad, and for immunological preparations made individually for a patient.
- 365 days for an electronic prescription marked by the doctor as "annual". The doctor has to mark it.
For an electronic prescription the term is counted separately for each medicine. One prescription can include up to 5 different products. A doctor can prescribe an amount that covers up to 360 days of use for an electronic prescription, and up to 120 days for a paper one. From the day you collect a prescription, you can get at most the amount needed for 120 days of use. If more is prescribed, you get the next portion after three quarters of the period for which you collected the previous one.
If you want to collect a 30-day prescription later, ask the doctor to set a date "valid from", which is common for chronic diseases.
If you do not have a PESEL
The pharmacy system looks up your prescription by PESEL and code, so people who have just arrived and have no PESEL can run into trouble. The ministry says a paper prescription can be issued for a person whose identity cannot be established. If you are registered with a clinic but do not have a PESEL yet, tell the doctor, and ask how the clinic will give you the prescription. Our guide to getting a PESEL explains how to apply.
Taking a prescription abroad
For adults, an e-recepta can be collected in some other EU countries after you give consent in IKP. The portal lists countries where it already works, and says the list will grow. A few medicines cannot be collected abroad, such as psychotropic and narcotic ones, compounded medicines and annual 365-day prescriptions. A cross-border prescription is paid in full and you can apply for a refund from NFZ after you return. Children can get only a paper cross-border prescription. If you plan to use this, tell your doctor in advance.
Practical tips
- Log in to IKP once and add your phone number and e-mail, so that codes reach you without a printout.
- Install the mojeIKP app if you want to avoid saying your PESEL aloud in the pharmacy.
- Take note of the validity of an antibiotic prescription, which is only 7 days.
- Ask for "data realizacji od" if you want to buy the medicine later.
- For help with the patient portal, the Patient Information Line is 800 190 590.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need to print my e-prescription?
No. You can use the SMS code and PESEL, the PDF from the e-mail or the QR code in the mojeIKP app. A printout is available on request.
How long is an e-prescription valid?
Usually 30 days. Antibiotics are valid for 7 days, and an annual prescription marked by the doctor for 365 days.
Can I collect my prescription in any pharmacy?
Yes. The e-prescription is stored in the central system, and you do not need a copy to use different pharmacies.
What if I do not have a PESEL?
Tell the doctor. Paper prescriptions are allowed in some situations, such as for a person whose identity is not established.
Is the SMS code really free?
The portal says the SMS or e-mail from the e-health system is free once you have added your phone number or e-mail in your Internet Patient Account.
