What is the electronic prescription and dispensing (ePrescription/ eDispensation) service for?
The Electronic Dispensing service allows European citizens to obtain medication from a participating pharmacy, located in a compatible Member State, through the corresponding Electronic Prescription issued in the country of affiliation.
Do I need to activate any mechanism or grant any authorization so that professionals in other countries have access to my data?
yes. The user will have to authorise the personal area of the SNS 24 portal to share health data in order to ensure that their prescriptions will be available for dispensing in the adhering Member States.
Is the price of the medicine I will pay the same as what I pay in Portugal?
No. In this context, there is no room for reimbursement of medicines. To find out if you can request reimbursement, please contact Central Administration of the Health System (ACSS).
Are the medicines that will be supplied to me the same as the medicines dispensed in Portugal?
A communication is made between the two countries and a valid correspondence is identified between the medicine that was prescribed in Portugal and the medicines existing in the country where the user is. You may be dispensed a medication different from those you are used to seeing in Portugal, however, the pharmacist of the country where you are will guarantee that the therapeutic properties of the medication that will be provided to you guarantee the prescribed therapy.
Can you tell me how to take the medicines? And in what language?
The pharmacist has access to the prescription in the original language, so he or she will be able to provide the recommended dose of medicines (dosage) in Portuguese. We remind you that you can access the Treatment Guide for your prescription at personal area of the SNS 24 portal or at SNS 24 mobile application.
Do I have to dispense the prescription in its entirety?
No. You can dispense only the medicines you need, just like in Portuguese pharmacies.
Is it possible to return the medicine?
No. At this stage it is not possible to cancel the dispensing of medicines already carried out, so medicines already purchased cannot be returned.
Does dispensing medicines in another EU country apply to non-prescription medicines?
No. It applies only to medicines contained in electronic prescriptions.
What should I do if the pharmacist refuses to dispense my medicine?
It may not be possible to dispense your medicine for a number of reasons, including unavailability of the medicine in the country where you are located or other technical issues. If this happens and if the situation puts your health at risk, you should go to a health care facility to get medical attention. Remember that your prescription will be available when you arrive in Portugal.
What is the shelf life of the recipes?
The validity of the prescriptions applies in the same way as in Portugal.
Where can e-prescriptions be dispensed?
Only in community pharmacies in the acceding countries. Participating Portuguese pharmacies will be marked with specific seals, identifying the Member States compatible with the service.
Can someone else pick up my recipes?
The possibility of waiving income from someone other than oneself is outside the scope of cross-border services. It also applies to parent-child situations.
Do I need to activate any mechanism or grant any authorization so that professionals in other countries have access to my data?
In the case of electronic prescriptions, the user will have to authorise in the personal area of the SNS 24 portal to ensure that their prescriptions will be available for dispensing in the participating Member States.
Does the information of dismissal in another country transit to Portugal?
The dispensing of medicines carried out outside Portugal is registered in the national prescription database, so that the dispensed medicine package is not dispensed again, abroad or in Portugal.
Similarly to what happens with medication dispensations carried out in Portugal, the doctor who prescribed the dispensed medication has access to the information that the user has dispensed medications.
Source: Ministry of Health Shared Services (SPMS)