The e-prescription consists of a digital prescription code that is similar to a QR code. This can be opened in the smartphone app “The E-Recipe” or printed out in the doctor’s office. The code contains the data of the prescribed drug and can be redeemed in the pharmacy just like the previous pink prescription slip.
If you don’t want to use the e-recipe in printed form but in digital form, you need a smartphone and the “The e-recipe” app, which can be downloaded from the Apple Store or Google Play Store. A recent electronic health card and the insured person’s PIN are also required to use the app. These are available on request from the health insurance company. Whether the health card can already be used for the procedure can be seen from the six-digit access number that is printed in the upper right corner under the word “Gesundheitskarte” and the black, red and gold bar. The procedure is set to become simpler in the future: patients can then simply redeem the e-prescriptions by having their electronic health card scanned in at the pharmacy.
Yes. If you want, you can get the prescription in paper form as usual in the doctor’s office. However, the slip of paper with the prescription order is no longer pink, but a simple white printout with the corresponding prescription code, which can be read in the pharmacy. The printout is digitally signed and therefore valid without a doctor’s signature. According to plans by the Federal Ministry of Health, the e-prescription – like the electronic patient file – will be mandatory from 2024.
In the practice or in a video consultation, the doctor issues an electronic prescription after the examination. This creates the prescription code that is required for redemption in the pharmacy. You can open this code directly in the e-prescription app or alternatively have it printed out in practice.
The e-prescription can be redeemed in a local pharmacy as well as in an online pharmacy. All pharmacies in Germany are already prepared for e-prescriptions. According to Federal Health Minister Karl Lauterbach, 80 percent of all pharmacies should be equipped with readers by the end of July. By searching the website of app operator Gematik, patients can find nearby pharmacies that accept electronic prescriptions.
The e-prescription is intended to simplify the processes in the doctor’s office and pharmacy and make them clearer. It also has advantages for patients: they can use the e-prescription app to simply send the prescription to the pharmacy of their choice and find out whether they have the appropriate medication in stock. If not, they can order it with the app. That saves time and money.
In the future there will also be other functions, such as medication reminders, medication plans and an interaction check that can be used to check whether drugs are compatible with each other. In addition to the e-prescription for prescription drugs, other medical services such as remedies, aids or home nursing care are also to be gradually prescribed electronically.
One disadvantage: using the e-prescription is still relatively time-consuming: insured persons must first download the app and request a PIN from their health insurance company. This can be a hurdle, especially for older people. On the other hand, relatives or acquaintances will be able to get the medication for them more easily in the future.
No. E-prescriptions are currently only possible for people with statutory health insurance, not for members of a private health insurance company.
The data of the e-prescription is encrypted several times during digital transmission and stored securely. The Federal Office for Information Security (BSI) has confirmed the general security of the e-prescription.