Pharmacists may only dispense prescription drugs against a valid prescription. Non-prescription drugs may also be sold without a prescription (“over the counter”, OTC).
For the health insurance company, the prescription proves that the purchase of the drug at the pharmacy was medically justified. As a rule, health insurance companies reimburse the costs of medicines only upon presentation of a receipted doctor’s prescription.
Who is allowed to issue a prescription?
What information does a prescription contain?
A pharmacy may only accept prescriptions with the following information:
- Name, address and professional title of the physician
- Date of issue
- Name of the drug, drug form (e.g. capsules, drops, etc.) and active ingredient quantity per unit (e.g. tablet, ampoule, etc.)
- Number of pieces or package size
- First name, surname and address of the patient
- Period of validity (only for private prescriptions; without this note, a private prescription is valid for three months)
- Signature of the physician
- The introductory formula “Rp.”, an abbreviation of the Latin word “recipe” (= “take”).
- Telephone number of the physician for queries.
- Instructions for the patient (signature, abbreviated “S.”), for example, “S. Take one tablet daily at lunch.”
- In the case of prescriptions for children: the age of the child
“Aut-idem” regulation
However, there is a difference between patients with statutory and private insurance:
- Statutory health insurance: If the “Aut-idem” box is not checked, the pharmacist must usually give the patient a preparation with the same active ingredient but with a lower cost (generic).
“noctu”
GKV prescription (cash prescription)
A doctor may prescribe a maximum of three medications on a health insurance prescription. The health insurance company covers the cost of the prescribed medication for up to four weeks after the date of issue. After that, the prescription can still be used as a private prescription for two months – this means that the patient can still take it to the pharmacy during this time, but must then pay the full cost of the medication himself.
Private prescription
No specific form is required for a private prescription. As long as all the mandatory information is provided, an informal piece of paper is sufficient. Very often, however, doctors use blue forms for the private prescription, which are similar to the pink health insurance prescription. This makes it easier for the health insurance companies to bill. The prescription can usually be filled at the pharmacy up to three months after the date of issue.
Narcotic prescription
The yellow prescription is used for both patients with statutory and private insurance. It is only valid for seven days.
Green prescriptions
On a green prescription, the doctor can write down over-the-counter medicines (and as many as he or she likes) that he or she recommends to the patient. The preparations must be paid for by the patient.
A green prescription is valid indefinitely. The patient may also take it back to the pharmacy after “redeeming” it, in order to use it again if necessary.
