Poland’s key pharmaceutical refund program offers free medications to citizens over 65, but access depends on meeting specific conditions amid a government review.
Key Conditions for Free Medications 65+
Poland’s flagship refund program provides free medications for individuals over 65 years of age, covering thousands of preparations. However, not all seniors automatically qualify for free access.
To benefit from the program, three conditions must be met simultaneously.
What Medications are Free?
The list of free medications for seniors over 65 includes nearly 3,800 items, including anti-allergy, pain relief, and hypertension medications, as well as treatments for diabetes and hormonal disorders, and selected vaccines and ophthalmic preparations.
A complete list of free medications is available on the Ministry of Health website.
Who Can Issue a Prescription with Entitlement?
A prescription with entitlement to free medications can only be issued by a doctor.
Important Reminders Regarding the Prescription
Seniors will not receive a free medication if the prescription does not include the “S” designation in the field for additional entitlements. Without this code, the medication will not be issued free of charge.
Pharmacists cannot add or correct this code; they can only verify if the prescribed medication is on the list and dispense it according to the refund rules. If the code is omitted or full payment (100%) is indicated, the patient will pay for the medication as with a standard prescription.
Free 65+ Medications Under Review: Ministry Considers Changes
The Ministry of Health has commissioned the Agency for Health Technology Assessment and Tariffication to review the list of free medications for seniors aged 65+. The goal is to assess whether the funds allocated to the program are being used effectively.
This assessment will enable the ministry to prepare potential changes to the program, which currently costs around 9 billion PLN annually. The Ministry of Health emphasizes that this is currently a stage of analysis, not a decision to reduce benefits.
In practice, this means that seniors do not need to worry about immediate changes; any corrections, if introduced at all, will likely concern the financing rules and the composition of the drug list, rather than the right to receive them free of charge.
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