Poland’s Ministry of Health confirms work on changes allowing e-prescriptions to be filled at multiple pharmacies, addressing patient difficulties.
The Problem Beyond Free Medicines for Seniors
The current regulations apply to all e-prescriptions, including annual ones. The issue is not limited to free medicines for people aged 65+.
E-prescription Tied to One Pharmacy
When a patient begins filling an e-prescription at a specific pharmacy, subsequent packages must be purchased at the same location. The information system “assigns” the prescription to the pharmacy where the filling process began.
Practical Difficulties
In practice, this creates several real challenges. The most significant impact is on medications used chronically for conditions like hypertension, diabetes, or heart disease. Patients do not always have time to wait for delivery.
Does Multi-pharmacy Filling Apply Only to 65+ Medications?
No. The current restriction applies to all e-prescriptions, including both reimbursed and fully paid medications, as well as those covered by the free medicines program for seniors.
Multi-pharmacy Prescription Filling
During a meeting of the Sejm’s Parliamentary Committee on Senior Policy, a representative of the Ministry of Health confirmed that changes are being processed to enable filling one prescription at multiple pharmacies. Earlier, the e-Health Center had announced that a systemic solution was being prepared. Implementation, however, requires agreements with the National Health Fund and adaptation of pharmacy software. Technical and settlement issues, particularly how to transfer reimbursements between pharmacies, are currently the biggest challenges.
Why Can’t Prescriptions Be Filled Elsewhere in 2026?
Although announcements were made as early as 2025, implementation proved more complicated than initially assumed. The problem affects several areas. Some pharmacists note that filling prescriptions at multiple pharmacies may complicate monitoring therapy and medication availability. Others emphasize that the current model is often burdensome for patients.
Impact of Multi-pharmacy Prescription Filling
If the new solution is implemented, patients could begin filling an e-prescription at one pharmacy and purchase subsequent packages at another without losing the document’s validity. In practice, this would mean greater flexibility during medication shortages, easier medication purchases during travel, and less risk of therapy interruption.
Implementation Timeline
As of now, no implementation date for the changes has been provided. The Ministry of Health confirms that work is ongoing, but no implementation timeline has been presented.
