The Polish Ministry of Health is drafting a major reform to allow pharmacists to issue continued prescriptions for ongoing treatments, significantly reducing wait times and doctor visits for millions of patients.
Pharmacists to Issue Continued Prescriptions Starting 2026
The Ministry of Health plans to introduce a new “continued prescription” formula into Polish law, allowing pharmacists to issue prescriptions in specific situations. While this change aims to relieve medical offices and shorten the patient’s path to treatment, it remains restricted to therapies previously initiated by a physician and recorded in the Patient’s Online Account (IKP).
This shift opens a new chapter for pharmacists, who will gain competencies previously reserved for doctors. For chronic patients, the change means that if a treatment is already established and visible in the system, they can secure necessary refills without an additional clinical visit.
Physician Oversight and Control Mechanisms
Despite the expanded powers for pharmacists, doctors will maintain essential control. The draft legislation stipulates that a pharmacist cannot issue a continued prescription if the physician has added a note in the IKP or on the original prescription explicitly prohibiting further continuation outside the clinic.
An example of this application is a stable patient with hypertension who has taken the same medication for months. If the doctor deems the condition stable, the pharmacist can maintain the continuity of care. However, if the therapy requires dosage adjustments or new tests, the doctor can block the pharmacy-issued refill option.
Expanded Access to Psychiatric and ADHD Medications
The draft includes several categories of products, notably certain psychotropic substances in groups I-P and II-P. These groups include medications used for treating ADHD, anxiety disorders, and insomnia. This is a critical change for psychiatry, where patient access to timely specialist visits is often most severely restricted.
By allowing pharmacists to extend these specific psychiatric prescriptions, the Ministry aims to reduce “organizational visits” conducted solely for refills. This is expected to have the greatest impact in large cities, where wait times for psychiatrists are currently measured in months.
Strict Exclusions for Narcotics and Opioids
The new powers will not be unlimited. The Ministry of Health has excluded high-risk substances from the scheme, meaning pharmacists will not be able to independently continue therapies involving morphine, fentanyl, or other potent opioids used in pain management.
These preparations remain under a much stricter regime due to the risk of addiction and the need for regular clinical monitoring. Furthermore, prescriptions marked as “Rpw” will still require specific formal details regarding substance quantity, and any prescription failing these requirements will not be fulfilled.
Implementation Limits and Mandatory Pharmacy Consistency
To prevent medication hoarding and ensure system integrity, continued prescriptions will be limited to a maximum 120-day supply. Patients will not be able to secure a multi-month “reserve” of medication beyond this period.
Additionally, the draft requires that a continued prescription be fulfilled at the same pharmacy where it was issued. This ensures that the pharmacist who assesses the therapy history and takes responsibility for the continuity of care also oversees the dispensing process.
Legislative Status and Professional Responsibility
The reform increases the professional responsibility of pharmacists, who must now analyze treatment histories and document their decisions. Pharmacists will also have the right to refuse fulfillment if they suspect a product may be used for non-medical purposes or if the prescription’s authenticity is in doubt.
Currently, the proposal is in the pre-consultation phase at the Ministry of Health. As this is part of a comprehensive reform of the entire prescription system, a specific implementation date has not yet been finalized and the bill has not yet entered formal parliamentary proceedings.