E-service of Estonian Health Insurance Fund "My prescriptions" enables a person to see prescribed medicines and prescriptions' validity. Also you can see information about your additional drug reimbursement. Medical device prescriptions are available as well (prescription number starts with number nine). Detailed information is shown after clicking on the prescription number.
You can see the prescriptions of your underage children in the Health Portal. In the same portal, you can see your referrals, test results, and medical history.
If you want to renew prescriptions please contact your treating physician. Only repeat prescriptions can be renewed by phone or email.
Prescriptions based on active substances
In the case of prescriptions based on active substances, the pharmacist is obligated to offer the less expensive drug with the same active substances. If you have chosen the more expensive drug, you will see the pharmacist’s explanation about the preference and the amount that you would have saved, had you bought the less expensive drug, from the detailed information of the redeemed drug.
More information about active ingredient based prescription can you find at the webpage of the Health Insurance Fund.
The Register of Medicinal Products includes basic data for each medicinal product, for example active substance, pharmaceutical form, strength, information about the marketing authorisation, the last date of import etc. Summary of product characteristics (SPC) and package leaflet (PIL) are added to all authorised medicinal products. The register also contains data about the reimbursement of the medicinal products (data on the discount rate), reference price and information on medicinal products which have a retail price lower than or equal to the reference price.
Estonian prescription abroad
A digital prescription issued in Estonia is generally not yet usable for buying medicinal products abroad. If you are planning to go abroad and want to buy prescription medicines while you are there, ask your doctor for a prescription on paper. A prescription issued in Estonia is valid in all European Union Member States, but you should be aware that a prescription may not be available in another country and may have a different name.
Estonia’s digital prescriptions are also valid in Finland, Croatia, Portugal, Poland, Spain, Greece, Lithuania, Latvia, and the Czech Republic. When buying the prescribed medicinal product, a person only needs to submit their ID card or passport. More information on cross-border digital prescriptions and cross-border data exchange.
The drug reimbursement process is the same as for paper prescriptions. While abroad, a person insured in Estonia must first pay the full price for the medicinal product prescribed to them in Estonia. Afterwards, they can reclaim the amount paid for the medicinal product from the Estonian Health Insurance Fund on the basis of an application for reimbursement and the receipt for the purchase of the medicinal product. In the case of prescriptions issued in Estonia, the medicinal product is reimbursed on the basis of the terms and conditions and the reference price valid in Estonia, and therefore, the medicinal product is reimbursed retrospectively.
The cross-border digital project is funded by the EU. The cross-border digital prescription project is gradually being extended to other EU Member States. At the moment, medicinal products can be bought with a digital prescription in Finland, Croatia, Portugal, Poland, Spain, Greece, Lithuania, Latvia, and the Czech Republic.
For more information on buying prescription medicines in EU Member States, visit the Your Europe portal.
Supplementary benefit for medicinal products
On the Health Portal, you can view all your prescriptions for medicinal products and medical devices and check their validity. You can also see the amounts of the supplementary benefit for medicinal products and medical devices.
You can view your minor children’s prescriptions on the Health Portal. There, you can also see your referrals, test results, and medical records, as well as fill in a health declaration.
Supplementary benefit for medicinal products and medical devices
You do not need to submit a separate application to the Health Insurance Fund to receive the supplementary benefit for medicinal products and medical devices. The benefit for medicinal products and medical devices benefit in kind that is calculated for you together with the usual discount on medicinal products (50, 75, 90 or 100 per cent of the medicine) or the discount on medical devices (50 or 90 per cent) already provided by the pharmacy or medical device company at the time of purchase.
You are entitled to a supplementary benefit for medicinal products and medical devices if the amount paid for discount prescriptions is at least 100 euros per calendar year. The amount exceeding the reference price or the agreed price (the avoidable out-of-pocket cost) will be deducted from the amount spent on medicinal products and medical devices before the calculation of the supplementary benefit. If your costs are between 100 and 300 euros, you will be reimbursed 50%, and if they are over 300 euros, 90%.
In some rare cases, if you are not able to get a discount based on the supplementary benefit for medicinal products and medical devices immediately, you will get it on your next purchase. If you do not make a subsequent purchase in the same calendar year, the amount of the supplementary benefit for medicinal products and medical devices will be carried over to the next calendar year.
For more information on the supplementary benefit for medicinal products and medical devices, please visit the website of the Health Insurance Fund.
If you have any questions, please call customer support of the Health Insurance Fund at 669 6630 or send an email to [email protected].
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References
- About digital prescription
- About additional benefit for pharmaceuticals
- Register of Medicinal Products
- Presenting a prescription abroad (Portal Your Europe)
- Prescriptions abroad: expenses and reimbursements (Portal Your Europe)