Digital code instead of pink prescription: From September, patients can redeem e-prescriptions in pharmacies, for example via smartphone app. But what about people without smartphones?
Everyone knows them: the pink slips of paper for which patients can get antibiotics, antihypertensives and other prescription drugs in the pharmacy. But the so-called model 16 recipes should soon be over - and in the long term probably also with the paper economy. Because from September, patients should also be able to redeem e-prescriptions in all pharmacies.
But there is also good news for all people who do not have a smartphone: Of course, you can still get recipes in your hand.
Here are the most important questions and answers about the e-prescription:
What is the e-prescription?
E-prescription stands for electronic prescription. This is a digital prescription code that patients can use to get their prescription medication in pharmacies. The prescription code is transmitted from the doctor's office to the e-prescription app of Gematik, the national agency for digital medicine, and can then be presented to the pharmacy on one's own smartphone.
According to Anke Rüdinger, pharmacist from Berlin and head of the "Digital Hub" of the Federal Union of German Pharmacists' Associations (ABDA), hardly anything else will change for patients as a result of the changeover. In the pharmacy, the e-prescription is retrieved from the server with the help of the code and the customers are supplied with the prescribed medication.
Anyone who uses the e-prescription app can use their smartphone to inquire in advance whether the pharmacy of their choice has the drug in stock. And thus save time by eliminating routes.
If the pharmacy offers a courier service, the prescription can also be ordered via the app without having to visit the pharmacy. With online pharmacies, the original prescription no longer has to be sent. The e-prescription can be transmitted digitally to the mail-order pharmacy.
How can I use the e-prescription app on my smartphone?
In order to be able to receive and redeem prescriptions via smartphone, people with statutory health insurance need the "Das E-Rezept" app from Gematik. It is available free of charge in the Google, Apple and Huawei app stores.
In order to be able to use the app, the smartphone must have at least iOS 14 or Android 7 as the operating system and be NFC-enabled. Most newer devices have this feature for near field communications. With Android devices, you can turn it on and off via the settings, for example.
"But it is important beyond the mobile phone that you have an NFC-enabled health card," says Sabine Wolter from the NRW consumer advice center. Most health insurance companies have already sent out these new electronic health cards many times over. You can recognize them by a six-digit CAN number in the upper right corner of the health card. Anyone who does not yet have a health card with NFC function can order one from their health insurance company.
Also required to use the app: A PIN. You can also get it from the health insurance company. Insured persons have to identify themselves, for example at a branch of their health insurance company. Anyone who finally has the card and PIN to hand is guided through the registration process in the app.
By the way: You do not need internet access in the pharmacy to be able to redeem the e-prescription via smartphone. Once downloaded, the e-recipes in the app are also available offline.
What happens if you don't have a smartphone or an electronic health card with a PIN?
"Then I get a printout of this e-prescription from the doctor," says Sabine Wolter. The printout contains all the important information about the prescription and a prescription code. It is also valid without a manual signature and is scanned in the pharmacy. If you don't have a smartphone or don't have a suitable smartphone, or don't want to use the app, you don't have to worry: you can still get hold of the medication.
From 2023, according to Gematik, e-prescriptions should also be able to be redeemed in pharmacies using the health card - without a smartphone or paperwork.
Doctors continue to issue green paper prescriptions for medicines that do not require a prescription. Prescriptions for narcotics are not yet issued as e-prescriptions.
Do all medical practices issue the e-prescription?
A three-stage plan currently envisages that medical practices and hospitals in Westphalia-Lippe first introduce the e-prescription across the board. This means that not all doctors will issue the e-prescription from September 1st. All other people with statutory health insurance will continue to receive the pink prescription for the time being. According to the plan, the introduction of the e-prescription should be completed nationwide by spring 2023.
Do privately insured people also get the e-prescription?
For the time being, privately insured people will continue to have the blue prescription, according to Anke Rüdinger from the Federal Union of German Associations of Pharmacists (ABDA). However, the introduction of e-prescriptions is also being considered here.
Do patients with an e-prescription app have to go to the doctor for every new prescription?
Not in all cases. "If you already had a pre-prescription and you need a follow-up prescription in the same quarter, you can also have this transferred via the e-prescription app," says Sabine Wolter.
If doctors offer video consultations, the e-prescription can also be sent to the app without a visit to the practice.
Can I use the e-prescription app to pick up medication for family members?
The app can also be used to redeem prescriptions for family members, children or neighbors who find it too difficult to go to the pharmacy. The health card and the PIN of the respective person are required for this. The corresponding data is added to the app.
If relatives receive a printed e-prescription, the prescription code can be scanned in their own app and then presented to the pharmacy.
An e-prescription cannot be redeemed more than once. "Once an ordinance has been supplied, it is also blocked," says Anke Rüdinger. A real advantage of e-prescriptions is that they are forgery-proof and the potential for abuse is lower than with previous prescriptions. In addition, double trips to the doctor should be eliminated, for example because the signature on the prescription was forgotten.
