A cross-border prescription is a document which must include specified information with regard to the place where it is planned to be filled. If the patient requests the physician to issue a prescription, he should indicate in advance if he intends to get the prescription filled in Poland or in another EU member state.

The physician issuing the prescription is obliged to include in the document the set of information required for filling the prescription.

Detailed scope of information that must be provided on the prescription and the mode of its issuing have been specified in the Regulation of the Ministry of Health of 8 March 2012 on Medical Prescriptions (i.e. Dz. U. of 2014, item 319).

Issuing a prescription consists in :

• listing of the required information on the front of the prescription in a legible and permanent manner;
• placing a handwritten signature on the front of the prescription by the person issuing the prescription.

The scope of information which must be provided on the prescription depends on where the patient is insured:

• in Poland or
• in another EU/EFTA member state.

Moreover, in the case of the patients insured in another EU/EFTA member state, the scope of information varies depending on the legal basis on which health care benefits are provided:

• provisions of the act implementing the cross-border directive;
• rules on coordination of social security systems.

For example, the patient’s identification number, i.e. the PESEL (personal identity number) or the payer’s identification number is amended.

When the prescription issued by a Polish physician is to be filled outside Poland, the physician must provide the information required for the so-called cross-border prescription, regardless of where the patient is insured and on the basis of which regulations he/she receives health care benefits in Poland.

Remember!

If you want to fill the prescription outside Poland, let the physician know of your intention! The cross-border prescription must include additional information.

PRESCRIPTION FILLED IN POLAND

The physician issuing the prescription which is to be filled in Poland provides on it the information specified below:

• the personal data of the person authorised to issue the prescription or the details of the health care provider employing that person, including the name or business name of the health care provider as per contract to issue prescriptions;
• the address of the facility where health care benefits are provided (name of the location, street name and number, office number);
• phone number;
• identifier consisting of the first nine digits of the REGON number (Polish National Business Registry Number)

- the above-mentioned information is entered in the field ‘Świadczeniodawca’ (‘Provider’) of the prescription

• The personal data of the person for whom the prescription is issued, i.e.:

• name and surname;
• address¹ (name of the location, street name and number, flat number);
• age²;
• the PESEL number (personal identity number) or the passport number or another document with a photograph confirming the identity of person concerned³ or the number of the Card of the Pole;
• the number of the certification or the number of the document issued by the competent institution⁴;

- the above-mentioned information is entered in the fields ‘Pacjent’ (‘Patient’) and ‘PESEL’ of the prescription respectively

• Details of the entity responsible for financing of the benefits, i.e.:

• the payer’s identifier⁵ (‘OW NFZ’ which stands for the ‘Regional Branch of the National Health Fund’) or
• the mark ‘X’⁶ or
• the symbol of the competent institution;

- the above-mentioned information is entered in the field ‘Oddział’ (‘Branch’) of the prescription

• Information on the additional entitlements⁸ of the patient or an ‘X’ mark where there are none;

- the above-mentioned information is entered in the field ‘Dodatkowe uprawnienia’ (‘additional entitlements’) of the prescription -

• Information on the prescribed medicines, foodstuffs, medical devices, including:

• the name of the medicine, foodstuff, medical device or its short name, which allows to unambiguously specify the prescribed medicine, the foodstuff or the medical device;
• formulation;
• dose;
• quantity;
• posology;

- the above-mentioned information is entered in the fields ‘Rp’ and ‘Rpw’ of the prescription

• Information on the level of payment – with regard to the medicine, the foodstuff intended for particular nutritional uses or the medical device, which:

• in the list of the reimbursed medicines, foodstuffs intended for particular nutritional uses, and medical devices is mentioned in the context of the type of payment more than once, the person issuing the prescription:

• enters the symbol ‘P’ in the case of the lowest level of payment as specified in the list;
• does not enter the information on the level of payment in the case of the highest level of payment (full payment) as specified in the list;
• enters the information on the level of payment as specified in the list in the cases other than mentioned above;

• in the list of the reimbursed medicines, foodstuffs intended for particular nutritional uses, and medical devices is mentioned in the context of one type of payment, the person issuing the prescription does not enter the information on the level of payment;
• is prescribed but not included in the list of reimbursed medicines – the person issuing the prescription enters the symbol ‘X’;

The level of payment can also be specified on the prescription by entering:

• ‘B’ or equivalent – for the medicine, the foodstuff intended for particular nutritional uses or the medical device dispensed free of charge;
• ‘R’ or equivalent – for the medicine, the foodstuff intended for particular nutritional uses or the medical device dispensed against a lump sum payment;
• 30% – for the medicine, the foodstuff intended for particular nutritional uses or the medical device dispensed against the payment of 30% up to the reimbursement limit;
• 50% – for the medicine, the foodstuff intended for particular nutritional uses or the medical device dispensed against the payment of 50% up to the reimbursement limit;
• 100 % – for the medicine, the foodstuff intended for particular nutritional uses or the medical device dispensed but not reimbursed;

- the above information is entered on the prescription in the field ‘Odpłatność’ (‘Level of payment’) –

• Date and the personal data of the person issuing the prescription, i.e.:

• date of issue of the prescription;
• date of filling the prescription ‘od dnia’ (‘from the date’) or the mark ‘X’ if not applicable;
• the personal data of the person issuing the prescription, i.e. name, surname and the number of license to practice the profession.

- the above information is entered on the prescription in the fields ‘data wystawienia’ (‘date of issue’), ‘data realizacji od dnia’ (‘filling from the date’), ‘dane i podpis lekarza’ (‘personal data and signature of the physician’)

Additional information

• Prescription includes also the following information:

• a unique identification number of the prescription assigned by a regional branch of the NFZ

– the field ‘Recepta’ (‘Prescription’) in the prescription

• details of the entity printing the prescription – contained in the printed version of the prescription and including the following information: name and address or the REGON number of the entity printing the prescription, or in the case when the prescription is printed by the person issuing the prescription – an inscription ‘own printout’ (‘wydruk własny’)

PRESCRIPTION FILLED IN A EU MEMBER STATE OTHER THAN POLAND

A cross-border prescription is issued exclusively at the request of the patient, who intends to fill it in a EU member state other than Poland.

A cross-border prescription includes the following information:

• The personal data of the person for whom the prescription is issued, i.e.:

• name or names and surname of the patient
• date of birth of the patient

• The personal data of the person issuing the prescription, i.e.:

• name or names and surname of the person issuing the prescription
• professional qualifications of the person issuing the prescription (professional title)
• contact details enabling to have a direct contact with the person issuing the prescription (e-mail address or phone or fax number including the international prefix / the country code )
• address of the facility where health care services are provided (name of the location, street name and number, office number) and the signature ‘Poland’ or the abbreviation ‘PL’

• Information on the prescribed medicines, i.e.:

• a generally used name (internationally recognised name) or the commercial name, in the following instances:

• the prescribed product is a biological medicinal product or
• the person issuing the prescription finds it necessary on medical grounds – in such a case this person briefly states the reasons for using the commercial name on the prescription

• formulation;
• dose;
• quantity;
• posology;

• Date of issue of the prescription.

Other information that are provided for the prescriptions to be filled in Poland may be included in the document.

A medicinal product shall be classified as belonging to the category of availability ‘RpW’, that is a category of medicinal products subject to special medical prescription, and which contains narcotic or psychotropic drugs, specified in separate provisions, taking into account the following factors:

1) it contains in a non-exempt quantity, a substance classified as a narcotic or a psychotropic substance, or

2) it is likely, if incorrectly used, to present a substantial risk of medicinal abuse, to lead to addiction or be misused for illegal purposes, or

3) it contains a substance which, by reason of its novelty or properties, could be considered as belonging to the group envisaged in the second indent.

A cross-border prescription, which has not been filled in a EU member state other than Poland, can be filled in Poland for the full price. If the prescription has been issued in accordance with the regulations that allow to fill it and receive reimbursement from the NFZ, it can be filled in Poland in accordance with the reimbursement rules laid down in the Reimbursement Act.

IMPORTANT!

If the patient purchases abroad the medicine which is reimbursed in Poland under the medicinesprogramme , the costs shall not be reimbursed due to the fact that the purchase itself is not a guaranteed benefit. Benefits guaranteed to the patients under the medicines programme include jointly:

• carrying out qualification procedures regarding the patients to be included the programme;
• administration of the medicine;
• health care provided to the patient, which is directly related to the administration of the medicine
• constant monitoring of the progress in treatment.