A prescription written by a doctor in all EU countries is valid in the UK. Click the link to check if your country is listed.
Prescriptions are subject to the rules in the UK where they are dispensed. This means that a pharmacist will apply national rules when dispensing your medicine – for example, you may not be allowed the same number of days’ dosage.
For more information about cross border prescriptions within the EU countries, click here
If your prescription is not from a UK registered doctor or you are not from the EU with an EU prescription then we would not be able to dispense your medication.
Prescriptions issued in the EEA and Switzerland after Brexit
From 1 January 2021, a prescription issued in an EEA member state (EU countries, Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway) or Switzerland can be dispensed in the UK if the prescriber is from a profession recognised by this guidance that is legally entitled to issue a prescription of that kind in the country in which the prescription is issued.
Criteria:
- the prescription was issued in an approved country
- the prescriber is practising in a profession recognised by the UK in relation to that country
Before we can dispense your prescription, we would need to contact the competent authority in the country in which the prescription was issued in order to check the registration of the prescriber and whether they are authorised to issue a prescription of that kind in that country.
We have the right to exercise our professional discretion to refuse to dispense a prescription if any of the following apply:
- it would not ordinarily be dispensed in the UK
- there are doubts over its authenticity
- there are concerns about the clinical appropriateness of the medicine(s) for the patient
- it would cause any issues of health and safety
Prescribing-approved countries and professions list
Regulation 214(6A) of the Human Medicines Regulations 2012 (as amended by the Human Medicines (Amendment etc.) (EU Exit) Regulations 2019) refers to a list of approved countries and professions for the purpose of the definition of “approved country health professional”.
Prescriptions issued by a prescriber who is practising in a listed profession in a listed country may be recognised in the UK. These professions and countries are:
Approved professions
- doctors
- dentists
- pharmacists
- nurses
- physiotherapists
- chiropodists or podiatrists
- community nurses
- optometrists
- therapeutic radiographers
- paramedics
Approved countries
- Austria
- Belgium
- Bulgaria
- Croatia
- Cyprus
- Czech Republic
- Denmark
- Estonia
- Finland
- France
- Germany
- Greece
- Hungary
- Iceland
- Republic of Ireland
- Italy
- Latvia
- Liechtenstein
- Lithuania
- Luxembourg
- Malta
- The Netherlands
- Norway
- Poland
- Portugal
- Romania
- Slovakia
- Slovenia
- Spain
- Sweden
- Switzerland
These lists will be reviewed at least every 3 years from the date that the country or profession was included on the list. The government will communicate any changes in good time so that pharmacists are able to recognise and dispense prescriptions appropriately.
