ePrescription

A secure digital way to fill or refill prescriptions anywhere in Europe.

The context

ePrescriptions represent the next generation of digital healthcare services in Europe. Instead of patients carrying paper prescriptions when traveling, pharmacists can retrieve the necessary information from a secure national database. The European cross-border network solution—MyHealth@EU—allows pharmacists in one country to access a patient’s prescription data from another, improving convenience and continuity of care. However, challenges remain in harmonizing reimbursement and insurance systems, which differ widely across Member States.

The benefits

The introduction of ePrescriptions through the EUDI Wallet offers multiple advantages for patients, healthcare providers, and pharmacies:
Seamless cross-border access: patients can securely access and use their prescriptions, even when traveling abroad, ensuring they receive the medication they need wherever they are.
Increased efficiency: eliminating paper forms reduces administrative burdens and waiting times for patients and pharmacists.
Enhanced security & privacy: Data is protected under EU standards, and selective disclosure mechanisms ensure only necessary information is shared.
Better patient experience: with digital infrastructure in place, patients benefit from a more convenient healthcare experience, including the possibility to prove eligibility for medication without revealing unnecessary personal details.

Work in progress

The new electronic cross-border health services are being established progressively in 25 EU countries until the end of 2025. The initial steps focused on integrating ePrescriptions into the EUDI Wallet framework, enabling the secure retrieval and verification of medication records across different national healthcare systems. In 2025, the first tests will demonstrate how a traveler can use the EUDI Wallet to have prescriptions dispensed—imagine arriving at a pharmacy in Lisbon and easily accessing prescribed medications from a home-country doctor, no paperwork required.
This cross-border testing phase will validate interoperability, test user experience, and ensure that reimbursement systems can be effectively managed. The long-term goal is a fully integrated, pan-European digital health environment that leverages the EUDI Wallet to create a trusted, patient-centric ecosystem.