Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 8 September 2022
1859. Deputy Neale Richmond asked the Minister for Health if his attention has been drawn to the new European Union Health Union proposal which allows customers to collect their prescription in any pharmacy in Europe; if Ireland will join this programme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [43287/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraCurrently, the Medicinal Products (Prescription and Control of Supply) (Amendment) (No.2) Regulations 2014 (S.I. No. 504 of 2014), facilitate the recognition of medical prescriptions issued in another EU/EEA Member State. This regulation arises from legislative change at a European level regarding patients’ rights in cross-border healthcare and the recognition of medical prescriptions issued in another EU/EEA Member State. They give effect in Ireland to Directive 2011/24/EU of the European Parliament and of the Council of 9 March 2011 on the application of patients’ rights in cross-border healthcare and Commission Implementing Directive 2012/52/EU of 20 December 2012 laying down measures to facilitate the recognition of medical prescriptions issued in another Member State
There is no specific format or form for a prescription, however it must contain minimum specified information, and the prescription presented will be dispensed in accordance with the prescribing and dispensing rules of the Member State it is presented in. The medicinal product being requested must also be licensed for supply in that state, and practitioners are only entitled to prescribe medicinal products which they are legally entitled to do in the EEA state in which the prescription is issued. The prescription must also not be issued with a view to enabling the supply of a medicinal product by mail order.
Currently patients are advised to obtain a paper copy of any prescription intended to be obtained in another Member State as e- prescribing is not uniformly implemented across all EU states.
In Ireland, the HSE ePharmacy Programme has initiated the National e-Prescribing Project to plan, resource and implement e-Prescribing. Successful delivery of e-Prescribing will facilitate further developments in e-Prescribing including the EU Open NCP project, which will allow the cross border sharing of prescriptions to allow patients to collect their prescriptions in the EU
