The State Institute for Drug Control (SÚKL) has made an important announcement stating that Czechs now have access to prescription drugs at over 1,300 pharmacies located in Croatia. This information was shared through a press release, along with the publication of a comprehensive list of these pharmacies. Under this new arrangement, patients will be responsible for purchasing their medications directly from Croatian pharmacies, and upon request, the Czech price will be reimbursed by their health insurance company. A similar system for dispensing medicines has been in place in Poland since mid-June. Across all EU countries, patients can conveniently redeem their original paper prescriptions at local pharmacies.
Irena Storová, the Director of SÚKL, expressed that there are pharmacies in well-known Croatian cities frequently visited by Czech travelers, such as Zagreb, Split, Dubrovnik, Zadar, and others. As a result, there is no need for Czechs to randomly search for pharmacies to obtain their prescribed medications in Croatia. The published table on SÚKL’s website provides the necessary information for a seamless experience.
SÚKL emphasizes that the participation of pharmacies in the cross-border prescription system is voluntary, while preparations are still underway to offer the same convenience to patients from Croatia. The first Czech patients have already availed themselves of this service in Poland. Storová remarked that the introduction of the cross-border prescription system in Poland was a premiere for both countries. Polish pharmacies are gradually familiarizing themselves with the process of dispensing foreign electronic prescriptions, but the system is fully operational, as evidenced by the successful application of the first Czech e-recipes in Poland.
When visiting a participating pharmacy in Croatia or Poland, patients are required to present their ID card or passport, along with the code from the e-prescription, which can be in various formats such as email, mobile app, or SMS message. It’s important to note that the name of the medication may differ in Croatia or Poland, so the pharmacist will provide the prescribed medicine based on its active ingredient. All information, including the package leaflet, will be provided in the language of the respective country.
