Lithuania Expands the Number of EU Countries for E-Prescription Data Exchange

The list of European Union (EU) countries where patients with electronic prescriptions issued in Lithuania will be able to buy medicinal products subject to medical prescription they need continues to grow. At the same time, an increasing number of EU citizens will be able to buy medicinal products in Lithuania with e-prescriptions issued in their home country. The main operator of the eHealth system, the Centre of Registers, will now also exchange e-prescription data with Finland and the Czech Republic.

The exchange of e-prescription data between EU countries is facilitated by the project of the Centre of Registers and the Ministry of Health on the establishment of the Lithuanian National eHealth Contact Centre Information System (LNHCC IS). Currently, Lithuania already exchanges e-prescription data with its neighbours Latvia, Estonia and Poland, as well as Spain, Greece and Portugal.

“The digitisation of health services in Lithuania is ahead of many EU countries. For this reason, data exchange with other countries takes place gradually, as soon as other countries are ready. We are seeing an increasing number of people taking advantage of the opportunity to buy medicinal products subject to medical prescription in another country. We hope that with the expanded geography of services, even more Lithuanian and EU citizens will be able to benefit from the progress of e-health digitalisation,” said Domantas Ozerenskis, Head of the eHealth Division at the Centre of Registers.

Benefitted Hundreds of Patients

The International e-Prescription Data Exchange Platform contributes to the EU’s common objectives of ensuring a level playing field for accessing medicinal products and healthcare services between different EU Member States. The European Health Data Space aims to involve EU countries in the exchange of e-prescription and other health data seeking high-quality health data.

The exchange of e-prescription data between Lithuania and other EU countries allows Lithuanian citizens travelling to other countries to buy medicinal products subject to medical prescription they need using e-prescriptions issued in Lithuania. It also allows residents of other EU countries to buy medicinal products in Lithuania based on e-prescriptions issued in their country.

According to the data of the Centre of Registers, so far Lithuanian citizens have bought medicinal products subject to e-prescriptions issued in Lithuania for more than 500 times in other EU countries. The most common places where Lithuanians bought the medicinal products they needed were in Poland and Latvia. Lithuanian pharmacies also handled over 400 e-prescriptions issued in other EU countries, mostly for Latvian citizens.

Important to Know

The LNHCC IS operates within a common EU health data exchange infrastructure, which enables cross-border exchange of e-prescriptions for EU citizens and, in the future, exchange of patient health data summaries. The functionality allows Lithuania to exchange e-prescription data across the EU, in accordance with data exchange agreements with other countries, and enables EU citizens visiting Lithuania to use their e-prescriptions to obtain the medicinal products they need.

The Ministry of Health reminds that all reimbursable and non-reimbursable medicinal products subject to medical prescription are available in the EU, except for narcotic, extemporaneous and named-patient medicinal products. However, until the beginning of 2027, medicinal products in the pharmaceutical form of inhalable medicinal products, powders, powders for injection or infusion, or liquid and soft pharmaceutical forms are not available. Paper prescriptions must continue to be issued for these pharmaceutical forms, as well as for reimbursable medical aids.

It is important to note that you will not be able to use a repeat e-prescription (marked ‘for continued treatment’) in another EU country if the dispensing of the medicine has already started in Lithuania.

The possibility of exchanging e-prescription data between EU countries is expected not only to ensure that the healthcare needs of the Lithuanian population are met while travelling within the EU, but also to enhance the quality of healthcare services provided to European citizens in Lithuania.

More information about the project implemented across the EU, which aims to ensure cross-border healthcare services for citizens of EU countries, as well as information about which EU countries Lithuania already exchanges e-prescription data with, can be found at the website www.esveikata.lt.