Recognition of prescriptions issued in another EU/EEA country

Updated 19 May 2020

In January 2014, new rules on the contents of prescriptions to be dispensed in another EU/EEA country were introduced.

According to the rules, prescriptions issued by doctors or dentists in other EU/EEA countries can now be dispensed by a Danish pharmacy.

In addition, prescriptions issued by Danish doctors or dentists can also be dispensed by pharmacies in other EU/EEA countries.

To dispense a prescription in another EU/EEA country than the country in which the prescription was issued, the prescription must as a minimum provide the following information:

  1. The patient's surname, first name and date of birth.
  2. The date of the prescription.
  3. The doctor's or dentist's surname, first name, professional qualification, contact details (e-mail and phone or fax number, including country code), work address (including the name of the relevant member state) as well as the doctor's or dentist's signature (written or digital).
  4. The prescribed product's INN name or brand name if
    1. the prescribed product is a biological medicine, or
    2. the doctor or dentist found that this was necessary. The background must be specified.
  5. The pharmaceutical form (tablet, solution etc.), quantity, strength (expressed as quantity per dose unit, volume unit or weight unit) and dosage.

For the time being, it is not possible to issue prescriptions electronically across the member states.

More information

See also section 70 and appendix 4 about foreign prescriptions in executive order no. 1297 of 28 November 2019 on prescriptions and dose dispensing of medicinal products (in Danish).