Prescription medicines can be purchased only with a prescription from a doctor, because they may cause certain threats and risks to a person’s health. Some patients have the right to receive prescription medicines that are fully or partially compensated by the State.
What are prescription medicines?
Prescription medicines are those:
- the pharmacological properties of which and possible adverse reaction without medical supervision may cause a direct or indirect threat to health
- that require additional research
- that contain a significant amount of narcotic or psychotropic substances
- that create a risk of medicinal abuse, addiction or may be used for illegal purposes etc.
They can only be purchased with a prescription from a doctor because of these factors.
example Antibiotics, antidepressants and some sleep aid medication.
note The recipes, depending on the medicine and the compensation by the State, may differ in how long they are valid for. Some may be valid for up to a year if it is for long-term treatment.
Compensated prescription medicines
Some patients have the right to receive prescription medicines that are fully or partially compensated by the state.
The State has to carefully allocate resources and determine:
- the persons eligible for compensated prescription medicines
- the type of compensated prescription medicines
- the conditions for the receipt of compensated prescription medicines
The state obligation to provide compensated prescription medicines derives from the European Social Charter which states in Article 13:
“Anyone without adequate resources has the right to social and medical assistance”.
Such medicines are included in the List of reimbursable medicinal products.
note The State pays 50%, 80%, 90% or 100% of the price, depending on the diagnosis and the medicine prescribed.