How eRecept works in Czechia: getting and collecting a prescription

In Czechia, you will often leave a medical appointment without a traditional paper prescription. Instead, you may receive a text message containing a code and a link to a QR code. The prescription may also arrive by email, be printed as a paper guide, or appear in the eRecept patient app. These are simply different ways to access the same electronic prescription.

Asking for a code is not enough on its own. A doctor decides whether a particular medicine is appropriate and whether a prescription can be issued. If you already take the medicine regularly, a remote consultation may sometimes be enough. A new concern, dose change, side effect, or long interruption may require an examination.

This article explains the practical route from doctor to pharmacy. It cannot assess your condition or provide individual advice about taking a medicine.

What is a Czech eRecept?

An eRecept is a prescription stored in the Czech Central Repository of Electronic Prescriptions. The system gives every eRecept a unique identifier. A pharmacist uses it to open the prescription, check that it is valid, and dispense the medicine.

According to the official ePreskripce portal, electronic prescribing has been mandatory in Czechia since January 2018. A printed guide is therefore usually not a separate paper prescription. It carries the identifier that allows the pharmacy to open the electronic record.

You may receive the identifier as:

• an SMS containing a 12-character alphanumeric code and a link to a QR code;
• an email with the prescription guide;
• a printed paper guide;
• a record in the eRecept web or mobile patient app.

Agree the delivery method with the doctor or clinic. Before the appointment ends, check that the practice has the correct phone number or email address.

How do you get an ePrescription in Czechia?

The first step is not requesting a code but speaking to the right doctor. A GP may deal with common illnesses, long-term monitoring, and questions about regular medication. Other medicines may need input from a gynaecologist, psychiatrist, neurologist, or another specialist. Some products also have special prescribing rules.

For a first appointment or a request to continue existing treatment, prepare a few basics:

• the medicine or active ingredient, its strength, and the dose;
• why and how long you have taken it and when you took the last dose;
• a previous medical report or a photograph of the original pack, if available;
• other medicines you take and any known allergies or previous adverse reactions.

The same brand may not be available in every country, and foreign packs can contain a different strength. The active ingredient, dose, and clinical context are therefore more useful than the brand name alone. Do not change the dose or substitute a similar-sounding product based on an online search.

Do you have to see the doctor in person?

Not always, but remote prescribing is not automatic. If the doctor knows you and your long-term treatment is stable, a consultation may be enough on that occasion. A doctor may still need to examine you before a first prescription, when symptoms have changed, the medical history is unclear, monitoring is due, or side effects are a concern.

Saying that you used the medicine in another country does not guarantee that the same product will be prescribed in Czechia. The treating doctor is responsible for deciding whether treatment is appropriate and may need previous records or current test results.

If you are running low on regular medication, contact the prescriber before it runs out. Abruptly stopping some medicines can be harmful, but the right response depends on the product and your medical situation. Do not alter the dose or replace the treatment without professional advice.

What do you show at the pharmacy?

At a Czech pharmacy, you can usually show the QR or barcode or give the pharmacist the 12-character identifier from the SMS. The pharmacist retrieves the valid eRecept and checks its contents. The official SMS guidance confirms that the code in the message is sufficient; the link simply makes it easier to display a scannable QR code.

The official ePreskripce FAQ says that a pharmacy can also find valid prescribed eRecepts using the patient's Czech identity card or passport. This works only when the system can identify the patient unambiguously; the document does not replace the prescription itself. Not every foreign patient is matched to the Czech register, so carrying the specific eRecept identifier is safer.

Ask the pharmacist if you need clarification about:

• the directions recorded on the prescription;
• possible combinations with other medicines and non-prescription products;
• the co-payment or reimbursement route;
• whether the prescribed pack is in stock;
• what happens if the product is unavailable.

An issued eRecept does not guarantee that a particular pack is currently in stock or fully reimbursed. Availability, payment, and any substitution depend on the medicine, the prescription, and the situation at the pharmacy.

How long is an eRecept valid?

According to the current ePreskripce FAQ, a standard eRecept is valid for 14 calendar days starting on the day after it was issued, unless the prescriber sets a different period; the legal maximum is one year. Check the expiry date shown in the SMS, the printed or emailed guide, or the app.

There are exceptions. Prescriptions marked for emergency or urgent care have a shorter validity period, while repeat prescriptions follow different rules. A prescriber may set another date within the legal limits. Always rely on the date shown on the individual eRecept rather than a general period remembered from another prescription.

Once the prescription has expired, a pharmacy cannot dispense medicine against it. If the expiry date is approaching, contact the prescriber in time and ask what should happen next. An extension or a new prescription should not be assumed to be automatic.

What if the eRecept SMS does not arrive?

A missing message does not necessarily mean that the eRecept was never issued. The prescription may exist in the system, but the identifier may have been sent to the wrong number, another delivery method may have been selected, or there may be a technical delay.

Use this order:

1. Ask the clinic whether the doctor actually issued the prescription and which phone number or email address was used.
2. Ask the clinic to provide the identifier again through an agreed secure method, such as email.
3. If you use the patient app and are matched to the Czech population register, check your prescription list.
4. A pharmacy may try retrieving valid prescriptions from the identity document of a successfully matched patient. Foreign patients should not rely on this as their only option.
5. If a wider technical problem appears possible, check the service status and contact details on the official ePreskripce website.

Do not send more medical information than necessary through an open chat when asking the clinic to find the request. Use the patient communication channel specified by the healthcare provider.

eRecept for foreign patients in Czechia

Foreign citizenship or the absence of a Czech insured-person number does not in itself prevent a doctor from prescribing a medically necessary medicine. Official ePreskripce guidance states that an eRecept can be issued and dispensed even when a foreign patient cannot be matched to the Czech population register.

The difference may become visible in the app and medication record. An unmatched prescription may not appear in the patient app even though it is valid. Foreign patients should therefore:

• provide their name, date of birth, and document number exactly as shown on their passport or identity card;
• check the phone number, including the international dialling code;
• request the identifier by SMS, email, or printed guide;
• take both the identifier and identity document to the pharmacy;
• confirm insurance, appointment payment, and possible medicine costs in advance.

Without Czech public insurance, the patient may need to pay directly for the consultation and medicine. The payment route is separate from the doctor's clinical decision about whether the product is appropriate.

The eRecept app and medication record

The free eRecept web and mobile app allows successfully matched patients to view issued and dispensed prescriptions, details, and validity. Access uses Czech electronic identification and depends on the person's successful link to the population register.

The app is useful but is not required for every eRecept collection. A patient who does not use it can receive the identifier by SMS, email, or a printed guide. Official information and download links are available on the eRecept web and mobile patient app page. The Czech Public Administration Portal also provides an English overview of the patient application.

A quick guide to common eRecept problems

Czech eRecept: frequently asked questions

Is the SMS alone enough to collect the medicine?

Yes. A pharmacist can scan the QR code from the link or use the 12-character alphanumeric identifier in the message. The eRecept must still be valid and available for dispensing.

Can someone else collect the prescription for me?

Generally, yes. The official ePreskripce FAQ says another person can collect prescribed medicine, as with a traditional prescription. They need the relevant identifier. Additional requirements may apply to certain medicines, so check with the pharmacy when necessary.

Can I get an eRecept without Czech health insurance?

The absence of Czech public insurance does not in itself prevent a medically necessary prescription from being issued. The doctor decides whether the medicine is appropriate, and the patient may need to self-pay for the appointment or medicine. Confirm the price and payment route in advance.

Can a foreign prescription be used in Czechia?

Czechia participates in cross-border electronic prescription exchange with selected European countries. The direction of exchange, participating countries and pharmacies, and medicine-related restrictions can change. Before travelling, check the current country list on the ePreskripce portal and the conditions for the specific medicine.

How OpenMedical can help

OpenMedical is not the eRecept system and does not issue prescriptions itself. It can help you work out whether a GP or specialist is the appropriate contact, coordinate registration or an appointment within the partner network, and organise the transfer of relevant information. The treating doctor always makes the prescribing and treatment decision.

If you are looking for a GP in Prague or need help arranging a consultation about regular medication, see General practitioner or contact OpenMedical.

Sources and editorial basis

Sources checked on 2026-09-01.

• ePreskripce: About eRecept
• ePreskripce: Using an eRecept identifier received by SMS
• ePreskripce: How long an eRecept is valid
• ePreskripce: What happens if an eRecept expires
• ePreskripce: Collecting medicine without a mobile phone or computer
• ePreskripce: Collecting medicine using an identity card or passport
• ePreskripce: Web and mobile patient application
• ePreskripce: Access to the patient app for foreign nationals
• ePreskripce: Problems matching a patient to the population register
• ePreskripce: Collection by another person
• Czech National Health Information Portal: Electronic prescription and its functions
• Czech Public Administration Portal: eRecept application for patients