The person prescribing your medicine will save your prescription electronically in Kanta. At the pharmacy, this information is retrieved from Kanta.
You can get your medication at the pharmacy by showing your Kela card, personal ID, or driving licence, for example. You can also collect your medication using the patient instructions you received at your doctor’s appointment.
You can purchase your medicine at any pharmacy. If you have a hospital pharmacy prescription, you will only be able to get your medication from the hospital pharmacy.
Renewing a prescription at a pharmacy
You can request a prescription renewal at a pharmacy The pharmacy will send a renewal request to your health care unit. Pharmacies may charge a fee for submitting a renewal request.
You can see the status of the prescription renewal in MyKanta or you can ask the pharmacy for the status. If you provide your phone number when you request a renewal, you will receive a text message once your request has been processed.
You can also renew your prescriptions in MyKanta.
Direct reimbursement at the pharmacy
You will usually receive a reimbursement for your medicine directly at the pharmacy, when the pharmacy checks your right to the reimbursement electronically with Kela. A reimbursement will be made for an amount of medication that corresponds to a maximum of three months of treatment.
Acting on behalf of another person
If someone else collects your medication from a pharmacy, they must present your Kela card or your prescription’s printed patient instructions. You can also use the Suomi.fi service to authorise the person to use pharmacy services on your behalf.
It is also possible for someone to manage other prescription matters on your behalf, either with an electronic or written authorisation.
Printed summary and copy of a prescription for travelling abroad
You can ask the pharmacy to print a summary of all or a specific set of your prescriptions. If you have prohibited the transfer of some of your prescription data, i.e. issued a denial of consent to data sharing for your prescription, these prescriptions will not be included in the summary you receive from the pharmacy. Pharmacies may charge a fee for summary printouts.
When you travel abroad, you can ask the pharmacy to print a summary of the prescription medicines you are using.
The required documentation and policies on bringing personal medication into a country vary from country to country, so please check this information before you travel.
A printed summary or a copy of a prescription for travelling abroad cannot be used to purchase medicines at pharmacies.