Online Prescriptions in Germany

How do you get a prescription online in Germany?

A remote consultation can lead to a prescription when a suitably registered doctor can assess the case adequately and the applicable German rules allow it. It does not guarantee a prescription, reimbursement or delivery. This is a guide to Germany, even when read in Spanish; it does not describe eligibility or supply in Spain.

Germany introduced mandatory E-Rezept use from January 2024 for the covered prescription-medicine workflow in statutory care. This must not be extended to every prescription type, exception or privately paid service. Check the current Federal Ministry of Health E-Rezept FAQ.

The prescription system

Term	Meaning and limits
GKV-Rezept	Prescription in statutory health insurance. The E-Rezept requirement applies to the defined statutory prescription-medicine scope; not every prescription or item is included
Privatrezept	Private prescription. Payment and possible reimbursement depend on the service and insurance; paper and supported electronic routes may differ
BtM-Rezept	Special prescription for controlled substances under the Betäubungsmittelgesetz; do not assume a routine online assessment can issue it
T-Rezept	Special prescription for specified teratogenic medicines, with additional safeguards; not an ordinary online-prescription route

GKV means statutory health insurance; PKV means private health insurance. A privately paid consultation does not automatically become a GKV benefit, but remote care is not categorically excluded from statutory coverage. Determine the actual consultation and prescription route before paying.

How the E-Rezept works

The doctor creates an electronic prescription in the appropriate system. It is stored in the E-Rezept infrastructure, not on the electronic health card (eGK). Patients can use the supported app, the eGK at a pharmacy card reader, or a paper printout with a prescription code. The card provides access; it does not transmit a prescription stored on the card.

App authentication and access requirements depend on the supported method. A printout is an access code to the electronic prescription, not a reason to assume every private PDF prescription is part of the national system. The pharmacy retrieves and checks the prescription before dispensing. Online redemption requires an authorised pharmacy and a supported route. See gematik's E-Rezept information.

For private prescriptions, ask the service which electronic or paper format is used and whether your chosen pharmacy can accept it. The fact that a consultation is online does not prove E-Rezept integration or insurance coverage.

Professional, pharmacy and privacy rules

Remote treatment

The Bundesärztekammer's 2018 model-code change permits exclusively remote care where medically justifiable and consistent with the necessary standard of care. Regional professional rules apply. Check the applicable Landesärztekammer rules and the clinician's registration, including cross-border requirements. See the Bundesärztekammer explanation.

Medicines and pharmacies

Medicines and dispensing must meet the applicable authorisation and pharmacy rules. ABDA is a professional association, not the pharmacy licensing register. Verify the pharmacy through the competent authority; for online retail, follow the common logo to the national register and check the exact site and retailer. Mail-order authorisation is distinct from ordinary pharmacy operation. Section 11a ApoG governs German mail-order authorisation; foreign supply requires its own applicable conditions. No blanket permission for every EU pharmacy to ship to Germany is asserted here.

Health data

Health information is special-category data under the GDPR. Processing needs an applicable Article 6 basis and Article 9 condition; explicit consent is not the only possible basis for healthcare. Security, purpose limitation and recipient transparency also matter. German treatment documentation generally has a ten-year retention requirement under section 630f BGB, subject to other rules; that does not impose ten years on every platform datum.

Read the actual privacy notice. An HTTPS badge or compliance statement is not a security audit. Prescrivia's policy distinguishes necessary recipients from marketing: personal data is not sold; marketing sharing separately requires explicit consent. Neither statement prevents necessary, lawfully justified processing by the appropriate doctor, pharmacy or service provider. See the privacy policy.

What a patient should expect

Choose and verify the service. Confirm its German scope, doctor registration, licensed pharmacy, consultation language, support and complaints route.
Provide accurate health information. A structured assessment may ask about symptoms, history, medicines, allergies and condition-specific risks. Take the time needed to answer accurately.
Independent clinical review. The doctor may ask for more information, examination or tests, prescribe when appropriate, or decline treatment. There is no guaranteed same-day decision.
Prescription and dispensing. If a prescription is issued, confirm whether it is statutory or private, how it reaches the pharmacy, and who pays. A pharmacist checks the prescription and decides on dispensing within their responsibilities.
Any delivery. Confirm the pharmacy's legal supply route, product information, costs and estimated timing. Access or delivery is not established merely by a website listing.

Conditions and limits

Examples discussed by online services include men's sexual health, hair loss, contraception, weight management, acne and rosacea, and medicines such as sildenafil, tadalafil, vardenafil, finasteride, minoxidil, oral contraceptives and GLP-1 medicines. These are topics for clinical assessment, not an approved online formulary. Authorisation, formulation, off-label use, required tests and national prescribing restrictions need individual review.

Do not assume routine remote access to BtM or T-Rezept medicines, specialist-only treatment or conditions requiring examination, blood tests or imaging. Acute or emergency symptoms need the appropriate urgent service. A list of conditions cannot establish personal eligibility.

GKV, PKV and costs

Question	GKV	PKV or private payment
Is remote consultation covered?	Some qualifying consultations, including video consultations, can be covered; check provider and conditions	Depends on the policy and service
Is the medicine covered?	Depends on the prescription, benefit rules and eligibility; co-payments or exemptions may apply	Reimbursement is policy-specific; upfront payment may be required
Which prescription route?	E-Rezept within its defined statutory scope	Confirm the supported private format
What will I pay?	Check coverage, private fees and any co-payment before use	Check consultation, medicine and any delivery charges, plus reimbursement conditions

The KBV video-consultation information explains the conditions for video consultations in statutory care. Coverage of a questionnaire-only assessment or a particular Prescrivia service must be checked separately. Ask the service and insurer before agreeing to any charges.

Online services, GP and urgent care

Consideration	Remote service	Hausarzt / GP	116117 service
Suitable use	Cases that can be assessed adequately remotely	Ongoing care, examination and investigations as needed	Urgent non-life-threatening problems and guidance in Germany
Appointments and response	Depend on the service; no guaranteed decision time	Depend on the practice and urgency	Follow the service's triage and availability
Prescription and costs	Depend on assessment, route and cover	Depend on assessment and cover	Depend on clinical assessment and applicable arrangements
Follow-up	Confirm arrangements before starting	Discuss continuity with the practice	Not a replacement for routine ongoing follow-up
Life-threatening emergency	Call 112	Call 112; do not wait for an ordinary appointment	Call 112

In Germany, 112 is the emergency number; 116117 is for urgent non-life-threatening medical needs and related guidance. See 116117's FAQ. Privacy, waiting times and reimbursement vary; remote care is not automatically faster or more private.

Verification checklist

Confirm the clinician's identity, registration and permission to provide the relevant care.
Verify the pharmacy with the competent authority, not association membership alone.
On the medicine retailer's site, click the national-flag common logo and verify the exact register entry.
Confirm language, prescription format, coverage, itemised fees and any lawful delivery route.
Read privacy, follow-up, complaints and patient-safety information.
Avoid promises of a guaranteed prescription or outcome before assessment.

Prescrivia provides technology connecting patients with independent doctors and licensed pharmacies. It does not employ those doctors, prescribe or dispense medicines. This structure does not itself prove compliance of an individual cross-border arrangement.

Spain and cross-border limits

German E-Rezept rules do not create a Spanish supply route. Spain prohibits distance sale of prescription medicines. Prescription recognition, electronic interoperability, national dispensing and shipment permission are different questions. See Your Europe on prescriptions abroad and AEMPS's websites and apps notice.

Sources and review limits

The BMG, gematik, Bundesärztekammer, KBV, statutory and patient-information links above support the bounded distinctions, not an assessment of a specific service. Additional context: European Commission common logo, Directive 2011/62/EU and GDPR. See the current clinical, legal and language review statuses for this edition. No current stock, operational security or individual reimbursement has been verified.

Online prescriptions in Germany: E-Rezept, insurance and limits