How does an online doctor consultation work?
An online doctor consultation in Europe is a structured medical assessment conducted remotely — via a written questionnaire or telephone — through which an independent EU-registered doctor reviews your health information and makes a clinical decision, which may include issuing a prescription if the requested treatment is appropriate for your condition. The process typically takes a few hours from start to prescription decision.
What is telehealth and how does it work in Europe?
Telehealth — also called telemedicine or e-health — is the delivery of healthcare services using digital communication technology. In the EU context, this encompasses:
- Asynchronous consultations: A patient completes a structured medical questionnaire; a doctor reviews it and responds, typically within hours
- Telephone consultations: A structured telephone call with a registered doctor
All three formats involve a real, registered, independent doctor. The doctor is bound by the same professional standards as they would be in a clinic — registered with a national medical council, professionally liable for their clinical decisions, and bound by patient confidentiality.
Every request is reviewed by an independent doctor. Prescrivia does not diagnose or prescribe.
What is the regulatory framework for online doctor consultations in the EU?
Online doctor consultations in the EU are governed by several overlapping frameworks:
EU Directive 2011/24/EU on patients' rights in cross-border healthcare establishes that patients can access healthcare services in other EU member states and sets out rights around information, prescriptions, and reimbursement.
The EU eHealth Action Plan supports the development of cross-border telemedicine services and digital health infrastructure, including cross-border recognition of electronic health records.
National medical council regulations govern each doctor individually. A doctor registered in Germany who conducts an online consultation must comply with German medical law and ethics — including the requirement that the consultation must be sufficient to reach a clinical decision. The German Medical Association (Bundesärztekammer) updated its position in 2018 to permit online-only consultations for appropriate cases.
GDPR applies in full to all medical data collected during online consultations. Medical data is a special category under GDPR Article 9, subject to the highest level of data protection.
Doctors on compliant platforms must be registered with a recognised EU medical council. Legitimate platforms disclose which country each doctor is registered in and their registration number.
What happens during an online doctor consultation?
The exact process varies by platform and consultation type, but follows a broadly consistent pattern:
Step 1 — Selecting your condition and service. You identify the condition for which you are seeking assessment. The platform presents the consultation as specific to that condition — not as a general "see any doctor" service.
Step 2 — Completing the medical assessment. You answer a structured questionnaire covering:
- Your personal medical history (chronic conditions, previous diagnoses)
- Current medications and any known allergies or drug interactions
- Symptoms relevant to the condition being assessed
- Lifestyle factors relevant to the condition (BMI for weight management, for example)
- Contraindications specific to the requested treatment
For asynchronous reviews, this questionnaire is completed before the doctor assesses the case.
Step 3 — Doctor review. An independent EU-registered doctor reviews your completed assessment. They are looking for:
- Whether the condition is suitable for remote assessment
- Whether the requested treatment is appropriate for your presentation
- Whether any contraindications, drug interactions, or safety concerns are present
- Whether additional information is needed before a decision can be made
Step 4 — Clinical decision. The doctor issues one of several possible outcomes:
- Prescription approved: The treatment is clinically appropriate. A prescription is issued to a licensed pharmacy.
- Consultation requested: The doctor needs more information — perhaps a clarifying question, or a request for a recent blood test result.
- Referral recommended: The condition or presentation requires an in-person assessment. The doctor may refer to a specialist or recommend the patient see their GP.
- Treatment declined: The requested treatment is not appropriate for the patient's specific situation. The consultation fee is typically refunded.
Step 5 — Dispensing and delivery (if prescription issued). The prescription is transmitted to a licensed pharmacy partner. The pharmacist reviews it and dispenses the medicine, which is delivered to the patient's address.
Online consultation vs. in-person GP visit: when is each appropriate?
| Consideration | Online consultation | In-person GP visit |
|---|---|---|
| Physical examination needed | No | Yes, if needed |
| Blood tests / imaging needed | Generally no | Yes, if needed |
| Urgency | Non-urgent, planned conditions | Urgent, emergency, or complex |
| Condition familiarity | Established, well-characterised | Unknown, complex, or multi-system |
| Repeat prescription | Often suitable | Also suitable |
| New symptoms with unknown cause | Not appropriate | Appropriate |
| Specialist referral needed | Will be identified and advised | Can refer directly |
| Appointment wait | Usually same-day | Often 1–2 weeks |
| Physical presence | Not required | Required |
| Privacy | High — home setting | Standard clinic environment |
The most important boundary to understand is this: online consultations are appropriate for conditions that can be adequately assessed through a structured questionnaire or asynchronous review. If your situation requires physical examination, diagnostic tests, or specialist input that cannot be provided remotely, an online service should identify this and refer you accordingly.
What conditions are suitable for online doctor consultations?
Online consultations are generally appropriate for the following types of conditions:
Hair and scalp conditions
- Androgenetic alopecia (male and female pattern hair loss)
- Assessment for finasteride, dutasteride, or minoxidil treatment
Sexual and reproductive health
- Erectile dysfunction — assessment for sildenafil, tadalafil, or vardenafil
- Contraception — oral contraceptive pill, emergency contraception
- Premature ejaculation
Weight management
- Assessment for GLP-1 receptor agonists (where nationally approved)
- Dietary and pharmacological support for obesity management
Skin conditions (photographic assessment)
- Acne — topical retinoids, antibiotics
- Rosacea management
- Psoriasis management (for mild-to-moderate established cases)
Established chronic condition management
- Repeat prescriptions for stable, well-managed conditions
- Thyroid conditions with established diagnoses (levothyroxine)
- Hypertension management in stable patients
Mental health (with appropriate protocols)
- Mild-to-moderate anxiety and depression — some platforms offer assessment for SSRIs with structured follow-up
When online consultation is not appropriate:
- Emergency symptoms — chest pain, difficulty breathing, sudden severe headache, stroke symptoms
- Undiagnosed complex symptoms across multiple body systems
- Conditions requiring physical examination or diagnostic testing
- Pregnancy and obstetrics
- Paediatric care (age restrictions apply to online platforms)
- Severe mental health conditions requiring specialist care
How online doctor consultations work across different EU countries
While the EU regulatory framework is harmonised in principle, patient experience varies by country due to:
National prescribing regulations: Some medicines available via online consultation in one EU country require specialist referral in another. GLP-1 medications, for example, have varying prescribing permissions across EU member states.
Language: Legitimate platforms serving multi-national markets provide consultations in the patient's language. The doctor reviewing the assessment should be able to review documentation in the language it was provided.
Reimbursement: Online consultations are generally not reimbursed by national health systems in most EU countries, though this is evolving. Germany's statutory health insurers (Krankenkassen) reimburse certain telemedicine services under specific conditions. France's Assurance Maladie covers teleconsultation under certain conditions.
Data localisation: Some EU countries have national health data localisation requirements that affect where medical data can be stored.
What makes a telehealth platform trustworthy?
When evaluating any online doctor consultation service, look for:
- Named, registered doctors: The reviewing doctor's name and medical council registration should be disclosed
- No prescription guarantees: Any platform that implies a prescription is certain before assessment is not operating ethically or legally
- Clear condition scope: The platform should be transparent about which conditions it can and cannot assess
- Escalation pathways: When an in-person referral is needed, the platform should make clear recommendations
- Data protection: Explicit GDPR compliance with medical data handled as special category data
- Secure communication: All patient-doctor communication should be end-to-end encrypted
- Complaints process: A formal complaints procedure and patient safety reporting mechanism should exist
- Clinical governance: The platform should describe how it oversees clinical quality and doctor performance
Intermediary platforms like Prescrivia connect patients with independent EU-registered doctors without employing those doctors or directing their clinical decisions. This independence is a patient protection — the doctor's clinical judgment is not subject to commercial pressure from the platform.
The three service models you will encounter
Online prescription services in Europe are not a single category. Three distinct models operate in the EU:
Model 1 — Online pharmacies accepting existing prescriptions. Licensed EU pharmacies with an e-commerce interface. You upload an existing prescription from your GP or another doctor; the pharmacy dispenses and delivers. No new assessment or prescription is issued.
Model 2 — Telehealth clinics with employed doctors. These services employ or contract their own doctors, book telephone or asynchronous appointments, and fulfil prescriptions through a partner pharmacy.
Model 3 — Intermediary platforms. Technology platforms such as Prescrivia do not employ doctors or sell medicine. They connect patients with independent EU-registered doctors for assessment and, if a prescription is issued, route it to a licensed pharmacy partner. The doctor's independence separates clinical decisions from commercial pressure.
Each model is legitimate when operated within EU regulatory requirements. The right question is which model fits your situation. For a side-by-side of service types, see the online healthcare services comparison page.
What it costs
Across the EU, a typical breakdown for a common condition is:
| Cost component | Typical range | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Consultation (doctor review) | €15–€45 | One-time or per renewal period |
| Medicine | €20–€80/month | Comparable to licensed pharmacy prices |
| Delivery | €0–€15 | Standard; express higher |
Some services bundle the consultation and first medicine supply into a single starting price. Check what happens at renewal — and whether another doctor review is required — before you commit.
Cross-border prescriptions
Under EU Directive 2011/24/EU, prescriptions issued by a doctor in one member state should be recognised in others. In practice, recognition is not always seamless: local dispensing rules, medicine-name differences between countries, and documentation requirements can intervene. Most intermediary platforms handle this by working with licensed pharmacy partners in the country they serve.
Related guides
- Is it safe to buy medicine online in the EU? — how to verify a service: the EU Common Logo, registration checks, and red flags.
- How do you get a prescription online in Germany? — E-Rezept and the German specifics.
Sources and further reading
- EU Directive 2011/24/EU — Cross-border healthcare
- European Commission — eHealth Action Plan
- World Health Organization — Telemedicine: Opportunities and Developments in Member States
- European Data Protection Board — Guidelines on processing health data for research purposes
- Bundesärztekammer (German Medical Association) — Telemedicine guidelines
- European Commission — Digital health and care