What happens before a prescription exists?
A prescription only exists after a doctor has reviewed your consultation. Every consultation is reviewed in full by an EU-licensed doctor, who decides on medical grounds only. The doctor can approve treatment, choose a different treatment or dose, ask you a question first, or decline. The full path is on How it works, and the safeguards are on Safety.What are the two prescription formats?
An electronic prescription is sent to the pharmacy through its country’s system; a prescription document is a signed file you show at the pharmacy.
Both formats state the medicine and how to take it. You can download your
prescription from your Hi Doctor account at any time.
You use your prescription at a pharmacy of your choice. Where a country’s
electronic prescription system is used, you choose the pharmacy when the
prescription is issued. Every prescription comes with written instructions.
Can I use a prescription in another EU country?
EU rules on patients’ rights in cross-border healthcare, Directive 2011/24/EU, provide for a prescription issued in one member state to be recognised in another, where the dispensing pharmacy can verify it and its prescriber. Dispensing still follows the rules of the pharmacy’s country, the availability of the medicine and the information required on the prescription, so if one pharmacy cannot dispense it, try another. In any member state, for example Germany, Poland or Italy, the steps are the same: follow the written instructions that come with your prescription, and ask the pharmacy how it accepts a prescription from another member state.Who pays for the medicine?
You pay the pharmacy. Hi Doctor’s fee covers the doctor’s review, not the medicine, and the pharmacy dispenses the medicine and charges its own price. Consultation fees and refunds are on Pricing.What should I check before I go to the pharmacy?
- The prescription is in your account, ready to download.
- You have the document on your phone or printed, if you received a signed prescription document.
- You have read the written instructions that came with it.
Frequently asked questions
Does Hi Doctor send medicine to my home?
No. Hi Doctor does not sell, stock or ship medicine. A pharmacy dispenses it and charges its own price.What is the difference between an electronic prescription and a prescription document?
An electronic prescription is used where the pharmacy’s country supports it: you choose the pharmacy when it is issued, and the pharmacy retrieves it electronically. A signed prescription document is used otherwise, and you show it at the pharmacy.Can I use my prescription in another EU country?
EU rules provide for recognition of a prescription in another member state where the pharmacy can verify it. Dispensing still follows the rules of the pharmacy’s country, so if one pharmacy cannot dispense it, try another.Do I need to print the prescription?
No. You can show a signed prescription document on your phone or printed.Where can I find my prescription later?
You can download your prescription from your Hi Doctor account at any time.Will every consultation end with a prescription?
No. Every consultation is reviewed in full by an EU-licensed doctor, who decides on medical grounds only, and declining is a normal outcome. If the doctor does not approve treatment, the fee is refunded in full; for a plan, that period’s fee is refunded and the plan is cancelled.Next steps
How it works
The consultation path from questionnaire to pharmacy.
Countries
The 27 EU member states and eight languages.
Online doctor or in-person visit
When an online consultation fits, and when it does not.
Pricing
Consultation fees, plans and refunds.