Anyone who suddenly needs medication while on vacation or traveling knows the problem: a prescription from home has often been worthless at pharmacies abroad. That is now changing. Redeeming an e-prescription in another EU country will soon be possible. After more than ten years, Italy is joining the European system and making its electronic prescriptions valid across the EU.
What is changing
A new draft decree from the Italian Ministry of Health (issued jointly with the Ministry of Economy) regulates cross-border electronic prescriptions systematically for the first time. The principle is straightforward: a prescription issued in Italy will be recognized and filled at any pharmacy in another EU member state, just as it would be domestically.
The exchange runs through the European health network MyHealth@EU (part of the eHDSI infrastructure). A so-called "National Connector" links Italy's health card system with those of other countries and "translates" the national prescription format into the European standard.
How the e-prescription works abroad
When a patient travels to a country that has already activated digital data exchange with Italy, the prescription is generated automatically from the standard Italian e-prescription. If a country is not yet connected, the physician can issue a paper prescription that is valid abroad.
To pick up medication at a pharmacy abroad, patients need to present three things: a valid identity document, the tax code (codice fiscale, found on the Italian health card), and the prescription identification number (NRE or NRBE).
Which medications are excluded
Only medications listed on a dedicated register published by the Ministry of Health may be transmitted across borders. Excluded are medications requiring special prescriptions, such as narcotics, which are subject to stricter legal regulations.
Timeline and costs
The initiative is funded through Italy's 2026 budget law, which allocates 985,222 euros for 2026 and 793,000 euros annually from 2027 onward for building and operating the infrastructure. The decree takes effect on the 15th day after its publication in the Gazzetta Ufficiale. The list of electronically transferable medications is to be published within the following 180 days.
What this means for those traveling to or living in Italy
For anyone living in Italy, commuting regularly, or frequently traveling between Italy and Germany, this is a meaningful improvement: an e-prescription issued by an Italian primary care physician can in the future be filled across the border as well, without needing a new prescription on location. In doing so, Italy joins an EU-wide system designed to simplify daily life for millions of mobile citizens in the event of illness .
