Germany is moving on apace with its digitalisation – at least when it comes to healthcare. From digital patient records to phone-in sick notes, things are set to be a lot less paper-based in the future.

At the start of the year, Health Minister Karl Lautberbach (SPD) brought in mandatory e-prescriptions for all statutory healthcare users, who can pick up their medication at a pharmacy after a doctor’s visit simply by presenting their health insurance card.

For private patients, however, things are a little different. 

Currently, the government hasn’t fully worked out how it wants e-prescriptions to work for the privately insured, so being able to access this service will depend on a number of things:

• A health insurance number, or Krankenversichtennummer 
• The e-prescriptions app ‘Der Gematik’ 
• A digital health ID, or GesundheitsID, to log into the app 
• An ‘Online Check-In’ function on your insurance provider’s app 

In order for the practice to issue your digital prescription, you will first need to use the Online Check-In function and present your health insurance number, which can be found on any of your insurance documentation. 

The e-prescription can then be issued to you either via the Der Gematik app or as a print-out with a special code for the pharmacy. 

After redeeming your prescription, you will also receive a Kostenbeleg, or receipt, via the app or as a print-out. This can be transferred to your health insurer’s own app directly or uploaded manually as a PDF in order to reclaim the costs of the medication. 

The major difference between people with private and public insurance is that those with public, or statutory, insurance will be able to use their electronic health insurance card (eGK) at the GP’s when the prescription is issued and can also redeem their prescriptions at pharmacies using the eGK.

Privately insured people, on the other hand, will need to rely on the Online Check-In system and the use of an e-prescriptions app on their phone. 

READ ALSO: The new rules on digital prescriptions in Germany

Will this work at every GP’s surgery? 

This is another important caveat: being able to access an e-prescription will depend on whether the surgery in question has updated their software yet.

Given the legal changes that came into force on January 1st, you would expect most doctors to have modernised their systems, but in some cases there may be delays and limitations – especially for the privately insured. 

READ ALSO: How Germany wants to roll out e-prescriptions and digital patient records

To find out whether your healthcare provider is in the process – and what restrictions may still be in place – speak to them directly either before or during your appointment. 

What if I want someone else to pick up my prescription for me? 

In this case, you can still use an e-prescription, but you will need a print-out of the unique code for the pharmacy.

Of course, since e-prescriptions aren’t (yet) mandatory for private patients, you can also just opt to get your prescription the old-fashioned way and pass it on to a friend to pick it up for you – after letting the pharmacy know.