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French government partners with Doctolib for Covid-19 vaccine appointments

The French government has announced a partnership with the widely-used medical app Doctolib to allow people to book their vaccine appointments online.

Published: 12 January 2021 17:15 CET
French government partners with Doctolib for Covid-19 vaccine appointments
Photo: AFP

As France begins to step up its vaccination programme, the government had already announced that appointments could be booked by phone or via the state website sante.fr.

Now, however it has added that Doctolib – the app already in use by millions of people to book regular medical appointments – can also be used to book an appointment at a vaccine centre.

At present the vaccine is only available to certain groups in France – residents and staff in the country's Ehpad nursing homes, medical staff aged 50 or over and – from January 18th – the over 75s.

Doctolib says its vaccination appointments feature will be live from Thursday, which is also the day that over 70s can begin to make appointments.

 

The online appointments for vaccines will only be for vaccination centres – which France aims to have 600 of by the end of the month. Doctolib will also be involved in some of the organisation of vaccine centres.

People can also opt to be vaccinated by their usual family doctor, or make an appointment in advance of vaccination with their doctor to discuss any concerns.

France has a strict priority order for when each group gets the vaccine, and at present there is no facility for people not in the priority groups to register in advance.

READ ALSO How France plans its Covid-19 vaccine programme

After a slow and widely-criticised start to the vaccination campaign the government has also simplified the appointment and consent procedure.

After making the appointment via phone or internet, people in eligible groups will have to fill out a health questionnaire and give consent, and then will be given the injection by a doctor or nurse in a vaccination centre.

They will stay in the vaccination centre for 15 minutes afterwards, in case of any side effects, and then go home. The second dose of the vaccination will be given three to six weeks after the first.

Most vaccinations in France are currently being done with the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine, but the first doses of the Moderna vaccine arrived in France on Monday. They have been prioritised for the eastern areas of the country that are seeing higher-than-average case numbers and high pressure on hospitals.

Doctolib is one of France's most successful start-ups and the smartphone app is used by millions of people to find a doctor or specialist in their area and book appointments.

For newcomers to France it also has a particularly useful feature – listing the languages that each doctor speaks. 

READ ALSO The eight smartphone apps that will make your life in France easier 

Member comments

  1. My wife and I are both over 80, computer literate and drive. We found this evening (Wednesday 13th) that Doctolib was already open for Covid vaccination appointments. However, the site would only allow us to book at a centre some 70 kms from our home in the Ain, a difficult, tortuous drive across the Jura mountains. Nevertheless, we persisted and obtained a rendezvous. At that point, a note appeared telling us that the Saint Claude centre was only for residents of the Haute Jura region. On the government website sante.fr we found that there is a centre in Annecy, a direct drive along the autoroute. But there was no way that I could get the Doctolib site to make me an appointment there. Hopefully things will improve, but I wonder how other older people, French and foreign, will fare without computer skills and their own means of transport.

  2. When the French Government announced that over 75’s would be able to make appointment for vaccinations after 14th January,so that the criticism of the rate would be abated I was relieved. How ever the reality is different. On the 14th the site was not working and the message said that it would be in operation today, the 15th. It is live but NOT for people over 75! Very disappointing, why raise peoples hopes.

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HEALTH

Do I need a prescription to get antibiotics in France?

A new law means that a prescription is not always required if you need antibiotics in France.

Published: 18 June 2024 13:51 CEST
Do I need a prescription to get antibiotics in France?

In most cases, people in France requiring antibiotics will need a prescription (ordonnance) from a doctor.

However, there are two exceptions, according to a new decree published in France’s Journal Officiel on Tuesday.

The updated law allows French pharmacists to dispense antibiotics without a doctor’s prescription for two common infections; cystitis (UTIs) and tonsillitis/strep throat (angines in French), which can both be confirmed by a test at the pharmacy.

If you suspect you have either of these infections, you can go to the pharmacy to get a test, known as a Test Rapide d’Orientation Diagnostique or TROD.

If the test is positive, the pharmacist will be able to prescribe antibiotics without you having to visit a doctor. You can visit the pharmacy on a walk-in basis, with no need for an appointment, and at least one qualified pharmacist should be on the premises at all times.

The move comes after a relaxation on the rules around vaccines allowing pharmacists to give eight common vaccines without a doctor’s prescription – in addition to the Covid and seasonal flu vaccines which can already be accessed at a pharmacy without prescription. 

Pharmacists in France receive a minimum of six years of training and can offer medical advice for a range of conditions, as well as dispensing medication. 

READ MORE: More than prescriptions: 11 things you can do at a French pharmacy

What about prescriptions?

For all other types of conditions requiring antibiotics, a prescription will still be required.

In France, only doctors (both general practitioners and specialists), dental surgeons (chirurgiens-dentistes) and midwives (sages-femmes) are authorised to prescribe medicines.

As such, you would need an appointment with one of these professionals to get a prescription.

What if I’m just visiting France?

French residents would normally go to their registered doctor if they fall ill, but people who are either just visiting France or who are not registered in the French health system can access doctors too.

If you do have the carte vitale – the card confirming that you are registered in the French health system – you can still book an appointment with a doctor, although you won’t be entitled to any state reimbursement. You would have to either pay the costs yourself (€26 for a standard GP appointment, plus the cost of the prescription) or claim on your health or travel insurance if you have it.

Booking a GP appointment can be as simple as phoning a local doctor or using an online service such as Doctolib. You may also call up SOS Médecins if you want a home visit, but this costs more than a usual visit.

READ MORE: How to make a doctor’s appointment in France

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