Medicines
You can purchase medication from another EU or EEA country either with a separate paper prescription or with an electronic prescription. Correspondingly, you can purchase medication in Finnish pharmacies with a prescription issued in other EU and EEA countries and Switzerland. This section also includes information on importing and exporting medication as well as information applicable to Finland on pharmacies and medicinal treatment.
Purchasing medication abroad
Ask your doctor to provide a medical prescription for purchasing medication abroad if you intend to purchase medication in another EU or EEA country. Electronic prescriptions are also valid in Estonia, Croatia, Portugal, Poland and Spain. If you wish to purchase prescription medication outside the EU and EEA countries, you normally need a prescription issued by a local health care professional.
Using a foreign medical prescription in Finland
In Finland, you can purchase medication with a paper prescription issued in another EU or EEA country or Switzerland if the medication in question is licensed for sale in Finland. You can also purchase medicines with an electronic prescription prescribed in Estonia, Croatia, Portugal, Poland or Spain. Prescriptions issued in countries other than other EU or EEA countries or Switzerland cannot be used to purchase medicines in Finland.
Taking medicines abroad
You can normally take all prescription and self-administered medicines with you when you travel.
Bringing medicines to Finland
You can bring prescription and self-administered medicines for personal use to Finland from abroad with certain restrictions.
Buying medicines online
When certain requirements are met, medicines can be bought online in Finland and from an online pharmacy operating in another EU country. It is illegal to order medicines from sources outside the EU and EEA countries.
Medicinal treatment in Finland
Medication is a part of your health services. In Finland, medication can be prescribed by doctors and, if certain requirements are met, nurses to whom the National Supervisory Authority for Welfare and Health (Valvira) has granted a limited prescription right.
Pharmacies in Finland
Only pharmacies are entitled to sell medicines in Finland. Some sparsely populated areas also include pharmacy service points where you can purchase prescription and self-administered medication. A pharmacy can be owned by a Master of Science in Pharmacy with a corresponding legal permit.
Finnish prescriptions
In Finland, prescriptions are in electronic format. You can purchase medication prescribed to you at any pharmacy by presenting a patient guide, Kela card or personal identification.