How to send a prescription to a French pharmacy online
The change should save you a journey as you will now only have to visit the pharmacy to pick up the prescription
Users of France’s online healthcare space are now able to send prescriptions to a pharmacy from the comfort of their homes.
Residents who have the online Mon espace santé space can use its messaging system to send prescriptions in advance to pharmacies, meaning they will only need to pick up the medication when it arrives.
Assurance Maladie say the new service will bring “fast, smooth, and above all secure exchanges,” between patients and pharmacists.
On top of this, they also say it will allow pharmacies to “anticipate the preparation of, dispensing, and the ordering of drugs or medical devices,” as well as give “more time for patient advice and support.”
It is part of a raft of digital health changes in France and works in tandem with the recent update that allows doctors to provide online prescriptions through the healthcare space.
How does it work?
The service is only available to those who have the Mon Espace Santé healthcare space, which has been available in France since January 2022.
If you do not already have an account with the service, you can create one either using the smartphone app of the same name or using the website here and clicking on the Activer Mon Espace Santé button.
You will need information from your carte Vitale to sign up, alongside an email address.
Read also: What is a carte Vitale and why do I need one in France?
Read also: France mulls merging ID and health cards: How could new plan work?
Once you have logged in, there is a section called ‘documents’, where you will find healthcare documents either uploaded by yourself or sent directly to you from other healthcare professionals.
From here, you will be able to forward these documents to a pharmacy of your choice, either by searching for a specific pharmacy or using one suggested by the application.
Authorities say the messaging system used by the online space is more secure and confidential than alternative online means of communication.
It is possible that not all pharmacies currently have the ability to receive prescriptions digitally, as they need some specialist equipment to do so.
As of now, not all healthcare professionals themselves can send prescriptions digitally, although Health Minister François Braun has said efforts will be made to increase the digital skills of those in the sector.
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