Home or local delivery of hospital medicines by region

Key rules

• No national scheme: Home delivery and pharmacy collection depend on your region and often your hospital.
• Who decides: The hospital pharmacist decides whether you qualify, case by case.
• Who is often excluded: New treatments, frequent monitoring and special-handling drugs are often left out.
• Where to ask: Start with your own hospital pharmacy, then your regional health service website.

Schemes change and vary by hospital, so confirm what is available and whether you qualify with your hospital pharmacy or regional health service before relying on it.

Is home delivery available where you live?

It depends on your region and often on your hospital. There is no single national scheme. Some hospitals deliver certain medicines to your home. Some regions let you collect at a community pharmacy. Others only offer collection at the hospital pharmacy.

Schemes have run in regions including Andalucía, Catalonia, Madrid, Valencia, Galicia, Castilla y León, the Basque Country and Navarra. Many run hospital by hospital, or for specific treatments, rather than across a whole region. Do not assume that a scheme in one region exists in yours.

Who is usually eligible?

Each hospital or region sets its own rules, and the hospital pharmacist decides case by case. Common conditions are:

• You are stable on a long-term treatment and do not need a clinical check each time you collect.
• The medicine is safe to transport and store.
• You consent to the service and have a valid address, or a nearby pharmacy that takes part.

You are often excluded if you are starting a new treatment, need frequent monitoring, or take a drug that needs special handling.

Collection at a community pharmacy

Some regions have tested or set up collection at an ordinary local pharmacy. These are usually limited projects, run under agreements between the health service and the pharmacy colleges. They often cover only selected medicines and certain areas. Your medicine may be on the list even if your town is not covered, so ask.

How to find out for your case

1. Ask your hospital pharmacy service at your next visit. They know the local scheme and can tell you if you qualify.
2. Contact the patient information service of your hospital (Atención al Paciente) if the pharmacy cannot help.
3. Look at the website of your regional health service, in its pharmacy (farmacia) or patient information pages. Examples are SAS in Andalucía, CatSalut in Catalonia, Sermas in Madrid, SERGAS in Galicia, Osakidetza in the Basque Country and SESCAM in Castilla-La Mancha.
4. For binding rules, check your region's official gazette.

The options below help you compare collection at the hospital, home delivery and a community pharmacy. The questions below it cover eligibility and where to find current rules.

Choosing between options

How do you want to get your hospital medicine?

• Collect at the hospital pharmacy: Your region or hospital has no scheme, you are starting a new drug, or you need regular checks at each collection.

• Home delivery: Your hospital runs a delivery programme for your treatment, you are stable on a long-term drug, it can be transported and stored safely, and you give consent and a valid address.

• Collect at a community pharmacy: Your region has an agreement with local pharmacies covering your drug and area, and your hospital pharmacist agrees you do not need a check each time.

Ask your hospital pharmacy which schemes exist for your region and your specific drug. The hospital pharmacist decides case by case, so choose home delivery or community-pharmacy collection only if they approve you.

Frequently asked questions

Who is usually eligible for home delivery of hospital medicines?

Eligibility is set by each hospital or region, and the hospital pharmacist decides case by case. Stable patients on a long-term treatment who do not need a check at every collection are the most common fit. People starting a new drug, needing frequent monitoring, or taking special-handling medicines are often left out.

Can I collect my hospital medicine at a community pharmacy near me?

Only in some regions and only for selected drugs and areas, so ask your hospital pharmacy first. Projects of this kind have run in places such as Andalucía, Galicia, Castilla y León, Madrid, Valencia and Catalonia, usually through agreements with the pharmacy colleges. There is no national scheme.

Where do I find the current delivery rules for my region?

Start with your regional health service website, in its pharmacy (farmacia) or patient information pages. Then ask your own hospital's pharmacy service or its patient information office (Atención al Paciente) to confirm what applies to you. Binding rules are published in the regional official gazette.