Getting and renewing prescriptions

It covers the first prescription after you arrive, electronic and private prescriptions, long-term renewals, and whether a pharmacy will accept a prescription from your home country. It also covers controlled medicines, including ADHD and psychiatric treatment, and using your prescriptions when you move between regions. If you need help reading a Spanish prescription sheet or hospital discharge report, there is a page for that too.

It is for anyone thinking about, planning or carrying out a move to Spain.

Start with "How Spanish electronic prescriptions (receta electrónica) work". It explains the route from doctor to pharmacy, and the other pages build on it. If you have just arrived and need medicine soon, go next to "Getting your first Spanish prescription after arriving".

Registering for a health card, moving your medical records and bringing physical medicines across the border are covered elsewhere.

Key rules

• Private prescriptions: A private prescription is paid in full, as no public subsidy applies, and most private insurers do not reimburse medicines bought at the pharmacy.
• Narcotic prescriptions: A narcotic prescription covers at most 30 days of treatment and must be written by a doctor registered in Spain.
• Chronic treatment plan: A treatment plan for a chronic condition can run for up to 1 year, with each dispensation covering up to 3 months.
• Prescription validity: An ordinary prescription is valid for 10 days from the day it is issued or from the start date the doctor sets.
• Renewal lead time: Ask for a renewal 7 to 10 days before your medicine runs out, as doctors usually take a few working days to process it.
• Foreign prescriptions: A prescription from outside the EU is not normally accepted by Spanish pharmacies, so you need a new prescription from a doctor in Spain, public or private.

Getting and renewing prescriptions: the whole process, step by step

• Get your health card and a assigned GP, then learn how electronic prescriptions work (How Spanish electronic prescriptions (receta electrónica) work): Once you are registered; the card can take days to weeks

• Book your first GP appointment (Getting your first Spanish prescription after arriving): Usually several days to two weeks after the card is issued, longer in some regions

• Fill an ordinary prescription at the pharmacy with your health card: Within 10 days of the day it is issued or the start date the doctor sets

• Fill a narcotic prescription (Controlled medicines in Spain and why a foreign prescription is not enough): Covers at most 30 days of treatment

• Ask for a renewal of a long-term prescription (Renewing long-term prescriptions without a full appointment): 7 to 10 days before your medicine runs out

• Keep collecting chronic medicine from the pharmacy against your treatment plan: Each dispensation covers up to 3 months, for up to 1 year

• Have your GP review the treatment plan: When the plan ends, or when your health changes; usually at least once a year

Documents you may need

• A prescription from a doctor — Prescriptions from a private doctor, paid at full price, Controlled medicines in Spain and why a foreign prescription is not enough
• Medication sheet — Reading a Spanish prescription and hospital discharge report
• Hospital discharge report — Reading a Spanish prescription and hospital discharge report
• Your identification on the prescription — Prescriptions from a private doctor, paid at full price
• The prescriber's name — Prescriptions from a private doctor, paid at full price
• Electronic prescription for a narcotic — Controlled medicines in Spain and why a foreign prescription is not enough
• Official stupefacient prescription form — Controlled medicines in Spain and why a foreign prescription is not enough
• Health card — Reading a Spanish prescription and hospital discharge report

Getting and renewing prescriptions: questions that cross several articles

Can I get a public prescription before my health card arrives?

Generally no, because public prescriptions are tied to your health card and assigned GP. Urgent care can still treat you and may issue a prescription, and some regions give a temporary document. Read Getting your first Spanish prescription after arriving, and Prescriptions from a private doctor, paid at full price for the paid route.

How can I get medicine while I wait for my first GP appointment?

You can use urgent care, a private doctor or online private consultation, or ask a pharmacy about medicines sold without a prescription. Your pharmacist may sometimes give an emergency supply of chronic medicine. See Getting your first Spanish prescription after arriving, and Will a Spanish pharmacy accept your foreign prescription? for EU prescriptions.

How long will I wait for a first GP appointment?

Waits for a non-urgent first appointment are usually several days to two weeks, and longer in some cities and regions. The card itself can also take days to weeks. Plan ahead using Getting your first Spanish prescription after arriving, and read Using your prescriptions when you move between regions if you move.

Do I need to ask for a renewal if my treatment plan is still active?

No, you do not need to ask when your electronic treatment plan is still active, because the pharmacy dispenses against it with your health card. If the plan is ending, request a renewal by portal, app or phone. Read How Spanish electronic prescriptions (receta electrónica) work, then Renewing long-term prescriptions without a full appointment.