Germany extends e-prescription deadline to ease health care documentation burdens
Pharmacies and care facilities in Germany now have more time to adapt to new e-prescription rules. A temporary exemption allows them to use the placeholder 'STELLEN' instead of a batch number for blister-packed medications. The change follows an agreement between health insurers and pharmacists to ease documentation challenges in home care settings.
The issue began when health insurers warned they could reclaim payments if e-prescriptions lacked batch numbers, as required by Section 2, Paragraph 2, Annex 1 of the Billing Agreement. Recording these numbers proved difficult for blister-packed drugs, especially in home care.
To address this, the German Pharmacists’ Association (DAV) and the National Association of Statutory Health Insurance Funds (GKV-Spitzenverband) agreed on January 1, 2024, to allow 'STELLEN' as a temporary solution. Initially set to expire on June 30, 2025, the exemption was later extended to December 31, 2025. Health Minister Nina Warken (CDU) then intervened, securing a further extension. The placeholder rule will now remain in place until December 31, 2026, giving facilities additional time to comply with full documentation requirements.
The extended deadline provides relief for pharmacies and care providers struggling with batch number recording. Without this exemption, they risked financial penalties for incomplete e-prescription data. The final compliance date is now set for the end of 2026.
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