In order to protect public health and maintain the appropriate availability of medicinal products for human use, the Ministry of Health of the Slovak Republic issued a decision regulating the dispensation of medicines ordered and supplied through the so-called emergent system.
The purpose of the decision of the MZ SR is to ensure that the medicine delivered via the emergent system is intended for dispensing only to the patient for whom it was ordered. If the dispensation is not made (for example due to failure to pick up the medicinal product), the pharmacy must re-sell the medicinal product to the wholesaler who supplied it within three working days after the expiry of the prescription or electronic prescription record. At the same time, it is the responsibility of the wholesaler to buy back such a medicinal product. The pharmacy must keep and keep records of the movement of these medicines so that their delivery, delivery and possible resale can be traced back.
This mechanism will ensure that critically unavailable medicinal products return to circulation in the absence of a particular patient and are available to other patients, do not remain blocked in the supplies of one pharmacy. The decision also supports the purpose of the emergent system - address and targeted provision of medicine for specific patients in the territory of the Slovak Republic, including persons fleeing from armed conflict, rather than creating additional stocks for further trade flows.
Decision of MZ SR takes effect 17 December 2025 - on the day following that of its publication on the website of the Ministry, and Expires on 30 June 2026. MZ SR may shorten, cancel or extend the validity period accordingly according to current developments. The decision is published on the website of MZ SR in part -Farmation--.
For most patients nothing changes. If a doctor prescribes a categorised medicine and it is ordered by the pharmacy via the emergent system, this means that the medicine is intended directly for a particular patient.
MZ SR issues a decision on the basis of Government Resolution No. 578 of 26 November 2025, according to which the Minister of Health is to take all steps immediately in accordance with Act No. 362/2011 Coll. on medicinal products and medical devices to maintain the availability of medicines ordered through the Information System for Extra Ordering of Medicinal Products (ISMOL) for patients in the territory of Slovakia. This measure of MZ SR concerns exclusively categorised medicines.