Online Prescriptions and Teleconsultations in Poland: How to Use Telemedicine Safely

Telemedicine in Poland is no longer a novelty — according to the "Telemedicine Through the Eyes of Poles" survey, 83% of Poles have used an online consultation at least once, and telemedicine platforms were recording over 3 million visits per month. In 2024, 521 million e-prescriptions were issued in Poland, and Statistics Poland (GUS) reports that 97.4% of all prescriptions were electronic. But the same market has a dark side: so-called "prescription mills" (receptomaty), fines from the Patient Ombudsman, and websites that "guarantee" a prescription without any doctor contact. This guide shows how to use telemedicine safely — and how to vet a platform before you pay.

What you can legally get online

Polish law has long allowed healthcare to be delivered "via ICT or communication systems". In practice, you can get online:

• an e-prescription — after a consultation, the doctor issues an electronic prescription you fill at any pharmacy with an SMS code or the mojeIKP app,
• a teleconsultation — a phone or video appointment, either through the public system (NFZ) or privately,
• an e-referral and e-sick leave — if the doctor finds them justified,
• continuation of treatment — renewing prescriptions for chronic medication.

The key word is "consultation". A legal online prescription is the result of a remote medical examination — a real-time interview where the doctor can ask questions and can refuse to prescribe. That is what separates telemedicine from the pathology described below.

Why patients choose online consultations

In the "Telemedicine Through the Eyes of Poles" survey, patients named four main reasons:

For residents of smaller towns, telemedicine is often the only realistic option — Erecept.pl reports that half of its patients came from municipalities under 50,000 residents.

The dark side of the market: prescription mills

A "receptomat" (prescription mill) is a website where the "consultation" is just an online questionnaire — the prescription appears without ever speaking to a doctor, sometimes within minutes. A 2024 report by the Polish Ministry of Health task force revealed the scale:

• the number of prescription mills grew from 3 entities in 2019 to 28 in 2023,
• questionnaire-based prescriptions grew from 583,000 to 2.85 million per year,
• over 1 million patients had used them,
• the value of medicines bought this way jumped from PLN 21.7 million to PLN 275 million (over 1,200% growth).

Why does it matter? A medicine chosen without a proper medical interview can mask a serious illness, cause dangerous interactions, or simply not work. Regulators responded: in 2025 the Patient Ombudsman issued 27 decisions finding that prescription mills violated collective patient rights, with fines totalling nearly half a million złoty. Since 7 November 2024, prescriptions for fentanyl, morphine, oxycodone and cannabis preparations (including medical marijuana) cannot be issued via teleconsultation — the first prescription requires an in-person examination, with a narrow exception for continuation of treatment in primary care.

7 red flags of a platform you should avoid

1. "Prescription in 5 minutes, no consultation" — no real-time contact with a doctor is the very definition of a prescription mill.
2. A guaranteed prescription — an honest doctor can refuse; a service that "guarantees" a prescription is selling a document, not treatment.
3. No doctor's name — you should know who will see you and be able to verify their licence (PWZ number) in the Polish Chamber of Physicians registry.
4. No company details — a legal provider is listed in Poland's RPWDL healthcare registry and publishes full company data in its terms of service.
5. Promising medicines excluded from teleconsultations — a site offering a first "online" prescription for medical marijuana or strong opioids operates against rules in force since November 2024.
6. Payment without an invoice, outside the platform — transfers to private accounts or "SMS payments" are alarm signals.
7. No medical records — after a consultation you have the right to access your records; if none exist, formally no healthcare service took place.

How to choose a platform: check before you pay

Poland's online-consultation market now counts dozens of platforms — from large medical operators to one-person websites. Prices can differ twofold, and quality differs even more. Instead of clicking the first ad, compare offers in one place.

That is what medranking.pl does — an independent ranking of telemedicine platforms in Poland. It compares e-prescription and teleconsultation providers by price, turnaround time, scope of services and patient reviews, with a publicly documented methodology — platforms with poor patient ratings drop to the bottom of the list regardless of price. Rankings are organised by topic, including:

• e-prescription platforms ranking — where an online prescription consultation is fastest and cheapest,
• teleconsultation ranking — full remote medical consultations,
• medical marijuana clinics ranking — the legal path to cannabis therapy, factoring in the in-person requirement for the first visit,
• hair-loss treatment platforms ranking — consultations and prescriptions for hair-growth medication.

If you are looking for a platform that does the job affordably and effectively — and legally — a comparison on medranking.pl is a good starting point: you see prices, reviews and scope side by side instead of trusting ads. Note the site is in Polish, as are the services it ranks.

FAQ

Is an online prescription legal in Poland?

Yes — provided it is preceded by a remote medical examination (a real-time interview) and issued by a licensed doctor working within a provider listed in the RPWDL registry. Issuing prescriptions based solely on a questionnaire is illegal.

Can I get an online prescription for medical marijuana?

Not for a first visit. Since 7 November 2024, the first prescription for cannabis preparations requires an in-person examination; teleconsultations are only allowed for strictly defined continuation of treatment. You can compare cannabis clinics in the medranking.pl ranking.

How do I verify a doctor before a consultation?

Search their name in the Central Registry of Physicians on the Polish Chamber of Physicians website (nil.org.pl), where you can check their licence number and specialisation.

How much does an online consultation cost?

Prices vary significantly between platforms and service categories — compare current price lists before choosing, e.g. in the e-prescription ranking.

What if I have been scammed by a dishonest service?

Report it to the Patient Ombudsman (free helpline 800 190 590) and — in case of financial fraud — to the police and the consumer protection office (UOKiK). Keep payment confirmations and all correspondence.

Telemedicine in your clinic

For clinics and practices, the takeaway from this data is simple: patients now expect online consultations and digital contact, but they also expect safety and transparency. Palyri helps facilities run booking, reminders and patient communication in one system — so modern service goes hand in hand with proper documentation.

Sources

• Centrum e-Zdrowia — Over 2.3 billion e-prescriptions issued, 2025
• Rynek Zdrowia — E-health in numbers 2024, 2025
• Statistics Poland (GUS) — Prescription drug sales in 2024, 2025
• Rynek Zdrowia — PLN 250M in prescription-mill medicines (MoH task force report), 2024
• NewsMed — Prescription mills under scrutiny: Patient Ombudsman fines, 2026
• Rynek Zdrowia / Erecept.pl — "Telemedicine Through the Eyes of Poles" survey, 2025
• medranking.pl — telemedicine platforms ranking