Prescriptions and Pharmacies in Catalonia: E-Prescriptions and Copays
How the electronic prescription works at any Catalan pharmacy, what share of the price you pay, what happens with EU or foreign prescriptions and how to find a pharmacy at night.
Public prescriptions in Catalonia are electronic: your doctor adds the medicine to your record and any pharmacy in Catalonia dispenses it when you show your TSI health card and medication plan. As of November 2026, CatSalut charges working-age patients 40%, 50% or 60% of the price depending on income, and pensioners 10% with a monthly cap.
How does the electronic prescription work?
The recepta electrònica (electronic prescription) runs in all primary care centers (CAP), public hospitals and every pharmacy in Catalonia, according to CatSalut. There is no paper slip to carry. Instead you get a Pla de medicació (medication plan), a document listing each medicine with dose, frequency and planned duration, which you can also see online in La Meva Salut.
- Your doctor prescribes and the treatment is added to your plan.
- At the pharmacy, hand over your TSI card and your latest medication plan.
- The pharmacist sees which packs are available to dispense now.
- You pay your share; the rest is covered by CatSalut.
- When a long-term treatment runs out, contact your CAP by phone, e-consultation or in person to renew it.
The system does not yet cover some cases, including patients without a TSI, people covered by civil-servant mutual funds such as MUFACE, and some custom-made preparations. If you do not have a card yet, see our guide to the CatSalut TSI card.
How much do you pay for medicines?
Your share (aportació) depends on whether you are a pensioner and on the income in your last tax return. The table below is what CatSalut lists on its copayment page as of November 2026:
| Group and annual income | Share of the price | Monthly cap |
|---|---|---|
| Workers, under €18,000 | 40% | None listed |
| Workers, €18,000 to €100,000 | 50% | None listed |
| Workers, €100,000 or more | 60% | None listed |
| Pensioners, under €18,000 | 10% | €8.23 |
| Pensioners, €18,000 to €100,000 | 10% | €18.52 |
| Pensioners, €100,000 or more | 60% | €61.75 |
| Exempt groups | 0% | – |
With the electronic prescription, the percentage applies to each pack dispensed under your plan. If you pay more than a cap allows, CatSalut has a procedure to request a refund of the excess.
What changes with the 2026 copay reform?
Real Decreto-ley 11/2026, in force since 14 May 2026 and confirmed by Congress on 28 May, rewrote the national copay rules. It adds income bands and caps for lower earners:
- Workers under €9,000: 40%, capped at €8.23 a month.
- Workers €9,000 to €18,000: 40%, capped at €18.52.
- Workers €18,000 to €35,000: 45%, capped at €61.75.
- Workers €35,000 to €60,000: 45%; €60,000 to €100,000: 50%; €100,000 or more: 60%, all without a cap.
- Pensioners: 10%, with caps of €8.23 (under €18,000), €13.37 (€18,000 to €60,000) and €18.52 (€60,000 to €100,000); 60% capped at €61.75 from €100,000.
The decree also exempts pensioners who receive the minimum pension supplement. CatSalut’s page, updated in July 2026, says the new measures are not yet applied in general, apart from the newly exempt groups, and that the page is under review. Your level is set automatically from tax data, so you do not need to apply.
Groups exempt from paying include people receiving non-contributory pensions or the minimum living income (ingreso mínimo vital), the long-term unemployed who have lost their benefit, and treatment for workplace accidents and occupational illness.
Can you use a prescription from another country?
From another EU country, sometimes. Catalan pharmacies can dispense electronic prescriptions from countries connected to the European interoperability system, for medicines on the interoperable list. You pay 100% of the price, whatever your health cover, and must show an ID valid in your country. Narcotics, psychotropic drugs, hospital-only medicines and custom preparations are excluded, and nobody else can collect for you.
Prescriptions from outside that system, including from non-EU countries, are not covered by this route. For an ongoing treatment, the reliable route is to see a doctor in Catalonia, through your CAP or privately, who can prescribe locally. Bring the generic name and dose of each medicine. If you are visiting with an EHIC, see our guide on using an EHIC in Barcelona.
What can you buy without a prescription?
Pharmacies sell non-prescription medicines (medicaments sense recepta) such as common painkillers and cold remedies over the counter, and the pharmacist can advise you. Medicines that require a prescription in Spain, such as antibiotics, are only dispensed with one. If a medicine you use at home is prescription-only here, plan a doctor’s visit before you run out.
How do you find a pharmacy open at night?
- The Col·legi de Farmacèutics de Barcelona (COFB, the pharmacists’ association) runs the Farmaguia app, which shows the nearest open pharmacy and the duty pharmacies (farmàcies de guàrdia) for the province.
- Municipal websites in the metropolitan area publish their own duty calendars, usually as monthly lists.
- For medical advice at night, call 061 (Salut Respon). Our guide to urgent care in Barcelona explains when to use 061 or 112.
Bottom line
Keep a photo of your current medication plan on your phone, because the pharmacist uses it alongside the TSI and it helps any doctor who sees you. If you move to Catalonia on regular medication, book a CAP visit soon after your TSI arrives so your treatment is entered in the system before your supply runs out.
FAQ
Can someone else collect my medicines?
For EU cross-border prescriptions, no: the patient must collect in person. For Catalan e-prescriptions, CatSalut’s guide does not set this out, so ask your pharmacy what the other person should bring.
Do private doctors’ prescriptions get the public discount?
The CatSalut copay applies to medicines prescribed within the public system. Ask your private doctor or insurer how their prescriptions are paid.
Can I collect my medicines in another Spanish region?
CatSalut allows it in some cases, subject to conditions it publishes; check before you travel.
