Prescriptions and pharmacies in Bulgaria

Healthcare · Last reviewed: 2026-08-23

The chain: from doctor to box

If you want the system in one sentence: the doctor CREATES the prescription, the system STORES it, the pharmacist DISPENSES it, and — where the medicine is reimbursed — the fund PAYS its share. At each of those steps all that is required of you is identification; carrying paper is now your choice, not the system's requirement.

1. 1

   Consultation: the prescription is created

   Electronic prescriptions are generated at the moment of the examination and sent to the National Health Information System, where they receive a unique national reference number. Asking is my prescription in the system and can I have the reference number before you leave the room secures the next step.
2. 2

   Pharmacy: the prescription is found

   The pharmacist checks the national system for an issued electronic prescription using the patient's identifier and the date of issue. Every prescription also carries a 2D barcode, so it can be scanned and dispensed without supplying further information.
3. 3

   Validation

   Real-time electronic validation of prescriptions is in force and integrated with the national health information system. The pharmacist therefore sees on screen whether a prescription is valid and whether it has already been dispensed.
4. 4

   Partial dispensing

   Not every prescription can be dispensed in one go; the rules allow partial dispensing, and pharmacy software has been updated so a pharmacist can see when a prescription has not been fully dispensed. The missing item can be completed at another pharmacy — the system tracks it.
5. 5

   Payment and receipt

   For a reimbursed medicine you pay your share and the fund pays the rest. Ask for a receipt for every payment; it is the only thing that will support a later objection or accounting entry.

Types of prescription and what each means

The two most commonly confused ideas are prescription-only and reimbursed. They are different: a medicine may be sold only on prescription and still receive no contribution from the fund. The distinction below determines what you pay at the counter.

Chronic conditions: the protocol regime

Expensive medicinal products paid fully or partly from public funds for home treatment of certain chronic and severe diseases are prescribed by electronic protocol. Such products on the positive medicines list are obtained after an expert opinion by a specialised commission at a healthcare facility. Protocols are reviewed in different places depending on the group: one group by a commission at the fund's central office, another by a commission at the regional structure, and a third depending on the disease.

The practical lesson: when your chronic medicine is running out, do not sprint to the pharmacy — plan backwards. A protocol has a validity period and must be renewed when it expires, and renewal involves an expert opinion, review by a commission and approval. Start the process weeks before the last box is opened, not on the day it is. This is the single most common trap for people with chronic conditions here, and it is entirely avoidable.

What to ask at the counter

• •Is there an equivalent with the same active ingredient from another manufacturer, and what is the price difference? A generic equivalent often gives the same treatment for a smaller co-payment.
• •How much do I pay, and who pays the rest? For a reimbursed product these two figures should be asked separately.
• •Has my prescription been fully dispensed, or is something outstanding? With partial dispensing this must be known.
• •Does this medicine require a protocol? If it does, the pharmacy cannot dispense it without approval and will send you back to the doctor.
• •How is it stored? For products needing refrigeration this question is the only way to preserve the effect.
• •Does it interact with my other medicines? The pharmacist is a free and competent source on this, and almost nobody uses it.

On-call pharmacies and opening hours

Pharmacy opening hours vary; larger cities have night pharmacies while smaller settlements run a rota. This article does NOT give you the name or hours of any particular pharmacy, because that information differs by locality and changes week to week, and a wrong opening time means a wasted trip in the middle of the night. Instead, do this today: find the two pharmacies nearest your home, photograph the opening-hours sign on the door, and save the address of the nearest night pharmacy in your phone. Five minutes today saves a night later.

Hospital pharmacies are a separate category and generally dispense the medicines used inside the hospital; for an outpatient's routine prescription the right address is a city pharmacy. Medicines used during inpatient treatment belong to the treatment package and are not sold to the patient separately — if a hospital asks you to buy a medicine outside, ask in writing whether it falls within the package.

Medicines brought from another country

Carrying a reasonable quantity of medicine for your own treatment is ordinary, but prepare three things. First, carry them in the original packaging with the leaflet; loose tablets cause problems both at the border and at the counter. Second, keep a doctor-signed document listing the medicines and doses you take — it is useful at a check and at your first appointment here. Third, medicines containing narcotic or psychotropic substances are under a SPECIAL regime, with quantity limits, documentary requirements and additional country-specific conditions. If you use such a medicine, check the current requirements with the relevant health and customs authorities before you travel; I have my prescription with me is not always enough.

Antibiotics and self-treatment

Antibiotics are prescription medicines and should not be expected over the counter. Do not read this as bureaucratic friction: unnecessary use breeds resistance and can render treatment useless when you have a genuine infection later. Equally, using antibiotics left over from before for a similar complaint is a common but harmful habit. If you have symptoms, see your GP; choosing and using a GP is covered in [choosing a GP](/bilgi/bulgaristan-aile-hekimi-secme).

Frequently asked questions

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