How much reimbursement can you get?
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Three reimbursement categories
The basic rate of reimbursement is 40% of a medicine’s sales price or reference price.
The lower special rate of reimbursement is 65% of a medicine’s sales price or reference price.
The higher special rate of reimbursement is 100% of a medicine’s sales price or reference price. However, you will still pay a copayment of EUR 4.50 each time you buy a medicine reimbursable at 100%.
Read about the medicines you can get reimbursement for.
You always pay part of the cost yourself
You can get a reimbursement for your medicine costs once you reach the initial deductible. The initial deductible applies to one calendar year at a time. It is EUR 70.
The initial deductible does not apply to children. It is applied from the beginning of the year in which a young person reaches the age of 19.
Any medicines, emollient creams or clinical nutrition products covered by the medicine reimbursement system that you purchase on prescription count towards the initial deductible.
If the sales price of the medicine is higher than the reference price, the part that exceeds the reference price does not count towards the initial deductible. Read about the reference price and generic substitution.
Kela and pharmacies have up-to-date information about how much you have paid towards the initial deductible. As soon as you have paid the EUR 70 initial deductible, you start getting reimbursement at the pharmacy.
Example of how your medicine costs count towards the initial deductible when buying medicines in different reimbursement categories
You buy 3 different medicines at the same time, and
- one of them costs EUR 25 and is reimbursed at the basic rate
- the second medicine costs EUR 20 and is reimbursed at the lower special rate, and
- the third costs EUR 105 and is reimbursed at the higher special rate.
Your medicine costs count towards the initial deductible in the following way:
- The medicine that is reimbursed at the basic rate costs EUR 25, all of which counts towards the initial deductible.
- The medicine that is reimbursed at the lower special rate costs EUR 20, all of which counts towards the initial deductible.
- You have now paid a total of EUR 45 towards the initial deductible.
- The medicine that is reimbursed at the higher special rate costs EUR 105, of which EUR 25 counts towards the initial deductible. At this point, you have reached the EUR 70 initial deductible.
- There is still EUR 80 left of the price of the medicine that is reimbursed at the higher special rate. You do not have to pay it, because you have reached the initial deductible and you now get a reimbursement for 100 % of the price of the medicine. You only pay a copayment of EUR 4.50.
- For this visit to the pharmacy, the price you pay for your medicines comes to a total of EUR 74.50 (the initial deductible + per-medicine copayment).
The annual maximum limit on out-of-pocket costs refers to the maximum amount that you have to pay for reimbursable medicines in one calendar year. In 2025, the annual maximum is EUR 633.17.
If you are entitled to a reimbursement at the higher special rate or you have met the annual maximum limit on out-of-pocket costs, there are certain situations in which you pay the copayment at an exceptional rate rather than the usual rate of EUR 4.50 per medicine.
The exceptional per-medicine copayment rate applies in situations where you cannot buy 3 months’ supply of the medicine at one time.
Read more about how often you can buy reimbursable medicines.
You pay the copayment at an exceptional rate when you buy
- an expensive medicine (medicines that are available in package sizes that cost more than EUR 1,000)
- a medicine that the pharmacy dispenses broken down into single doses
- clozapine, peritoneal dialysis solution or medical oxygen
- a medicine that is dispensed in several batches due to its short shelf-life
- a medicine that your doctor has ordered to be dispensed in several batches.
If you are reimbursed for the medicine at the higher special rate, the copayment is EUR 0.38 per week. If you have reached the annual maximum limit on out-of-pocket costs, the copayment is EUR 0.21 per week.
If you are paying the copayment at an exceptional rate, you must pay it separately for each week you buy the medicine.
The pharmacy offers you the medicine with the lowest price
The pharmacy must offer you the medicine with the most affordable price. If you wish, the pharmacy will switch your medicine for a less expensive option. This is called generic substitution.
Substituting a medicine with a generic one is safe. When your medicine is switched for a generic medicine, the generic medicine contains the same amount of the same active ingredient as the medicine you were originally prescribed.
A reference price has been set for some medicines that have alternatives
If a reference price has been set for a generic substitute, you will only get reimbursement according to the reference price. The list of medicines included in the generic substitution system and the reference prices are updated four times a year.
If you decline generic substitution of a medicinal product, the pharmacy will sell you the medicine that the doctor prescribed to you. If the price of that medicine is higher than the reference price, you will have to pay not only the copayment but also the part of the price exceeding the reference price. The exceeding part does not count towards the initial deductible or the annual maximum limit on out-of-pocket costs.
If your doctor has ruled out generic substitution, you get reimbursement based on the full sales price of the medicine. In that case, the part exceeding the reference price will also count towards the initial deductible and the annual maximum on out-of-pocket costs.
You have the right to use a specific biologic medicine with the same trade name consecutively for a period of 6 months. During that time, you will be reimbursed for the full price of the medicine, even if it exceeds the reference price. The pharmacy may not substitute a cheaper equivalent medicine until after 6 months of continuous use of the specific biologic medicine with the same name. The pharmacy may also substitute the medicine if you are starting biologic medication or your last purchase of the medicine was 6 months ago or more.
However, substitution is not possible if the person taking the biologic medicine is under 18 years of age.
Aside from these exceptions, the principles governing generic substitution also apply to biologic medicines.
Look up generic alternatives and reference prices for your medicines
Expensive medicines
If you are purchasing an expensive medicine, you can get a reimbursement for a maximum of 1 month’s supply of the medicine at a time. A medicine is considered expensive if it is available in a package that costs more than EUR 1,000.
Example of what counts as expensive medicine
A package of 30 tablets costs EUR 800, and a package of 100 tablets costs EUR 2,500. Both packages are considered expensive, because the medicine is available in a package that costs more than EUR 1,000.
With special permission you can buy a 3 months’ supply of an expensive medicine and be reimbursed for the costs directly at the pharmacy.
Contact us if having to visit a pharmacy every month is particularly difficult for you. We will then investigate whether it would be possible to grant you special permission. With the special permission you can buy a 3 months’ supply of an expensive medicine and be reimbursed for the costs directly at the pharmacy.
Kela decides on the special permission on the basis of your overall situation. Special permission is not granted solely on account of a severe illness or because the nearest pharmacy is far away.
You can get the permission for a single purchase only, or for a longer period of time. In the latter case, the permission usually covers the time for which the prescription is valid.
How to apply for special permission
- Call Kela’s customer service (020 634 2650) or send a message in OmaKela (available in Finnish and Swedish).
- Tell us why you need special permission to buy an expensive medicine for more than one month’s use.
- We will notify you when the matter has been determined.
- If you are granted special permission, you can then buy the medicine at the pharmacy of your choice. The pharmacy has information about the special permission.
Dose dispensing
Dose dispensing is a service by which you get the medicines you regularly use delivered from a pharmacy or hospital pharmacy, divided up into single doses.
You will usually receive a 2 weeks’ supply of the medicine. This means that you will not be left with a large number of unused medicines if your medication is changed.
The dose dispensing service starts after your doctor has agreed on it with you.
You can get reimbursements for dose-dispensed medicines in the same way as for all other medicines.
If your medicine is reimbursed at the higher special rate or you have met the annual maximum limit on out-of-pocket costs, you pay the copayment at an exceptional rate.
Pharmacies add a dispensing fee to the price of all medicines. For dose-dispensed medicines, the dispensing fee is EUR 0.20 per week. If you get a reimbursement for a medicine, you will also get a reimbursement for the dispensing fee.
You can get a reimbursement for the dose-dispensing fee if
- you are 75 years or older
- when the dose dispensing starts, you have at least 6 medicines that are suitable for dose dispensing and covered by the reimbursement system
- a doctor has checked that you are not taking any incompatible or redundant medicines
- a doctor has found dose dispensing necessary and has made an additional note of "annosjakelu" (dose dispensing) on your prescription.
Pharmacies are free to price the dose-dispensing services they offer.
You can get a reimbursement of 40% of the dose-dispensing fee charged by the pharmacy. However, the maximum amount of reimbursement is EUR 1.26 per week. The reimbursement is usually provided to you directly at the pharmacy.
The part of the dose-dispensing fee that you have to pay yourself does not count towards the initial deductible or the annual maximum limit on out-of-pocket costs. Additional reimbursement is also not available for it.
Kela does not provide reimbursements for dose dispensing arranged by the wellbeing service counties.