Suomi.fi e-Authorizations: Corona epidemic has increased the popularity of electronic authorisation for the use of pharmacy services on behalf of another person

During March, a total of 22,000 mandates for the use of pharmacy services were granted in the Suomi.fi e-Authorizations service. In total, some 50,000 electronic mandates for the use of pharmacy services on behalf of another person have been granted in the service since it was introduced in June 2019.

These mandates have been utilised approximately 55,000 times during pharmacy visits from June 2019. Of these, 9,500 transactions with mandates through e-Authorizations have taken place in March 2020.   

Electronic authorisation is an easy and safe option for helping close family, neighbours and friends

Due to the corona epidemic, people at risk and persons with symptoms typical of corona are advised to avoid the use of services outside their home. If a person belongs to these groups, they may grant a trusted relative or friend an electronic mandate to collect their prescription medicines from the pharmacy. The mandate is valid at all Finnish pharmacies.

You can authorise anyone from your spouse, relative, or friend to even a neighbour to collect your prescription medications on your behalf in Suomi.fi e-Authorizations. In the e-Authorizations service, you can specify the duration for which a mandate is valid, e.g. even just a single day. A mandate takes effect immediately. A mandate can also be cancelled.

The assignee granted this electronic mandate does not need to take the patient’s documents such as their Kela card or patient instructions with them to the pharmacy. The identity of the person with the electronic mandate is verified at the pharmacy by checking their passport, ID card or driving licence.

When at the pharmacy, the assignee should give the name of the person they are acting on behalf of and the name of the medicine they are picking up.

How to grant a mandate in Suomi.fi e-Authorizations 

• Identify yourself in the service with your online banking identification codes, a mobile certificate or a smart ID card at suomi.fi/valtuudet.
• In the menu, go to ”Give authorisation”.
• Add the name and the personal identity code of the person who you have authorised.
• Select Pharmacy services from the Authorisation category list and specify the mandate’s period of validity. 
• The assignee must identify themselves in Suomi.fi and accept the mandate request.
• Tell the person you have authorised your personal identity code and the names of the prescription medicines that you need.

In Suomi.fi e-Authorizations, you can check all the granted and received mandates for transactions. In addition, the service shows the mandate requests submitted and received that are only valid once validated. The service also shows the mandates whose period of validity has expired or those which have been removed prior to expiry.

Suomi.fi e-Authorizations in a nutshell

• In Suomi.fi e-Authorizations, a person or a company can grant another person or company a mandate, meaning the right to act on their behalf. In addition, a person or a company can request a mandate to act on behalf of another person or company.
• Nearly 7.5 million mandates have already been created in Suomi.fi e-Authorizations.
• Every month, more than 2.5 million transactions are carried out on behalf of another party with a mandate provided through the Suomi.fi e-Authorizations service.
• There are already more than 100 e-services that utilise the e-Authorizations service.  
• The granting of e-mandates for the use of pharmacy services on behalf of another person has been possible since June 2019. 
• The Digital and Population Data Services Agency (formerly the Population Register Centre) published the e-Authorizations service in 2017.