Key Takeaways
Patients in the Netherlands now have clearer control over their medication journeys thanks to dedicated portals. One platform lets you monitor the status of prescriptions ready for pickup. Another lets you view and share your full medical information with your doctor or pharmacist. At the same time, the European Union guarantees cross-border healthcare rights, and global initiatives led by the World Health Organization emphasise reducing medication-related harm.
Together, these tools and rights enable greater transparency, empower patients, and place safety at the heart of care.
Story & Details
A portal for prescription status
In the Netherlands, one tool—MijnReceptLocatie—offers patients a live look at whether their medications are ready for pickup. It’s the official Dutch tracking portal for prescriptions. You can log in and see the status of your prescription—from “ordered” to “ready” to “picked up”.
This move replaces uncertainty with clarity and reduces phone calls to the pharmacy.
Viewing and sharing your medical data
Yet access doesn’t stop there. With the portal MijnGezondheid.net, patients in the Netherlands can view their medical records, order repeat prescriptions, send messages to their physician, and share data with pharmacies or GPs at their discretion.
This means your medication overview, lab results, documents and appointment data can live all in one secure digital space.
Rights beyond national borders
If you are an EU citizen seeking healthcare in another member state, the European Commission provides clarity on your rights via its “Patients’ Rights in Cross-Border Healthcare” overview. It explains when treatment abroad is covered, how reimbursement works, and what you need to know to receive care outside your home country.
The global dimension: medication safety
Globally, the WHO campaign titled “Medication Without Harm” responds to the fact that unsafe medication practices and errors remain a major source of preventable harm. Their goal: to reduce severe avoidable medication-related harm by 50 % in five years. They call on patients, health professionals and systems to act together.
Why this matters
When you can see exactly what’s happening with your medications, you’re no longer a passive recipient—you’re actively involved. And when you can access your medical data across platforms and borders, you’re better equipped to ask questions, compare treatments and avoid surprises. Finally, when global campaigns set the bar for safety, everyone benefits.
Conclusions
Digital tools are transforming the way we access medications and healthcare information. In the Netherlands, platforms like MijnReceptLocatie and MijnGezondheid.net give patients more visibility and control. Across Europe, rights frameworks ensure the same standard of care abroad. And globally, medication safety initiatives from the WHO raise the bar for what we expect from our health systems.
Health-care is no longer a series of isolated transactions; it’s a connected ecosystem in which you play a central role.
Sources
- MijnReceptLocatie — Dutch prescription status tracking portal: https://www.mijnreceptlocatie.nl/
(Access verified: public, institutional domain) - MijnGezondheid.net — Dutch digital platform for viewing and sharing medical data: https://home.mijngezondheid.net/nl/mogelijkheden/bekijk-uw-medische-gegevens/
(Access verified: institutional) - European Commission — Patients’ Rights in Cross-Border Healthcare (overview): https://health.ec.europa.eu/cross-border-healthcare/overview_en
(Access verified: EU-government domain) - WHO: Medication Without Harm (YouTube video): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MWUM7LIXDeA
(Global access, published by WHO channel, verified HTTP 200)
Appendix
MijnReceptLocatie
A Dutch digital portal that lets patients monitor the status of their prescriptions from the point of ordering to pickup.
MijnGezondheid.net
A secure online environment in the Netherlands allowing patients to view their health information, communicate with care providers, and manage appointments and medications.
European Commission Patients’ Rights in Cross-Border Healthcare
A policy framework ensuring European Union citizens’ rights when receiving healthcare in other EU member states, including reimbursement and documentation rules.
Medication Without Harm
The third Global Patient Safety Challenge led by the WHO; aimed at reducing medication-related errors and unsafe practices worldwide by 50 % within five years.
Cross-border healthcare
The process and rights by which patients seek and receive healthcare services in a member state other than their home country, under agreed EU rules.
My Diary - Leonardo Cardillo 