The route to a prescription · Austria
Cannabis on prescription in Austria
Cannabis flower may not be prescribed in Austria. What is possible is dronabinol as a magistral (pharmacy-compounded) preparation and three approved finished medicines.
A German flower prescription is not valid in Austria, and the flower may not be brought in either. Anyone promising you otherwise is selling you a risk.
The short answer to “where do I get this”: from your GP. In Austria any doctor may prescribe dronabinol on a Suchtgiftrezept (narcotics prescription) — no specialist, no additional qualification and no specialist practice is needed. That is also why there is no directory of doctors here: there would be nothing to list that you do not already have. What counts is the preparation of the conversation — and that the pharmacy compounds the preparation.
The law first, because everything hangs on it
§ 14 Z 3 Suchtgiftverordnung prohibits prescribing “preparations made from … cannabis” and allows exactly two exceptions: cannabis extract preparations authorised as a medicinal product, and the active substance delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol isolated from cannabis extracts with a standardised purity of more than 95 % for magistral preparations.
Three things follow from that, and all three are regularly misrepresented online: there are no Austrian cannabis flowers on prescription. A German flower prescription is not valid here, and the flower may not be brought in either. And an online provider who promises you an Austrian flower prescription is promising something that the Suchtgiftverordnung does not permit.
The steps
Record the history and the goal
As everywhere: which standard therapies, for how long, with what result. For the insurer's later authorisation this is the decisive part of the file, not an afterthought.
Speak to a doctor
Any doctor, on a Suchtgiftrezept (narcotics prescription) with its Suchtgiftvignette sticker.
No register of doctors who prescribe cannabinoids exists in Austria — and the medical chamber points out explicitly that the entries on special services are self-declared and are not verified.
So no specialist practice is needed. Realistically it is your GP, the specialist treating you, or a pain clinic. We deliberately publish no directory of doctors for Austria — why, is set out here. How to prepare for the conversation is in the section on the conversation with the doctor.
The Suchtgiftrezept
Suchtgiftrezept with vignette.
Governed by §§ 17 ff. Suchtgiftverordnung.
The pharmacy that compounds it
Dronabinol is a magistral preparation: the pharmacy makes it up to the formula, usually as capsules (NRF 22.7) or as an oily solution (NRF 22.8). Not every pharmacy does this itself; many source it from a compounding pharmacy. No directory of these pharmacies exists in Austria — Pharmacies in Austria sets out how to find out in two minutes on the telephone whether yours does it.
The authorisation, if the insurer is to pay
Possible, but subject to prior authorisation: in the Erstattungskodex (reimbursement code), dronabinol is tied to approval by the insurer's medical officer.
Sativex and Epidyolex sit in the yellow area of the Erstattungskodex (box Y, RE1) and therefore also require authorisation, each with its own rule text. Canemes is not listed in the Erstattungskodex and is reimbursed only in justified individual cases. We re-check each box status separately before every publication; they change monthly.
In full, with the procedure and what the application should say: Costs in Austria.
What actually exists in Austria
Four entries, all from the official register or from the legal basis — no recommendation, no ranking by suitability.
| Preparation | Active substance / form | Authorisation | Reimbursement |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sativex Spray zur Anwendung in der Mundhöhle | Nabiximols · Spray zur Anwendung in der Mundhöhle, Lösung | 1-30703 · as at Diese Packungsbeilage wurde zuletzt überarbeitet im April 2026. (Gültigkeitsdatum des Dokuments im BASG-Register: 2026-04-24) | Im Erstattungskodex gelistet — rule text on the cost page |
| Canemes 1 mg Kapseln | Nabilon · Hartkapsel | 1-31358 · as at Diese Packungsbeilage wurde zuletzt überarbeitet im August 2025. (Gültigkeitsdatum des Dokuments im BASG-Register: 2025-08-28) | Nicht im Erstattungskodex gelistet — rule text on the cost page |
| Epidyolex 100 mg/ml Lösung zum Einnehmen | Cannabidiol · Lösung zum Einnehmen | EU/1/19/1389/001-002 | Im Erstattungskodex gelistet — rule text on the cost page |
| Dronabinol (magistrale Zubereitung) | Dronabinol ((-)-trans-Delta-9-Tetrahydrocannabinol) · Magistrale Zubereitung – laut Bericht des Gesundheitsministeriums: „Rezeptiert werden magistrale Zubereitungen in Form von Tropfen oder Kapseln.“ | No authorisation — magistral preparation | Bewilligungspflichtig im Gelben Bereich — rule text on the cost page |
Indications and warnings are in the respective patient information leaflet, which we link to directly here. We do not reproduce them and we do not assess them — which preparation is right for you is your doctor's decision.
Review note: the last two columns quote the Austrian register and the Erstattungskodex word for word. They are left in German on purpose — this is legal text, and a translation would put words into the register's mouth.
Further reading
Driving in Austria — there is no limit, and that is not an advantage · All the facts on Austria, with sources · A German prescription in Austria — is that possible?