Reimbursement of the cost of nurse prescribing courses

Reimbursement of the cost of nurse prescribing courses can be sought from the state. Reimbursement is only paid for nurses who pass the course and are consequently given prescribing rights.  

The Finnish Ministry of Social Affairs and Health issues a decree each year on the grounds on which reimbursement of the cost of nurse prescribing courses can be sought. The amount payable for each nurse who successfully completes the training is laid down in the Ministry of Social Affairs and Health’s decree. The amount varies from one year to the next.

Seeking reimbursement

Reimbursement can be sought by employers of nurses who take the nurse prescribing course. This includes local authorities, local strategic partnerships, health care clinics contracted by them as well as other providers of outpatient health care services. 

Reimbursement can be sought twice a year. The deadlines for submitting requests for reimbursement to Regional State Administrative Agencies are 30 September and 31 March. 

The September deadline applies to nurses who complete the nurse prescribing course between 1 January and 30 June.  

The March deadline applies to nurses who completed the course between 1 July and 31 December the previous year.  

It is the employer’s responsibility to ensure that their request reaches the correct Regional State Administrative Agency by the deadline. Late submissions are not considered.  

A special form has been prepared for seeking reimbursement. Supporting documents can be appended as necessary. A link to the form is provided at the bottom of this page.

The form must be accompanied by

  • documents showing the names of the nurses who have completed the training, when and where they took the course, the date on which they got their prescribing rights from the National Supervisory Authority for Welfare and Health and the amount of reimbursement sought,
  • copies of prescriber certificates issued by the National Supervisory Authority for Welfare and Health, and 
  • proof of payment of the course fee.

The request and the supporting documents should be sent to the Regional State Administrative Agency in whose jurisdiction the employer is established. Requests can be sent to the registry of the competent Regional State Administrative Agency by post or by email. A link to the contact information of Regional State Administrative Agencies’ registries is provided at the bottom of this page.

Regional State Administrative Agencies make decisions on requests during the year in which they are submitted. Employers can be asked to provide more information if necessary. The reimbursement is paid once a decision has been made on each request.

Regional State Administrative Agencies’ decisions are not open to appeal, but they can be challenged. The deadline for challenging a decision is 30 days from the receipt of the decision. Instructions for challenging decisions are appended to every decision.

Links to forms

Request for reimbursement of the cost of nurse prescribing courses (in Finnish)

Contact information for registries

Registry services

Links to legal texts

Decree of the Ministry of Social Affairs and Health on the Amount of Reimbursement Payable for the Cost of Nurse Prescribing Courses in 2020 (584/2020) (in Finnish)