Short Answer
German doctors prescribe medication based on the "Wirkstoff" (active ingredient) rather than international brand names.
To receive an equivalent prescription, you must provide the specific chemical composition of your foreign medication.
What Most Expats Don't Realize
You showed your doctor a brand-name box from Japan and expected them to recognize the packaging and provide the same thing. The doctor couldn't find a direct match in their database and prescribed a different class of drug that didn't work for you. You lost the cost of the appointment and the €10 co-payment for the wrong medicine because you didn't have the chemical "Wirkstoff" name ready in Latin or English.
What To Do
- Bring the original packaging or the package insert (leaflet) from your foreign medication to the appointment.
- Download a translation of the active ingredients if the box is only labeled in a non-Latin script.
- "Hier ist der Wirkstoff meiner bisherigen Medikamente." (Here is the active ingredient of my previous medication.) Show this to the doctor while pointing at the chemical name on the box.
The Truth
The system is localized to European pharmaceutical standards. Many foreign brands do not exist in Germany, so the chemical name is the only universal language the doctor can use to find a match.