Yes. Paper prescriptions remain valid. The new phase of Brazil's National Prescription Control System (SNCR), scheduled to begin on September 30, 2026, does not make electronic prescribing mandatory and does not eliminate physical prescription forms. The main change is the opening of a new route: certain prescriptions may be issued electronically through prescribing systems integrated with the SNCR, while paper remains available under the rules that apply to each prescription type.
There is a second important date. For Special Control Prescriptions and prescriptions subject to retention that are issued electronically, which Anvisa groups in its explanation as white prescriptions, there will be a transition period through October 29. Starting October 30, 2026, if one of these white prescriptions is electronic, it must be integrated with the SNCR. This does not make electronic prescribing mandatory: the paper alternative remains available.
What changes on September 30 and October 30
| Date | What changes | What does not change |
|---|---|---|
| September 30, 2026 | The new SNCR phase begins with electronic issuance and control functions. Prescription Notifications A, B and B2, as well as those for systemic retinoids and thalidomide, may be issued electronically under Anvisa's models and requirements. Special Control Prescriptions and prescriptions subject to retention also enter the new electronic flow. | Paper prescriptions do not cease to exist, and electronic issuance does not become mandatory for everyone. |
| Through October 29, 2026 | For white prescriptions, paper prescriptions, electronic prescriptions not yet integrated with the SNCR, and electronic prescriptions already integrated with the system may coexist. | Services and prescribers may adopt the electronic route as their systems become ready. |
| Starting October 30, 2026 | A white prescription that is issued electronically must be integrated with the SNCR. | A paper white prescription remains an option, subject to its own rules on validity, completion, retention and dispensing. |
The October 30 rule follows the transition period of up to 30 days established by RDC 1,000/2025 for accepting electronically issued Special Control Prescriptions and prescriptions subject to retention without SNCR numbering after the system begins recording their use. Because the new phase starts on September 30, Anvisa announced coexistence through October 29 and the integration requirement for electronic issuance from the following day.
Paper versus digital: what actually changes
| Point | Paper prescription | Electronic prescription integrated with the SNCR |
|---|---|---|
| Is it still allowed? | Yes, under the rules applicable to each prescription type. | Yes, for the covered prescription types and when issued through a system integrated with the SNCR. |
| Issuance | The physical workflow and applicable forms remain in use. For new print runs of the updated forms, Version 2 has been the current version since May 18, 2026. | The electronic prescribing service communicates with the SNCR. Electronic models are specific to digital use and are not the same files intended for printing. |
| SNCR registration | At this time, use of a paper prescription is not registered in the SNCR. | The electronic prescription enters the SNCR flow, which allows consultation and registration of use according to the prescription type. |
| At the pharmacy | Retention and recordkeeping procedures that already apply to the prescription type continue. | The pharmacy can consult information, verify the prescription number and register its use in the SNCR, while continuing to comply with the other applicable health requirements. |
| SNGPC | The SNCR does not replace the SNGPC. Recordkeeping in the SNGPC continues under the specific rules for the medicines and establishments covered. | |
What changes for the patient
For patients, the most important point is that there is no date in September or October on which a paper prescription automatically stops being accepted. A physical prescription continues to depend on the rules for its own category: applicable form, correct completion, validity period, permitted quantity and other health requirements. The start of the electronic phase does not erase those criteria or create a general obligation to present a digital prescription.
During the transition, two people may also receive different formats for similar treatments. One health service may continue issuing paper prescriptions, while another may already use an integrated electronic system. This is consistent with the gradual implementation announced by Anvisa.
For electronic Prescription Notifications, Anvisa's model includes a QR code that directs users to an SNCR consultation page, helping verify the number and record use. For the patient, this supports document checking, but dispensing remains subject to the health requirements for the medicine and prescription.
What changes for prescribers
A professional who chooses electronic issuance will continue working in the prescribing system they use. According to Anvisa, the prescriber does not need to log directly into the SNCR to issue the prescription: integration is handled by the electronic prescribing service.
For Prescription Notifications, the allocation of numbering by the local health surveillance authority remains necessary. Anvisa also states that the number sequences intended for electronic issuance are different from those for physical prescriptions. Digitalization therefore does not remove the role of the local health authority in this process.
For paper prescriptions, the central guidance has not changed: they remain allowed. In 2026, however, the physical forms were updated. Anvisa states that Version 2 became mandatory for new print runs from May 18 onward. That is different from saying that every form printed before that date became invalid. The Agency clarifies that physical stock correctly printed while the relevant model was in force may continue to be used, subject to the applicable rules.
What changes for pharmacies and drugstores
With the new phase, pharmacies and drugstores join the electronic SNCR cycle. When receiving an electronic prescription, the establishment may consult data in the system, verify the authenticity of the number, confirm prescriber information and register the prescription's use. This registration helps prevent reuse of the same number.
The physical workflow continues in parallel. Anvisa itself states that, at this time, use of paper prescriptions will not be registered in the SNCR. For paper prescriptions, retention procedures and, where applicable, recordkeeping in the National Controlled Products Management System (SNGPC) remain in place according to the specific rules for the prescription and medicine.
SNCR and SNGPC are not the same system
| System | Main function | In practice |
|---|---|---|
| SNCR | Prescription control | Centralizes national numbering and, in the electronic phase, supports issuance, consultation and registration of use for covered prescriptions. |
| SNGPC | Recordkeeping and control of medicine movement | Monitors incoming and outgoing movements of medicines subject to recordkeeping in covered establishments. |
For that reason, the SNCR's arrival at pharmacies does not end the SNGPC. The systems have complementary functions: one follows the prescription and its use, while the other addresses medicine movement and health recordkeeping where applicable.
Quick questions about the transition
Do paper prescriptions end on September 30?
No. Anvisa explicitly states that the new phase does not mean the end of paper prescriptions and does not make electronic issuance mandatory.
After October 30, will only digital prescriptions be accepted?
No. October 30 changes the rule for white prescriptions when they are issued electronically: in that case, they must be integrated with the SNCR. Paper remains an option.
What happens to a white electronic prescription issued before October 30?
Under the transition announced by Anvisa, through October 29 electronic white prescriptions without integration, integrated electronic prescriptions and paper prescriptions may coexist. The patient must still observe the validity period and the other requirements specific to the document received.
Did an older paper model become invalid just because a new model was published?
Not automatically. Since May 18, 2026, new print runs must use Version 2 of the updated forms. Anvisa nevertheless clarifies that physical stock correctly printed while the previous model was in force may continue to be used under the applicable rules.
Does the patient need to choose between SNCR and SNGPC?
No. These names describe health control systems used by authorities, services, prescribers and establishments. For the patient, the practical issue is receiving a valid prescription and presenting it for dispensing under the medicine's rules. The existence of the SNCR does not replace the need to check the prescription type, validity and guidance from the prescriber and pharmacy.
What to check when receiving a prescription in September or October 2026
- Check whether the document is paper or electronic. Both formats may coexist.
- Confirm the issue date and the validity period that applies to that prescription type.
- If it is electronic, the issuing system must follow the integration rules applicable at the time of issuance.
- If it is an electronic white prescription issued from October 30 onward, it must be integrated with the SNCR.
- Do not discard a paper prescription merely because the SNCR gained electronic functions. Validity depends on the prescription rules, not simply on the existence of a digital version.
In short, September and October 2026 mark an expansion of the electronic format, not an immediate replacement of paper. For patients, the answer to the central question is straightforward: a paper prescription remains valid when it complies with the rules for its prescription type. The October 30 milestone specifically affects the integration of white prescriptions issued electronically.
Sources and references
- Anvisa: New SNCR phase and what changes from September 30
- AnvisaLegis: RDC 1,000/2025, control requirements for prescriptions issued electronically
- AnvisaLegis: RDC 1,028/2026, amendment to the SNCR availability deadline
- Anvisa: clarification on deadlines and rules for controlled-medicine prescriptions
- Anvisa: National Controlled Products Management System (SNGPC)
- Anvisa: Questions and Answers on RDC 1,000/2025
