Iodine tablets in Slovakia: who gets them and when

Short answer. Under Decree 533/2006, iodine prophylaxis is planned and secured in advance for people in the emergency planning zone around each nuclear plant (Bohunice and Mochovce), and is carried out immediately after the warning ¹. Potassium iodide 65 mg tablets are registered medicines that ŠÚKL lists as not subject to prescription ³⁴⁵. Take them only in a nuclear accident or when the state authority announces it ⁶.

The details of the free municipal distribution come from press reports ⁷⁸; the legal basis, the sale status and the dosing come from official sources.

What does Slovak law say about iodine tablets?

Decree 533/2006 Z. z., § 4(11)(a): iodine prophylaxis "plánuje sa a vopred sa zabezpečuje pre obyvateľstvo v oblasti ohrozenia v okolí jadrového zariadenia, realizuje sa ihneď po varovaní bez čakania na výsledky monitorovania skutočnej radiačnej situácie" ¹. In plain terms: it is planned and provided in advance for the population in the area at risk around a nuclear installation, and carried out immediately after the warning, without waiting for measurements of the actual radiation situation ¹.

Who receives tablets?

People living in the emergency planning zones of Slovakia's two nuclear sites:

• Mochovce: an emergency planning zone with a 20 km boundary, according to safety documentation hosted by the Nuclear Regulatory Authority (ÚJD SR) ².
• Jaslovské Bohunice: about 21 km, according to the press ⁷.

The 2022 exchange covered about 224 municipalities and 460,000 residents. Counting schools, businesses, care homes and other institutions, tablets were provided for about 695,000 people, according to the Interior Ministry via TASR ⁸.

Our guide nuclear plant emergency zones explains how such zones work.

How are the tablets distributed?

According to press reports ⁷⁸:

• distribution is free, coordinated by the Interior Ministry with the plant operator Slovenské elektrárne, which is legally required to procure the tablets;
• municipalities hand them out;
• adults receive 4 tablets of potassium iodide, and children under 8 receive 2 tablets;
• tablets are exchanged every five years: the last exchange ran from August 2022 to the end of 2022, the previous one in 2017.

No official date for the next exchange was found: check with your municipality.

When should I take them?

Only in a nuclear accident or when the competent state authority announces it. The approved patient leaflet says: "Jódové tablety sa užívajú len v prípade jadrovej havárie alebo ak je to oznámené príslušnou štátnou autoritou, napr. prostredníctvom rádia alebo televízie. Neužívajte liek podľa vlastného uváženia." (Take iodine tablets only in a nuclear accident or when announced by the competent state authority, for example on radio or TV. Do not take the medicine on your own initiative.) ⁶

For the best protection, the leaflet says to take the dose as soon as possible, ideally within two hours of the announcement that radioactive iodine has been released; taking it up to 8 hours after exposure is still useful ⁶. Under the decree, prophylaxis follows the warning immediately ¹. Listen for the siren and the spoken message: see alerts. Our guide potassium iodide explains what it does and does not do.

What is the dose?

From the approved leaflet for 65 mg tablets ⁶:

Newborns, pregnant and breastfeeding women and adults over 60 must not take more than one single dose ⁶. The leaflet says potassium iodide is not recommended for people over 40, except those at risk of high exposure, such as emergency workers ⁶.

Can I buy potassium iodide in a Slovak pharmacy?

Yes. The ŠÚKL medicines database lists three registered 65 mg potassium iodide tablets, from G.L. Pharma, SERB and hameln, each with the dispensing status "Nie je viazaný na lekársky predpis" (not subject to medical prescription) ³⁴⁵. Buying tablets does not change the rule: take them only on official instruction ⁶.

Frequently asked questions

Do I need a prescription for potassium iodide in Slovakia?

No. ŠÚKL lists the registered 65 mg tablets as not subject to medical prescription ³⁴⁵.

I live outside the Bohunice and Mochovce zones. Will I get tablets?

The legal planning applies to the population in the area at risk around a nuclear installation ¹. No official source we consulted describes distribution outside these zones.

Are the tablets free?

Yes for residents of the zones, according to press reports on the 2022 exchange ⁷⁸.

Should I take a tablet as soon as I hear a siren?

Only if the official instruction says so. The leaflet says to take tablets only in a nuclear accident or when the state authority announces it, and never on your own initiative ⁶.

Sources

1. Slov-Lex, Ministerstvo spravodlivosti SR — Vyhláška MV SR č. 533/2006 Z. z. o podrobnostiach o ochrane obyvateľstva pred účinkami nebezpečných látok (znenie od 1. 8. 2012) — https://static.slov-lex.sk/static/SK/ZZ/2006/533/20120801.html (accessed 2026-10-21)
2. Úrad jadrového dozoru SR (document prepared by VUJE, a. s.) — Kapitola 4.9 (safety documentation, Mochovce site, emergency planning zone) — https://www.ujd.gov.sk/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/Kapitola_04_09.pdf (accessed 2026-10-21)
3. Štátny ústav pre kontrolu liečiv (ŠÚKL) — Jodid draselný G.L. Pharma 65 mg tablety (kód 9445D) — https://www.sukl.sk/jodid-draselny-g.l.-pharma-65-mg-tablety-9445d (accessed 2026-10-21)
4. Štátny ústav pre kontrolu liečiv (ŠÚKL) — Jodid draselný SERB 65 mg tablety (kód 3024E) — https://www.sukl.sk/jodid-draselny-serb-65-mg-tablety-3024e (accessed 2026-10-21)
5. Štátny ústav pre kontrolu liečiv (ŠÚKL) — JODID DRASELNÝ 65 hameln (kód 08675) — https://www.sukl.sk/jodid-draselny-65-hameln-08675 (accessed 2026-10-21)
6. Štátny ústav pre kontrolu liečiv (ŠÚKL) — Písomná informácia pre používateľa: Jodid draselný G.L. Pharma 65 mg tablety (január 2022) — https://www.sukl.sk/document/download?dok_id=705464&dok_sec=dc50a977386521ac4e11da0e1a986056 (accessed 2026-10-21)
7. SITA — Obyvateľom v okolí Jaslovských Bohuníc a Mochoviec po piatich rokoch vymieňajú jódové tabletky (press) — https://sita.sk/venergetike/obyvatelom-v-okoli-jaslovskych-bohunic-a-mochoviec-po-piatich-rokoch-vymienaju-jodove-tabletky/ (accessed 2026-10-21)
8. TASR / Teraz.sk — Rezort vnútra: V auguste sa začne pravidelná výmena jódových tabletiek (press, 28 July 2022) — https://www.teraz.sk/slovensko/v-auguste-sa-na-slovensku-zacne-pravide/650448-clanok.html (accessed 2026-10-21)