Obtaining Repeat Prescriptions in Europe

Hymie

Guest
After an enforced late start this year we should be heading for sunnier climes early May, but we're hampered by needing monthly scrips, as the wheels are slowly falling off the bus nowadays.

Does anyone know if there is a legitimate foolproof way of obtaining repeat prescriptions in Europe, in particular Spain and France, some sort of reciprocal agreement with the NHS possibly.

Our GP says that NHS rules now say we can only have 2 months scrips if we are travelling, and if we are away longer than 3 months he has to eject us from his surgery list.

We are hoping to tour for several months this year, mainly Spain and Portugal with a trip to Disney planned for August with the grandkids, so we would like to obtain them 'on the run' as it were.

We don't want to rely on our kids collecting them at home and posting them on, we've had experience of posting abroad before, with results anywhere form 5 days, to 12 days, to not turning up until a month after we left, as they are not something I can go without and the urge to stay alive is stronger than the urge to travel.

Sorry it's long winded and thanks in advance for any help.

Hymie
 
I always get 2 months supply when i order a repeat and usually order it 2 weeks before i run out which is just about acceptable to the Gestapo that runs our Health Centre :scared:

That is normally enough supply as we can only go for 6-8 weeks at a time :sad:

A couple of times the timescale hasn`t been quite right and i`ve had to ask for my repeat earlier than normal and had it begrudgingly granted by Fraulein Hitler once i`d been interrogated :mad2:

Once it caused a problem because i went longer than 2 months without ordering a repeat they cancelled all my prescriptions thinking i didn`t need them any more :scared:
 
It looks as if the amount you can get in one hit is settled at a local NHS Trust level, I've definitely been told only 2 months possible, which some people concur with, but others are still being allowed 3 months.

:sad::sad:

Hymie
 
I think you have several options. Go and see a local doctor and just obtain a subscription. Make sure you take with you a previous subscription and / or your pills. I have to take Colchecine sometimes for Gout and often run out but I have found if I take the box and an old subscription with me to a Pharmacy in France they um an ah a bit then just give me 50 tablets. They are a fraction of the cost as well than they are here so I just stock up whenever I see a Pharmacy. I guess it depends on what the drug is as to whether you will get away with this or not. Otherwise I would just not tell your GP your going to be away for more than three months and get someone to pick them up and use a reputable courier.
 
My wife takes a bit of a cocktail of medicines daily and, certainly in Spain, has never had a problem obtaining her prescriptions from the Pharmacy. Obviously we have to pay for them and I suspect some medicines may not be available over the counter, I guess it depends which medicine you are prescribed. My wife also orders her repeat prescriptions online from the medical practise in UK, her sister collects them and she builds up a stock. Maybe google “Can I buy xxxxxx medicine from pharmacy in Spain/France/Portugal?”

Pat
 
I went into a french pharmacie last year and asked if I could buy a prescription medication, there didn’t seem to be a problem as long as you have a copy of your prescription, you will have to pay for it though which maybe a problem for some people. Don’t know if this applies in other European countries.
 
The Dr usually obliges, after a lecture, with 3 months. But, now we build up a stock by ordering a bit early everytime, doesn't work if the pharmacy manages your prescription. It is not very expensive to visit a doctor in Portugal and get a prescription there, as long as you have your repeat with you. Some of the pharmacies in Portugal are obliging.
 
You can also ask for a " Private Prescription ", the Dr will charge for writing it and then take it to the Chemist in the UK who will charge you for the drugs.
SOME ARE CHEAPER WITH NO PRESCRIPTION if they can be dispensed e.g. Aspirin £8.80 for 28 but about a pound for 100, 75mg in Superdrug.
Try buying abroad, usually cheaper than uk.
 
It can be a bit of a lottery in Spain. I needed some antibiotics for an ear infection and although I had a Uk prescription I could not get any and had to go to the Local Health Centre. All discussions took place using Google Translate. Didn't get prescription for same medication got something else. Once I had the prescription you could get a repeat but not everywhere. The NHS certainly don't want to give you medical supplies if you are away a long time so you have to build them up. I have about seven months worth of Blood Pressure tablets but now the doctor has told me I don't need them anymore :D

France is different again and you would have to see the Doctor. I was told it's 50 Euro. Don't think this would be covered by Insurance. Don't forget to tell them about all your illnesses.

If your Doctor has an online prescription ordering service that sends it straight to the Pharmacy you could get someone to pick it up for you and send it to where ever you are.

..
 
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QFour said:
It can be a bit of a lottery in Spain. I needed some antibiotics for an ear infection and although I had a Uk prescription I could not get any and had to go to the Local Health Centre. All discussions took place using Google Translate. Didn't get prescription for same medication got something else. Once I had the prescription you could get a repeat but not everywhere. The NHS certainly don't want to give you medical supplies if you are away a long time so you have to build them up. I have about seven months worth of Blood Pressure tablets but now the doctor has told me I don't need them anymore :D

France is different again and you would have to see the Doctor. I was told it's 50 Euro. Don't think this would be covered by Insurance. Don't forget to tell them about all your illnesses.

If your Doctor has an online prescription ordering service that sends it straight to the Pharmacy you could get someone to pick it up for you and send it to where ever you are.

..
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A visit to a Secteur 1 doctor generalist in France should be €23. You used to be able to claim that back on the EHIC card but the rules may have changed.
 
Cannot help with France or Spain. After a slight issue as to how I was ordering I got an App on my iPad to enable me to keep track of 6 different medications. On time I request my usual two months with an additional month as would be away. Only got two months and asked at Chemist why. Prescription team fro surgery phoned me and explained that I was ordering ahead as per the usage. “ When are you going and for how long” “Ok prescription be available for collection in three days, now that is service (Scotland of course)
Last year due to a mixup on my behalf in Canterbury without the Nafti’s my essential drug after contacting my surgery searched around various chemist with only Asda able to supply that day. A quick fax copy of prescription and collected later in day. (Scotland and England working together)

Our trips are usually two to three months so not normally a problem
 
I went to our chemist to ask about this for a friend that comes over every year now he ask me to find out about repeat prescriptions he said once they were allowed to do it but they were later told only if you are going to pay there and then for what is on the prescription , they where having problems getting paid or something or long time to get paid, so this year his son is going to pick the stuff up and post it over to me and i will take it to the campsite they will be on.:goodluck:
 
Times must have changed. 2009 I gor 6 months prescription easy from Docs for our Midlife Crisis Euro grand tour. Even a 7 day pack of emergency Antibiotics !

Interesting to follow.

No recent experience, sorry.

Chrz Mul.
 
FWIW, we were heading for Oz for a couple of months a few years back and I would have run out of my meds before we got back. At the time, my script was for 28 days-worth at a time. I told the doc and he upped the script to 4 x 28 (i.e. 16 weeks). That said, the same practice won't give my wife more than 56 days-worth, but there is a way around that:

When we're getting ready for a holiday, she'll apply for her repeat script as normal and when collecting it from our local pharmacy, immediately apply for another repeat; they haven't turned down the second repeat yet and she goes on holiday with 16 weeks-worth of meds.

With all that said, I wonder whether an online repeat prescription service (e.g. Boots, Lloyds, Pharmacy2U) can send your meds to a mail box service, who can then forward the package to you in Spain etc?
 
We do what many others do...apply for repeat a couple of weeks early for as many months as we can. Build up a stock ( also GP agreed to always do two months at a time) . In Portugal, you can buy them usually if you have a copy of your script and the empty box.Or the local health centre can arrange a prescription under the ehic, if not available from pharmacy. I know several people got private prescriptions from their GP before going away for a long trip too. Don't choose to not go rather than try the various options! Life is for living!
 
REC said:
Don't choose to not go rather than try the various options! Life is for living!
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No chance of that happening, there are some meds that are vital and I was trying for some reassurance before we left, but I'm sure I'll manage to buy, beg, borrow or steal enough to continue the journey. :banana::banana:

Hymie.
 
***** said:
I think it could be difficult, but I have no real experience as we usually limit our tours to 3 months and our Dr will oblige with three month supply.
I do tend to build up a little stock by always ordering early!
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Like Graham, I can still get 3 months and also have built up stock by ordering early overtime.
 
***** said:
Our problem is not the meds, but the Consultant appointments.
We do our best never miss an appointment, and plan our tours around them, even thinking of the next before we visit the Consultant.
We book ferries, plan a tour, THEN the bl**dy hospitals change the date.
We then tel them tell them when we are away, and they still cock up and send a new appointment while we are away.
So we tell them we can't make it, and they chuck us off the list:scared:
WE now need to start again, Dr Appointments, Consultant Appointments, tests,(which have all been done) What a waste of money!
So we complain, point out that all the tests have been done, luckily, they listen and no need to go through it all again.
But what a load of stress, is it really worth it?
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I've got a full-body MRI at 18.40 next Sunday evening at our local hospital, I hope they're not charging me overtime for it. :raofl::raofl:

Hymie.
 
barryd said:
I think you have several options. Go and see a local doctor and just obtain a subscription. Make sure you take with you a previous subscription and / or your pills. I have to take Colchecine sometimes for Gout and often run out but I have found if I take the box and an old subscription with me to a Pharmacy in France they um an ah a bit then just give me 50 tablets. They are a fraction of the cost as well than they are here so I just stock up whenever I see a Pharmacy. I guess it depends on what the drug is as to whether you will get away with this or not. Otherwise I would just not tell your GP your going to be away for more than three months and get someone to pick them up and use a reputable courier.
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Aren't you only supposed to take Colchicine for 3 days max?
 
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We’re allowed 90 days supply, but as has been suggested, order early each time & build up a good stock.

Don’t know about France but in Spain you can get almost anything from a farmacia without a prescription.
 
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