# Buying your prescription medication in EU



## Morgause (1 Jul 2009)

Just wondering has anybody here tried to buy their prescription medication in the EU?  Is it possible to do this?

I'm going to Portugal next week and thinking that I might try to get my prescription filled over there.


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## Rois (1 Jul 2009)

I always managed to get my prescriptions filled in Spain. They need the medical name of the ingredients rather than the name they're sold under.  I would just bring my old boxes to the GP and they would write up a prescription no problem.  

Some of the meds (that require a prescription here) can be bought over the counter in Spain - and at a fraction of the price.  Don't know about Portugal.


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## Morgause (1 Jul 2009)

Rois said:


> I always managed to get my prescriptions filled in Spain. They need the medical name of the ingredients rather than the name they're sold under.  I would just bring my old boxes to the GP and they would write up a prescription no problem.
> 
> Some of the meds (that require a prescription here) can be bought over the counter in Spain - and at a fraction of the price.  Don't know about Portugal.



Thanks for your post, that's very helpful.

I was going to go to the doc here as usual to get the script, and bring my script to Portugal with me, along with an empty box.  Hopefully that will work!


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## WaterWater (2 Jul 2009)

Got my prescription filled in Spain in March. Got the generic version as well. Came in at a saving of about 60% in cost.


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## Morgause (2 Jul 2009)

WaterWater said:


> Got my prescription filled in Spain in March. Got the generic version as well. Came in at a saving of about 60% in cost.



Thanks WaterWater!


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## Tomodinhio (2 Jul 2009)

I have a monthly prescription which would cost me 40 euro per month at least in ireland (and thats just for the "generic version"), was in spain last week and picked up a years supply of my meds for 43 euro, plus i didnt need a prescrition. Saved myself about 440 euro.

I dont know why the meds where so cheap there, when i said it to the pharmacist he said that the price in spain isnt normal, i told him the price in ireland isnt normal.


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## Morgause (3 Jul 2009)

Tomodinhio said:


> I have a monthly prescription which would cost me 40 euro per month at least in ireland (and thats just for the "generic version"), was in spain last week and picked up a years supply of my meds for 43 euro, plus i didnt need a prescrition. Saved myself about 440 euro.
> 
> I dont know why the meds where so cheap there, when i said it to the pharmacist he said that the price in spain isnt normal, i told him the price in ireland isnt normal.



Cheers, I might try to get my stuff without prescription and see how that goes!


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## serotoninsid (3 Jul 2009)

Is it possible to get pres. meds from european supplier online (with pres. faxed on to them)?  If so, any links?


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## Slim (3 Jul 2009)

I don't think it is legal to buy prescription meds over the internet at all. Maybe by fax and post! This was all over the Joe Show on RTE yesterday. Cheaper abroad. By Far...


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## Purple (3 Jul 2009)

The minimum wage in Portugal is less than 1/3 of ours, Spain is only slightly higher than Portugal... everything is cheaper there.


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## serotoninsid (4 Jul 2009)

Slim said:


> I don't think it is legal to buy prescription meds over the internet at all. Maybe by fax and post! This was all over the Joe Show on RTE yesterday. Cheaper abroad. By Far...


Ok, thanks.  So for anyone doing this, any links to suppliers?


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## Rebus 2008 (5 Jul 2009)

its a pity I can't import my hairdresser from portugal, my local TD ot represent me, the guy who works in the local county council and takes 20 sick days a year, the overpaid PS dosser who processes my PRSI, the guy who fixes my plumbing, and a few minimum wage people to cut my grass at €3/hour in spain.
I'd save a fortune. Face it we're paying ourselves too much in this country. That is everyone


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## Complainer (5 Jul 2009)

serotoninsid said:


> Ok, thanks.  So for anyone doing this, any links to suppliers?


See http://www.askaboutmoney.com/showthread.php?p=860780


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## serotoninsid (7 Jul 2009)

Complainer said:


> See http://www.askaboutmoney.com/showthread.php?p=860780


Thanks


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## GSheehy (6 Aug 2009)

Does anyone know why exactly medication is so cheap in the likes of Spain?

Is it a tax thing or has it got something to do with generic brands and lapses on patented medication?

Why would you need a prescription from a doc. here to buy a particular medication and be able to buy it 'over-the-counter' in Spain?


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## serotoninsid (6 Aug 2009)

GSheehy said:


> Does anyone know why exactly medication is so cheap in the likes of Spain?


Don't know about Spain but just ordered some meds off the net that originated in Mumbai and they're costing me 33% of the price charged locally.


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## locum-motion (6 Aug 2009)

GSheehy said:


> Does anyone know why exactly medication is so cheap in the likes of Spain?
> 
> Is it a tax thing or has it got something to do with generic brands and lapses on patented medication?
> 
> Why would you need a prescription from a doc. here to buy a particular medication and be able to buy it 'over-the-counter' in Spain?


 
a. It's something to do with less stringent intellectual property laws over there, I believe. Don't know exactly. Head over to http://www.askaboutmoney.com/showthread.php?t=115450 for a fuller discussion.
b. Different countries, different laws. Apart from Controlled Drugs like Morphine etc, there was no such thing as 'Prescription Only' over there until recently. AFAIK it's now been introduced for antibiotics. About time too, I read somewhere that their levels of antibiotic resistance are much worse than here.


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## locum-motion (6 Aug 2009)

serotoninsid said:


> Don't know about Spain but just ordered some meds off the net that originated in Mumbai and they're costing me 33% of the price charged locally.


 
I know I'm gonna sound like (what is perceived here as) a typical money-grabbing pharmacist here, but here goes anyway:

Do you have a medicines import licence granted by the IMB?
Do the products you're importing have product authorisations granted by the IMB?
Do you have _any_ form of guarantee that the medicines you're importing actually contain what the label says they contain?
Are you prepared for the fact that Customs will almost certainly confiscate your package if they realise that it contains medicines?
Did you know that China and India are well known to be the worst offending countries for the production of counterfeit medicines, and that these, when analysed, are frequently found _not_ to contain what they say they do?

For God's sake, internet/mail-order pharmacy is _illegal_ in this country for a reason, and that reason is _your safety_, not the protection of pharmacists' income. I know it totally sucks that medicines are more expensive here, but importing your own from possibly dodgy sources is not the answer! (Buying it when you're on your hols in Spain would be better, at least you can have some degree of confidence in the source)
Given your user name (serotoninsid) I'm going to go out on a limb here and guess that your med is probably one of the medications that affect serotonin levels in the brain. These can have serious withdrawal effects if they are stopped too suddenly, so if you get a counterfeit pill that contains eg paracetamol, you're putting your own health at risk.


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## mathepac (6 Aug 2009)

serotoninsid said:


> ...  just ordered some meds off the net that originated in Mumbai and they're costing me 33% of the price charged locally.


Best case you may be buying expensive glucose, chalk or milk tablets, worst case rat poison or something else nasty.

A quick sanity-check - would you buy a " guaranteed Rolex" watch from a source with similar credentials?

While I agree that medicines are expensive in Ireland, I wouldn't be risking my health this way for a few lousy quid.


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## Rois (6 Aug 2009)

+1 would not touch meds from there - I know from experience!  

They don't even come in original boxes, they separate them into bubble wrap.

Could be rat poisin for all you know - all I know is whatever they sent me was rubbish and definitely not the meds I normally buy here.
Cancel your order now.


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