Posting/couriering Prescribed Meds to Spain

I am wondering if it's possible to legally do this? A UK person here (in Spain) said they had no problem posting meds with a 'note/declaration' stating 'prescribed meds' on the package. I read on An Post that they appear to exclude drugs (of any sort) and I have emailed FEDEX to see what's the position, but I'm curious if there's regulations covering this? The meds I take are specialist meds issued by the hospital and very expensive, so going local to a pharmacy is not an option.

Dont you have the drugs payment card?

Saavy99 said:

Dont you have the drugs payment card?

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These are specialist medicines issued by the hospital. In any event, I need to get them from IRELAND to here in Spain, that's really the question.

I have no idea about legalities but bear in mind that there are HUGE delays to regular post to/from Ireland at the moment.

A relative in Spain got a Christmas card from Ireland yesterday posted on 22 December.


If you are in a hurry use a courier.

There is none of my usual humour in this:- Over the past ten years I have posted packets/letters to our address in Spain just as a test as to how long the service would take. I regret to post none of my correspondence ever arrived at our place in Spain. But, letters have been delivered to the apartment, but none of them for us; they were addressed to different people in other apartment blocks.

If we need to get anything to Spain we use other apartment owners who have contacts coming and going. It probably is the safest way. The service from couriers is not great either.

I reckon the postal service in Spain differs from place to place. Also, we'd approach some local restaurant/bar where we are known and as if we can use their address for whatever necessary item is being posted from Ireland.

Would a pharmacy in Spain be able to fulfill the prescription if the hospital faxed the details to them?

I would echo Leper's experience with the Spanish postal service and a couple of big named couriers
Most of the people I've met over there have their own hacks when relying on the postal service
Not sure if this is all over Spain or just in the countryside

The post man unlike Ireland doesn't always deliver your post on the day they receive it
Quite often they will give it to somebody you know or leave it somewhere they know you will be
or go looking for you at certain times during the day like when your doing the school run
and it could be days weeks before you get it, if you even get it at all

Couriers on the other hand are usually worse in the country side
They won't go looking for your house if it's in the country side even if you provide the correct address
They will only call a Spanish phone number to arrange leaving a package in the nearest pub/restaurant to your address

Not saying its all bad but my experience is the Spanish postal/courier service would not be something that I would rely on

mathepac said:

Would a pharmacy in Spain be able to fulfill the prescription if the hospital faxed the details to them?

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1. The current farmacía we use in Spain would.
2. The last Farmacíá we used in Spain would not.
3. If you can get the prescription script from a Spanish doctor (or Health Centre) in Spain your prescription costs will drop in the farmacías provided your passport is issued within the EU. Perhaps the OP can use his/her doctor in Spain?

[I hope I explained the situation above in readable English]

Note:- Spaniards tend to use farmacías in Spain without prescription before visiting a doctor. The doctor is a kind of last resort for people seeking health/medical advice. [Again I'm trying to explain the situation as clear as I can]

Thanks everyone for the detailed replies and heads-up. The postal "service" here in Valencia is DIABOLICAL. I posted cards to friends in IRL in the darn post office in early DEC and they still haven't got them. Two cards posted to me arrived weeks late. Most posted has never arrived. I was thinking of using DHL or FED EX but I think I will simplt head home and do my two weeks in the bedroom talking to the cat. The Spanish don't use proper postal codes, only general areas, and addresses in Spain are a multitude. I've 3/4 options on my address. You could not make it up - I have never seen such a crap service, but I have made allowances for COVID right now. The drugs I need aren't issued by a pharmacy, I get them directly from the hospital and they are eye-wateringly expensive. Luckily I don't have to pay for em more than the basic amount.

OP, did you ever manage to figure out how to do this ?

I have a similar issue ( in my case its on the HSE Hi Tech list ).

some of my friends have found it cheaper to buy their drugs in Spain and bring them home!

Why would you need Irish HSE to send drugs to Spain? If you are living there, can you not get the drugs locally?

I think Horusd might be paying the same amount in Spain as he/she would pay in Ireland. It depends on the drugs prescribed and how you buy them in Spain. Farmacías and GP surgeries usually have English speaking people working there.

To dispel any myth here are the options that are available to every EU person (including Irish Passport Holders) visiting Andalucía:-
1. Turn up at the Farmacía and pay for what tablets you've asked for. You can get many drugs over the counter that you would have had to have on a doctor's prescription in Ireland. They are usually cheaper (not always though) than the same in Ireland.
2. Visit a GP in Spain (pay probably €60.00) and get a prescription and bring it to the Farmacía. The tablets will be much cheaper than in my first point (probably 30% cheaper).
3. Visit a Céntro Médico (state run and usually deal with emergencies only) with your EHIC card + passport (service is free). A prescription issued there will have more than 50% discount in any farmacíá. The reception staff and doctors may not be as friendly as those in my 2nd point. All such Céntros may not have somebody who's prepared to speak English.

I think Horusd probably looks on the Spanish postal system the same way we look on our postal system. Without offering reasons the Spanish system is dreadful compared to ours.

If you are going to Spain on holidays you could do worse than print this post unless of course, that you are going to call to me.

The OP said that its a very expensive high tech medication which can be got on the DPS for €114 a month in Ireland . If the real price is €500 a month , a 30% discount in Spain isn’t really going to help much

huskerdu said:

The OP said that its a very expensive high tech medication which can be got on the DPS for €114 a month in Ireland . If the real price is €500 a month , a 30% discount in Spain isn’t really going to help much

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Yes, but that is the price the OP pays in Ireland. Those items are probably much cheaper in Spain and when the 30%+ discount kicks in it is likely he'll be saving quite a bit of money per month.

BionicDog said:

OP, did you ever manage to figure out how to do this ?

I have a similar issue ( in my case its on the HSE Hi Tech list ).

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Hi there, no I didn't. In the end I decided to return to IRL and get them there when I'm home. As has been said (@Leper ) the Spanish postal system is nothing short of dreadful. Stuff I posted to IRL b4 Xmas showed up two weeks ago. and I got two Xmas cards last week - posted in early DEC in IRL. I know COVID and all that, but really? Seriously? It's quirky here, as you see the Correos (Postal service) zipping around the place on mopeds, but I literally know no one who will trust them with post.

As for my meds and the costs, two pens (self-injections) cost around 1350 EUR in IRL!

Leper said:

Yes, but that is the price the OP pays in Ireland. Those items are probably much cheaper in Spain and when the 30%+ discount kicks in it is likely he'll be saving quite a bit of money per month.

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There is no chance that a hi tech med that costs the HSE €1000 a month can be bought over the counter in Spain for less than €114

huskerdu said:

There is no chance that a hi tech med that costs the HSE €1000 a month can be bought over the counter in Spain for less than €114

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This is one aspect of the issue.
Another aspect is that Hi Tech drugs are prescribed electronically directly to the patients nominated provider via an HSE system. The user ( patient ) is not issued with a paper prescription - so presenting a presription at a farmacia is not an option !
So far all I can think of is using DHL / UPS and collecting direct from one of their depots.
Is it legal to send pharmaceutical products to Spain ? ( I believe if the same question was asked about RoI the answer would be 'No' )