Prescriptions Abroad

[Lightning]

My GP will not issue a prescription for tablets I need covering 12 months travel.
If I am travelling through various countries on the continent, does anybody know a way that I can get the tablets I need without either coming back to the U.K. or paying a fortune to see a GP and for the drugs abroad? I have an EHIC card, I don’t know if this helps.

 

[WelshGas]

My GP will not issue a prescription for tablets I need covering 12 months travel.
If I am travelling through various countries on the continent, does anybody know a way that I can get the tablets I need without either coming back to the U.K. or paying a fortune to see a GP and for the drugs abroad? I have an EHIC card, I don’t know if this helps.

Your GP should be able to give you a Holiday prescription for an extended period but maybe not for a year.
I have a stamped letter from my GP detailing my prescribed drugs that I take with me which I can show to an overseas medic. Prescriptions overseas are often private in nature so full drug cost has to be paid, also different formulations may be used which could have greater or lesser effects.
An alternative might be asking your GP for a Private Prescription for the period needed.
I'm not sure if there is a maximum prescription period for NHS prescriptions. I can certainly get 3 or 4 month prescriptions.
You could ask your Travel Insurance company for advice.

 

[Lightning]

Your GP should be able to give you a Holiday prescription for an extended period but maybe not for a year.
I have a stamped letter from my GP detailing my prescribed drugs that I take with me which I can show to an overseas medic. Prescriptions overseas are often private in nature so full drug cost has to be paid, also different formulations may be used which could have greater or lesser effects.
An alternative might be asking your GP for a Private Prescription for the period needed.
I'm not sure if there is a maximum prescription period for NHS prescriptions. I can certainly get 3 or 4 month prescriptions.
You could ask your Travel Insurance company for advice.

Thanks, she very reluctantly agreed to 6 months. I’ll ask her for a letter too.

 

[WelshGas]

Thanks, she very reluctantly agreed to 6 months. I’ll ask her for a letter too.

You could ask for a 6mth private prescription. You'll have to pay for the drugs but you would abroad anyway. At least you would get the Brands you are use to.

 

[Azteccamper]

Thanks, she very reluctantly agreed to 6 months. I’ll ask her for a letter too.

You could arrange for someone to collect prescription from GP surgery on your behalf and they could send them to a fixed address abroad?

 

[bigmac77]

Could you start to hoard them before you go and build up a stock? Or would they go out of date?

 

[BerndRos]

Could you start to hoard them before you go and build up a stock? Or would they go out of date?

That’s what I do, have got about a years supply backed up.

I spoke to my Doctor in Wales and up there they only like to prescribe a month at a time, plus he said if he knew I was out of the UK, then he should not prescribe on the NHS. He agreed to prescribe 2 months at a time. I took this as a ‘nod & a wink’..and now use the online service to order repeat prescriptions about every 6 weeks depending whether I am in the UK or Portugal and have never been rejected.

 

[Amarillo]

Could you start to hoard them before you go and build up a stock? Or would they go out of date?

That’s what I did. Over a period of about 15 months I built up a three month stock, then a reluctant GP issued a four month prescription giving me seven months. We went away for three months and returned briefly to the UK and I picked up a second four month prescription giving me eight months for an eight and a half month trip.

 

[Jay20cali]

We would all be knackered stranded on a desert island.

 

[jts46]

You could arrange for someone to collect prescription from GP surgery on your behalf and they could send them to a fixed address abroad?

Not allowed I'm afraid and illegal,

 

[Azteccamper]

Not allowed I'm afraid and illegal,

What is?
The collecting of someone’s prescription or the sending abroad?

 

[jts46]

What is?
The collecting of someone’s prescription or the sending abroad?

sending abroad

 

[briwy]

I enquired at the Post Office about sending medication to my daughter in Spain and told can't do it. Perhaps a courier could.

 

[jts46]

I enquired at the Post Office about sending medication to my daughter in Spain and told can't do it. Perhaps a courier could.

Correct, i needed my prescription renewing whilst at our house in France. Fortunately a friend was coming back so they packed them in their luggage

 

[Alan]

My GP gives me 3 months worth at a time

 

[kp64zl]

Here's my thoughts on the matter

1) you haven't written which countries you are planning to go to, or what medications you will need to get. Rules vary country to country. Especially important if you're planning on travelling outside the EU/Switzerland.

2) keep a copy of your prescription with you - e.g. the proper NHS prescription

3) you may find that some pharmacies in some countries will sell you the medications either with your NHS prescription or over the counter

4) Be *very* wary travelling with strong pain killers if you're going outside the EU - by that I mean check the country's import regulations on an official site.

5) online pharmacies may be of help

6) there is a big variation in the cost price of different medications. If you take something expensive (e.g. a biologic) then it will be much more cost effective to return to UK for an NHS prescription.

 

[Lightning]

Thanks all for your thoughts.
I will look into the suggestions given.

 

[CALI FATE]

This is an important thread -

i read that around 50% of women in the UK are on some sort of prescription drugs - worryingly this that means that the other half are wondering around completed untreated

Something needs to be done

 

[CALI FATE]

Has anyone had any experience of obtaining Viagra when travelling abroad - i normally have a good stock on board but you never know ?

 

[MartG]

That's a hard question...

 

[Amarillo]

Put I inside "Calis" and what do you have?

 

[CALI FATE]

I find it useful to take away on holiday - to keep the bedding off your sunburn skin

 

[Alan]

Has anyone had any experience of obtaining Viagra when travelling abroad - i normally have a good stock on board but you never know ?

I learnt my lesson with those things
Had one stuck in my throat
had a stiff neck for 2 days!

 

[kp64zl]

Has anyone had any experience of obtaining Viagra when travelling abroad - i normally have a good stock on board but you never know ?

Quick google search appears to say that sildenafil only available over the counter in the UK.

 

[Maxx]

It’s worth noting that many European countries have much more relaxed rules around what can be purchased over the counter! On holiday last year my wife (who is a GP) was amazed at what we could by over the counter both Greece and Germany...admittedly in Germany there were more questions. I will ask her for her view on why GP don’t issue long term prescriptions...when she gets home from work!