Provigil (modafinil) in Ireland

tydel

Hi there,

I am from Canada, and am currently living in Dublin on work transfer. I have a prescription for Alertec (another brand name of modafinil, like Provigil) which is just about to run out ... I have about 2 weeks left. Unfortunately, I'm not due to travel home and be able to stock up again until Christmas time, so I'm faced with the requirement to procure about 6 weeks supply either here in the ROI or Northern Ireland.

Does anyone have any advice? I've heard that getting it in the north is easier (and probably cheaper) as it's a non-prescription drug in the UK, however I don't know exactly how much I'm looking at. I know a visit to the doctor and a script here in Dublin would probably be about €60, but what am I look at in terms of cost of the drug either here in Dublin as a prescription, or in Northern Ireland from a pharmacy without a prescription.

AlarmBelle

tydel wrote: »

Hi there,

I am from Canada, and am currently living in Dublin on work transfer. I have a prescription for Alertec (another brand name of modafinil, like Provigil) which is just about to run out ... I have about 2 weeks left. Unfortunately, I'm not due to travel home and be able to stock up again until Christmas time, so I'm faced with the requirement to procure about 6 weeks supply either here in the ROI or Northern Ireland.

Does anyone have any advice? I've heard that getting it in the north is easier (and probably cheaper) as it's a non-prescription drug in the UK, however I don't know exactly how much I'm looking at. I know a visit to the doctor and a script here in Dublin would probably be about €60, but what am I look at in terms of cost of the drug either here in Dublin as a prescription, or in Northern Ireland from a pharmacy without a prescription.

http://www.imb.ie/EN/Publications/Publications.aspx?q=modafinil

tydel

AlarmBelle wrote: »

http://www.imb.ie/EN/Publications/Publications.aspx?q=modafinil

Okay ... I'm not sure how this helps me, though.

kangaroo

tydel wrote: »

Does anyone have any advice? I've heard that getting it in the north is easier (and probably cheaper) as it's a non-prescription drug in the UK, however I don't know exactly how much I'm looking at. I know a visit to the doctor and a script here in Dublin would probably be about €60, but what am I look at in terms of cost of the drug either here in Dublin as a prescription, or in Northern Ireland from a pharmacy without a prescription.

Are you sure about that? Given it's a strong drug, that surprises me, so I wouldn't assume that without getting a reliable source that says that.

Is there any chance, what was said was it's a non-controlled substance, so it's not illegal to possess it without a prescription (which is a different thing).

tydel

kangaroo wrote: »

Are you sure about that? Given it's a strong drug, that surprises me, so I wouldn't assume that without getting a reliable source that says that.

According to the document posted above, it would seem that my information is incorrect. However, this doesn't affect my requirement for acquiring some here in the ROI.

kangaroo wrote: »

Is there any chance, what was said was it's a non-controlled substance, so it's not illegal to possess it without a prescription (which is a different thing).

That's quite possible. I heard this back in Canada from a medical professional, but they might not be completely versed in the nuances of the legal status over here.

So I guess a revised question would be: How much is Provigil/Modalert/Wakalert/modafinil over here? I have no coverage here, so I would be paying full price (assuming there's some sort of subsidy for Irish citizens).

As a last ditch effort if I'm unable to get a prescription over here or if the drug is cost-prohibitive, I could get a family member to get my prescription renewal in Canada and mail it over here? Shipping a copy of the prescription with it as well, of course. Shipping anything to/from Ireland is always a pain in the wallet though, so I guess it really comes down to a cost analysis.

kangaroo

tydel wrote: »

According to the document posted above, it would seem that my information is incorrect.

The Irish Medicines Board only covers the Rep. of Ireland (I would presume), so I'm not sure which information you are referring to. Anyway, best of luck.

echo beach

kangaroo wrote: »

The Irish Medicines Board only covers the Rep. of Ireland (I would presume), so I'm not sure which information you are referring to. Anyway, best of luck.

The equivalent body in the UK is the MHRA and this link would suggest that you couldn't get it without a prescription and unless you have evidence of your diagnosis and medical history a doctor may be reluctant to prescribe it for you.
http://www.mhra.gov.uk/Safetyinformation/DrugSafetyUpdate/CON111502

Equality

You will need to speak to an Irish GP. The visit to the doctor will cost about 50 euro. They may or may not be willing to prescribe this medicine for you. As stated above, if you can bring proof that it was prescribed in Canada, there is a greater chance that they will prescribe it for you. You should sign up for the Drugs Payment Scheme, as this limits the cost of all prescription medicine to a set amount per month. Under the Drugs Payment Scheme you have to pay a maximum of €132 a month (from January 2012) for approved prescribed drugs, medicines and certain appliances for use by yourself and your family in that month. In order to qualify for this scheme, you must be ordinarily resident in Ireland.To establish that a person is ordinarily resident a Health Service Executive (HSE) may require:A residence permit or visa. A work permit or visa, statements from employers etc. In some instances, the signing of an affidavit (a sworn written statement) by the applicant. In practice, it is usually just a matter of filling out the form, so there is no need for you to mention the concept of 'ordinary residence' unless it is queried. The Customs may have a difficulty with it if these drugs are posted to you.

rbest

I've recently been prescribed 400mg of provigil. From people's experience is it best to take 2X200mg tablets or 4x100mg tablets spread out.

locum-motion

rbest wrote: »

I've recently been prescribed 400mg of provigil. From people's experience is it best to take 2X200mg tablets or 4x100mg tablets spread out.

Your doctor will have specified on your prescription - and the pharmacist will put it on the label - whether you are to take 100mg four times daily, 200mg twice daily or even 400mg once daily.
Follow the advice of your professional carers, not random internet people.

ranger3gs

rbest wrote: »

I've recently been prescribed 400mg of provigil. From people's experience is it best to take 2X200mg tablets or 4x100mg tablets spread out.

Just wondering how how you or anyone else on this thread found provigil? I haven't done a whole lot of research on it but what I have heard has been mostly very very positive. It sounds like an incredible drug! How have you found it and how difficult is it to get a perscription for it?

veryfunnypants

Yeah It is quite amazing. Helps a lot with concentration and getting **** done. You can wake up in the morning at 5am, go to work on full throttle, come back home and still have energy to do private stuff until late night.

I love it. Taking in account that compared to other drugs like caffeine amphetamine etc it has virtually no side effects and negative impact on your body, I think that it is a game changer, changed me from couch potato to "doctor yes" that I used to be years ago.

Big Gerry

Does the medical card cover Modafinil ?

echo beach

Big Gerry wrote: »

Does the medical card cover Modafinil ?

Yes, if it is prescribed by a specialist in sleep disorders or in conditions like MS where there is excessive fatigue.

Big Gerry

echo beach wrote: »

Yes, if it is prescribed by a specialist in sleep disorders or in conditions like MS where there is excessive fatigue.

Can GP's not prescribe it ?

mr_fegelien

Big Gerry wrote: »

Can GP's not prescribe it ?

Second this? What's the story regarding GP's and Modafinil? Is it like ADHD stimulant meds?