Medicine in Spain

The_Conductor

Mustard1972 wrote: »

just back from a mini break in Spain and we arranged with the pharmacist over there to post us some ongoing medication that my son needs.
it will work out have the price of what it costs us in Ireland every month. it was a quick and painless process.

We have an apartment over there so the pharmacist actually said it to us since we are into him every trip for the medication anyway and he knows us.

we didn't know you could do that.
All they needed was our prescription , passport and a credit card.

Much as I know you don't want to hear this- its perfectly legal for them to post the prescriptions to you. Its illegal for you to receive them through the post. If customs/excise in Portlaoise (or elsewhere) check your parcel, it will be confiscated and destroyed. It is illegal to receive prescription medication via post/courier etc here in Ireland. Thankyou IMB :mad:

Mustard1972

The_Conductor wrote: »

Much as I know you don't want to hear this- its perfectly legal for them to post the prescriptions to you. Its illegal for you to receive them through the post. If customs/excise in Portlaoise (or elsewhere) check your parcel, it will be confiscated and destroyed. It is illegal to receive prescription medication via post/courier etc here in Ireland. Thankyou IMB :mad:

I've ordered plenty of prescription meds from the us and uk before and nothing has been stopped yet. some parcels were even opened and a customs sticker put on them.

The_Conductor

Mustard1972 wrote: »

I've ordered plenty of prescription meds from the us and uk before and nothing has been stopped yet. some parcels were even opened and a customs sticker put on them.

Well- they are opening a hell of a lot more parcels now than they ever were in the past- read any of the threads in the Bargain Alerts forum. It is illegal- and regardless of whether you've gotten away with it in the past or not- you will get caught sooner or later.

Mustard1972

The_Conductor wrote: »

Well- they are opening a hell of a lot more parcels now than they ever were in the past- read any of the threads in the Bargain Alerts forum. It is illegal- and regardless of whether you've gotten away with it in the past or not- you will get caught sooner or later.

Id say they open 75% of the ones I get already and I have to pay vat on them and a handling charge.
Just got an order of 3 months supply of esomeprazole and seretide wednesday morning from the US (less than a third the price I would pay here even including the postage and duty, vat and handling charges or whatever it is they add on. The spanish chemist will be even cheaper for some medicines but not all) that was opened and closed again with the opened by customs sticker. They almost always open them to be fair. But they are closing them up and letting them on to me too, with a bill.

So I would say I am being "caught" at least 75% of the orders I receive. They dont seem to mind whats in them though and let them on.

54kroc

Can you get anything similar to Silcock's Base in Spain?
Heading over next month and it would save me the bother of bringing some over with me.

Mustard1972

54kroc wrote: »

Can you get anything similar to Silcock's Base in Spain?
Heading over next month and it would save me the bother of bringing some over with me.

I dont even know what that is but try ringing a pharmacy where you are going and they will tell you. And for certain drugs, that you need a prescription for here, you dont need one in spain.

You can use parcel motel to get stuff delivered to the north too and just collect it here if postage to Ireland is excessive, or if as the person above says they ever start confiscating your packages after opening them.

tatli_lokma

Silcocks base is a fairly standard topical treatment, so I would say you will get it easy enough. It might be called something else, but a quick Google and you should be able to find out what the Spanish equivalent is called.

Thewife

Can you get valium without prescription in spain ?

josh59

former legend wrote: »

Ordering medicines over the internet is illegal.

Importing prescription medicines into Ireland via the post etc is illegal. I buy all our hay fever remedies, painkillers and other assorted bits and bobs online from the UK have never had a problem - cheap as chips too.

Got all my generic anti histamines for this year and next for a fiver.

Oscars Mum

You CAN'T get Valium OTC in Spain. I am in Spain now and will be hitting the chemist tomorrow for a years supply of medication for me and some family members and we will each save 3/400 each.....

sunny2004

I love this thread, you know why ?
I read every single post and I am MORE confused now then when I started !!
Keep up the good work guys !!!!

dubmick

just to add if anyone is on Eltroxin, it is ridiculously cheap in Spain compared to here. No prescription required.

The_Conductor

dubmick wrote: »

just to add if anyone is on Eltroxin, it is ridiculously cheap in Spain compared to here. No prescription required.

Just got a box of 28 100Mg tablets this afternoon- 14.25 in the local pharmacy.

It seems to have shot up in price in the last few months- and the generic is exactly the same amount (come to think of it- they've had a different brand every month for the past few months- perhaps theres a supply issue?)

Go-on, make me cringe- how much is a box of 28 there?

ROVER

Eutirox by Merck same as Eltroxin 100mg€2.60 for box of 84. No prescription required.

Fighting Irish

My monthly meds cost the gov around 10,000 a month, thanks lads

keithclancy

Jesus ... this is as bad as an thread on a US forum.

SteM

Was chatting to my Dad earlier who has to take heart medication daily. He has a free travel pass so him and my Mum decided to go up north during the week to see how much his medication would cost. e150 per month here and a small chemist up there charged him the equivalent of e80. They even offered to post it down to him monthly but he declined. Mum said that she got talking to a few people while waiting on the train back - all older couples like them and all going to get cheaper medication.

Delighted that he can get his medication cheaper - they really don't have much money. On the other hand really saddened that they have to go north to get it.

spank_inferno

Dont feel bad about your folks doing the right thing.

hypersonic

spank_inferno wrote: »

Dont feel bad about your folks doing the right thing.

+1 on this, it's a complete racket south of the border, ROI = 1st world prices & 3rd world care.

The_Conductor

Was just told by a cousin in Maryland that their local supermarket (called Giant Eagle) are running a promotion- spend $50 instore (on anything at all) and get 2 weeks of generic drugs on prescription entirely free of charge. You have to have a prescription for them- and they'll only dispense 2 weeks per visit. In addition to this- get a flu vaccination (free) and get a voucher for 20c a gallon off fuel.

Its only generic medications- and there is only one flu vaccination on offer- but by god if Tesco or someone started doing something similar here- we'd be sorted for once and for all.

Link here to the Giant Eagle offer: http://www.gianteagle.com/Save/Health-Savings-Programs/

Coincidentally- they told me they package the medication on site- you can ring ahead and order an easy swallow coating on your tablets (sort of like on Panadol easy-swallow) or ask them to add sweetener or a fruit flavour of your choice to any medication. Now thats what I call service.

If you could get a few months supply in one go- instead of only a forthnight's worth- I know I'd be on a flight to Baltimore asap..........

L1011

Quite likely they'd have a Computer Says No moment with an Irish prescription. From memory most drugs in the US are sold as seperate pills rather than blister packs hence the ability to coat them - they're pretty much all blister-packed here except some antibiotics and aspirin these days.

This is a bloody horrendously bad idea of theirs as it happens.

Tesco's pharmacies are reported to run at a loss as it is, loss-leader to get customers in; doing something like this would just push it further in to the red and require food price increases to cover it.

The_Conductor

http://www.gianteagle.com/Save/Health-Savings-Programs/4-10-Dollar-Drug-Program/Discount-Drugs/

$10 for 3 months supply of a list of over 200 different generics........ This is wholly separate to their freebie offer.........

Why the hell aren't we all getting flights to Maryland or Pennsylvania?

L1011

The_Conductor wrote: »

http://www.gianteagle.com/Save/Health-Savings-Programs/4-10-Dollar-Drug-Program/Discount-Drugs/

$10 for 3 months supply of a list of over 200 different generics........ This is wholly separate to their freebie offer.........

Why the hell aren't we all getting flights to Maryland or Pennsylvania?

Two reasons:

1: Prescription validity. These places are governed entirely by their dispensing system and if the doctor isn't known and authorised to prescribe on it you aren't getting a thing.

2: DPS. 3x144 != the cost of a return ticket to the US.

Karl Stein

I'm thinking of becoming a prescription medicine smuggler.

The EU needs to step in a demand that prescriptions can be given and filled across the EU. A small bit of 'free' market for the protected species would be nice wouldn't it?

The_Conductor

MYOB wrote: »

Two reasons:

1: Prescription validity. These places are governed entirely by their dispensing system and if the doctor isn't known and authorised to prescribe on it you aren't getting a thing.

2: DPS. 3x144 != the cost of a return ticket to the US.

1- We could get around by recognising each others prescriptions. We already recognise qualifications- so why not take this a step further. The IMO already have the list of Irish registered doctors online- its not exactly a gigantic step to make this more readily available.

2- Effectively $10 for a return flight to Maryland? Who would be unhappy with this? Admittedly- its generics rather than name brands- but so what.

We are having the piss taken out of us here. I paid 3.80 for a packet of paracetamol in Boots yesterday- ffs (ontop of my 140 a month- and I'm going to have to pay E20 for a flu jab next weekend- which curiously the 140 doesn't cover).

It really beggars belief that we're not up in arms.

OU812

Was in Spain a couple of weeks ago.

Got a pack of 48 generic ibuprofen for €3.40. Should of bought more.

snubbleste

OU812 wrote: »

Was in Spain a couple of weeks ago.
Got a pack of 48 generic ibuprofen for €3.40. Should of bought more.

That's insane!
You should be only paying a few cent per tablet
http://www.sainsburys.co.uk/groceries/index.jsp?bmUID=1380443798084
16 ibuprofen tablets for 25p

pjproby

Anyone email a prescription to any pharmacist in Newry to price it before travelling?

L1011

The_Conductor wrote: »

1- We could get around by recognising each others prescriptions. We already recognise qualifications- so why not take this a step further. The IMO already have the list of Irish registered doctors online- its not exactly a gigantic step to make this more readily available.

Who is going to pay for the protracted and complicated negotiations that the government/Medical Council are going to have to have with the FDA and multiple individual state boards of health? And then the same again with the pharmacy chains?

The_Conductor wrote: »

2- Effectively $10 for a return flight to Maryland? Who would be unhappy with this? Admittedly- its generics rather than name brands- but so what.

Where are you finding return flights to the US for under 430?

Then add in transfer costs - there aren't supermarket pharmacies in airports; accommodation, value of annual leave, etc, etc.

snubbleste

MYOB wrote: »

Where are you finding return flights to the US for under 430?

They are published on the airlines' website.