uk Health prescriptions

[ronboyracer]

Can anybody through any light on the problem of going abroad for more than three months when you are on prescriptions, ie the system will not provide the necessary medicines for your conditions, so what do you do to get your medicines. Glad of any help whether official line or not, thank you. B-)

[FRANKP60]

Never had a problem getting extra Blood Pressure tablets from my Doctor here in UK.Explained what I was doing and how long I was going to be away pills where issued to cover period.

[Klyne]

I agree, the first port of call should be your doctor. I suppose it will depend how much longer than 3 months you will be away as there are rules your doctor must follow and he is likely to bend them only so far. If the trip is some time away you could always start harvesting them now by applying for a repeat prescription a few weeks early every time. Although I have not tried it I always carry the back copy of the prescription with me with the details of what I need and providing they are fairly common medicines then you could go to a local pharmacy but of course you will have to pay.

 

David

[FRANKP60]

We also have a friend who lives long term in Spain ,(with postal address),nearly all prescriptions if long term have a repeat prescription on them ,his family in Uk submit repeat when he tells them to ,they collect pills as his representative.They then post pills to him in Spain.It will mean you would have to check into Camp-site for a few days to receive parcel,looking at the racks of mail in Portugal when we where there in October a good many people where receiving mail this way .

 

[Porky]

I accumulated extra over time and built up 3 months worth my GP gave me a prescription for 3 months (he wouldn't/couldn't) give me longer. You can always pay a GP for a private prescription but then you have to pay for the drugs. But if it keeps you well with peace of mind then it would be worth it.

 

[Don Madge]

When we winter away for up to 180 days we get 3 months supply of medication from our GP and a private prescription for a further three months.

 

We use Tescos for the private prescriptions they are about the cheapest about.

 

Been doing this now for the last ten years never had any problems.

 

Always carry your repeat prescription with you just in case you have to buy abroad.

 

If you have codeine based medication and plan to visit Greece consult your GP as codeine is restricted in the country.

 

Safe travelling.

 

Don

[Guest JudgeMental]

As David says you need to think ahead :-D I have about 3 months worth here at the moment. I do this by applying for a fresh (2 months worth) about a month after i've had last lot......They dont seem to monitor the situation, at least my GPs surgery dont. So If I ever get the chance to get away:-S I will just ask for 3 months worth and I will have plenty :-S

[Guest pelmetman]

Cor getting three months worth of medication - not at our Doctors.

 

Dave has to take blood pressure tablets and when on the odd occasion I ask for 2 months worth to cover for holidays it's like the Spannish Inquisition!! They want to know when we are going, the date we get back, where we are going and before now when I said I didn't know when we were due to return as we we touring it was complete shock horror.

 

Sue

 

 

 

 

[BGD]

One thing which might help (obviously not for all medications, but perhaps for some at least) is that the rules on what a chemist can sell to you over the counter are far more liberal in many other European countries.

 

Certainly we have noticed that you can get a lot of medicines over the counter at a Farmacia here in Spain that are strictly prescription-only in the UK.

Sometimes you need to know the generic name for the drug concerned if you want a specific drug, rather than the UK "badge" commercial name.

 

It may be worth doing some research before you leave the UK in case your medicines are available prescription-free in other countries that you are visiting.

[Guest JudgeMental]

pelmetman - 2010-11-13 1:03 PM

Cor getting three months worth of medication - not at our Doctors.

Dave has to take blood pressure tablets and when on the odd occasion I ask for 2 months worth to cover for holidays it's like the Spannish Inquisition!! They want to know when we are going, the date we get back, where we are going and before now when I said I didn't know when we were due to return as we we touring it was complete shock horror.

Sue

 

Change doctors *-)

 

seriously who the hell do they think they are!

[rupert123]

Dons way is the best and probably the only way most can do it. Our surgery will let you have three months but they do keep a check so if you ask a few weeks before using the last lot do seem to know.

[Guest JudgeMental]

in Thailand you can get what you want over the counter, no prescription needed......... including some seriously mind altering substances, which are difficult to get from a GP here because they are so much fun :-D

 

when we got stuck out there due to the Volcano I had no trouble getting what I needed.

[Guest pelmetman]

Judge says change doctors ..... we would if we could but its not that easy where we live.

 

I have tried but the other surgery within our catchment is full and not taking on any more patients.

 

Sue

[Brian Kirby]

The technical problem is that if you leave UK for more than 3 months, under NHS rules, you are deemed automatically de-registered from your doctor.  That means that you are completely at the mercy of the doctor's inclination to "turn a blind eye", because he may not prescribe more than three months supply, if he knows you will be away.  If he were found out, he would be subject to disciplinary procedures.  So, you need to be discreet.  Simplest is to see if you can do as Eddie (Judgemental) does, and get a second repeat prescription before the first expires.  Having then got two, you can renew them as and when, building your stock to cover, within reason, the length of your trip.

If you can't do that, for example because the drugs have too short a shelf life, then do as Don does, but buy the drugs from a chemist while away.  You will need to check that the drug is available over the counter in the country/ies you will be visiting, and if not, whether pharmacists will be allowed to supply against a UK doctor's prescription.  If they are not, I believe you may be able to go to a hospital in some countries, claim an emergency (e.g loss), show them the prescription, and ask for either the hospital to supply from their pharmacy, or for a doctor to write an authorised prescription so that you can get them yourself.  Alternatively, you may be able to take your UK prescription go to a local GP, so that he can write a local prescription.  You'll know where you are going, so will have to pick your way through what works where.

[Klyne]

Brian Kirby - 2010-11-13 4:39 PM

The technical problem is that if you leave UK for more than 3 months, under NHS rules, you are deemed automatically de-registered from your doctor. 

BrianI seem to recall that it is 6 months if you are of retirement age.David

[Big Momma]

Basically, I can only repeat the advice already provided. I needed medication and initially my GP only gave me a 1 month supply. However, I explained that I worked in London and left at silly O'Clock in the morning and didn't get back until silly O'Clock in the evening making obtaining repeat prescription very inconvenient. Thereafter my GP gave me 3 months medication with a repeat for 3 months supply. I was able to submit my repeat after only 1 months usage and got another 3 months supply meaning I then had 5 months worth. It is very much dependent on your GP but if you know you are going away then a little forward planning would help your situation.

[John J Thompson]

It obviously depends on your doctor. Last year Joan and myself got 6 month prescriptions for over the winter.

 

I went and saw my doctor in mid October and told him our plan to go to Spain and that we would be away 6 months. He gave Joan ans myself 6 months each and said he would sort it out with the chemist which he did. He knows we live full time in the motorhome.

 

We had to wait for the chemist to get enough stock in to supply us but they had them by the end of the week.

 

We set off on Monday fully stocked up.

[Brian Kirby]

Klyne - 2010-11-13 6:56 PM

Brian Kirby - 2010-11-13 4:39 PM

The technical problem is that if you leave UK for more than 3 months, under NHS rules, you are deemed automatically de-registered from your doctor. 

Brian I seem to recall that it is 6 months if you are of retirement age. David

Haven't seen or heard that, Klyne.  Do you happen to know where it comes from?

[sshortcircuit]

How do expats who are resident in Spain, but not yet Spanish residents, get drugs (Medication)? Do they have to buy them?

[Klyne]

Brian Kirby - 2010-11-13 9:02 PM

Klyne - 2010-11-13 6:56 PM

Brian Kirby - 2010-11-13 4:39 PM

The technical problem is that if you leave UK for more than 3 months, under NHS rules, you are deemed automatically de-registered from your doctor. 

Brian I seem to recall that it is 6 months if you are of retirement age. David

Haven't seen or heard that, Klyne.  Do you happen to know where it comes from?

This is not where I first saw it but this was in the Independent

Changes will also be made to rules covering British pensioners who spend part of the year living in another European country.The current regulations mean that if someone spends more than three months out of the country they are technically not eligible for free NHS treatment.New rules will allow pensioners to spend up to six months out of the country each year and still receive free treatment.

Full article here http://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/health-and-families/health-news/tough-new-rules-to-stop-health-tourists-757871.htmlIt was dated 2003 and I assume is still in place?David

[barrie w]

Our doctor is happy to give 2 months at a time & I've built up a stock but we can get a repeat by faxing to the surgery whilst away. Family can collect & post out if needed. Worth looking at.

[Coachman]

Our surgery will only give 28 day's and its a bind as they do not equel out towards the end of the period, sometimes i am ordering twice a week.

[Mel B]

My doctors' surgery allows me to order repeat prescriptions on line via their website and 2 days later the prescription is at the chemist to be collected.

 

At present I don't have a need to have medication for more than a month at a time as we don't go away that long and can order a repeat earlier than normal to get up to 6 weeks supply if needed or more if I start planning a few months in advance!

 

But if I needed to organise a repeat prescription whilst away I could order it on-line and then it would be waiting for me when I got back, or I could do as others have done and get someone to collect it for me and post it on if necessary.

 

I just wonder how many people have had a look at their doctors' surgery website to see if on-line ordering is available anyway? I only found it by accident when checking the website for the opening hours!

[Brian Kirby]

Klyne - 2010-11-13 10:47 PM ......... Full article here http://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/health-and-families/health-news/tough-new-rules-to-stop-health-tourists-757871.html It was dated 2003 and I assume is still in place? David

Don't know David.  The article says it was to be introduced, not that it had already been introduced.  I had previously read somewhere (I think in the NHS website) about this three months limit, and I can't even find that now!  Still less can I find any reference to six months.  I remember it was stated that an absence from your usual home (even if still within UK!), for longer than 3 months, would result in automatic de-registration from your usual GP.  Logically, that would mean that if you told him you proposed going away for longer than 3 months, he would be obliged to take you off his register, and therefore could not prescribe drugs sufficient for a longer period.  But can I now find it?? Can I hell!  :-(  Anyone know where it is?

[BGD]

sshortcircuit - 2010-11-13 10:16 PM

 

How do expats who are resident in Spain, but not yet Spanish residents, get drugs (Medication)? Do they have to buy them?

 

 

 

 

Yes, they have to buy them.

 

Everyone in Spain has to buy their medications.......all over-the-counter or Doctor prescribed medications have to be paid for by the user.

Only in-patient medications are not subject to user payment.

 

Being "resident" in Spain (ie "resident for tax purposes") makes no difference at all.

 

Only if you are a member of the Spanish NHS system (ie you are paying in to the Spanish Social Security system and thus have a "SIP" number and SIP card, do you get a good discount on the "retail" price of the drugs at a chemists here in Spain. But you still pay for them.

 

Having said that, gut feeling is that they seem a lot cheaper here than in the UK.........but I don't have any specific comparisons that can demonstrate that point scientifically.