AnnenIan Posted May 7, 2015 Share Posted May 7, 2015 Hi everyone, we are planning a six months trip to France and Spain later on this year. We both have medication prescribed monthly by our doctor. When we asked at the pharmacy if we could have a 6 months supply of medication we were informed that we could only have 3 months and would have to pay privately for the rest. Does anyone know a way around this? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StuartO Posted May 7, 2015 Share Posted May 7, 2015 Many prescription items are cheaper to buy privately than the NHS prescription charge, so ask what they will cost. Unless you are on something which is terrifically expensive it will often make sense just to pay for them. If you need a prescription fulfilled abroad the local rules will apply and you might well have to see (and pay for) a doctor locally to get a local prescription, which you might also have to pay for. Lots of people all over the world have to pay for their healthcare and the NHS is a UK service. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tracker Posted May 7, 2015 Share Posted May 7, 2015 Can you order your medication online and get a relative or friend to collect them and post them to you at a camp site maybe? It is worth taking your prescriptions with you and asking at a pharmacy whether they can supply or if you need to see a Doctor first with an indication of the costs involved? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dora_ex Posted May 7, 2015 Share Posted May 7, 2015 Don't ask the pharmacy - ask your doctor, failing that contact your local Health Board - the pharmacy just fills the prescription that the doctor has written be that for however long. The rule relating to 3 months is general but doctors do and will give exceptions if you are traveling (we had an exception for a 12 month prescription). The 3 month rule is to prevent waste no other reason. Hope that helps Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest pelmetman Posted May 7, 2015 Share Posted May 7, 2015 Not yet being a fully qualified old codger :D .......... I still have to pay for my medication ........even so, our quacks will not supply me with more than 3 months? *-) ............ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Randonneur Posted May 7, 2015 Share Posted May 7, 2015 Dependant on what the prescription is for you will probably have problems getting things over the counter in France. In Spain and Portugal you will most likely to be ok as long as you show then the containers that your medication is in, they are very obliging. If you do have to visit a Doctor in France the cost was 23 euros when we left there to come back to live in the UK, we were covered under our topup insurance for the cost of medication, all but 1 euro per item, which I never did find out why they had this charge. You used to be able to reclaim costs back from the UK healthcare system, when back in the UK, as long as you had the correct receipts, don't know whether this still applies. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nowtelse2do Posted May 7, 2015 Share Posted May 7, 2015 Randonneur - 2015-05-07 7:38 PM You used to be able to reclaim costs back from the UK healthcare system, when back in the UK, as long as you had the correct receipts, don't know whether this still applies. It did last year, you should get about 90% of the costs back, but do make sure you have all the receipts and up to date EHIC card and that the doctor you see is state registered in the country you are in. If you go to the top of this page, there is an article (sticky) about the EHIC by Don Madge (where is Don now)? which is well worth reading although it was posted quite a while ago I don't think it's changed much. Dave Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
trickydicky Posted May 7, 2015 Share Posted May 7, 2015 My doctor has always given me a 4 month prescription ever since I asked years ago.never had a problem Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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