# Prescription Medication



## witzend (Aug 22, 2009)

Hi can anyone advise us.
Planning on being in Europe for a few months and will need regular medication while there. Our Doctor will only supply 2 months how do others manage


----------



## Penquin (Oct 15, 2007)

GP's are only allowed to give 2 months supply and can strike you off after 60 days if you are overseas.

You might persuade them to give you more, or perhaps build up a backlog by ordering a little faster than normal 

or alternatively can someone collect the medication for you from the chemist (if your Doctor has such a service) and then post them to you?

If neither of those work you could ask him if he will do a private prescription, or if in one place in Europe, register with a Doctor over there,

or pop back to UK every few weeks to collect in person?

Just some thoughts (of dubious honesty true!)  

Dave


----------



## AndrewandShirley (Oct 13, 2007)

We explain to our doc that we were travelling in Europe on business (ok thats not true) and reg emailed him to confirm as such.

So far he has released 2 x perscriptions of 3 months each, which have been collected by a "friend" and posted to us.

Our other doc let us have 6 months at a time before he wanted to see me again.

Try it on and explain the fresh air will do you good and see what happens.....what have you got to loose???


----------



## cabby (May 14, 2005)

If you can get it on a repeat presciption service, do as already said and build up a stock.

cabby


----------



## erneboy (Feb 8, 2007)

I think this varies from Doc. to Doc. Ours is quite happy to give us six months worth when we ask.

It is also possible you can buy what you need over the counter. Germany is quite strict as to what you can get without prescription, like the UK. Other countries are far more relaxed about it, Alan.


----------



## dikyenfo (Feb 16, 2008)

Why make things difficult trying to be clever with the UK regs. Just visit your local quack if France or wherever and get a check over and your precriptions. Mind you they are a lot more thorough than here and following a call from my wife from the examination room I found her naked and plugged into the machines for a top to toe check-up.
This was at a maison medicale where many just qualified docs. go to get practice but very good as up to 40 mins per patient is normal.
So please pratting about and use your available services and get a chance of the latest drugs as opposed to the ones allocated by the NHS.


----------



## johnthompson (Jul 29, 2010)

erneboy said:


> I think this varies from Doc. to Doc. Ours is quite happy to give us six months worth when we ask.
> 
> It is also possible you can buy what you need over the counter. Germany is quite strict as to what you can get without prescription, like the UK. Other countries are far more relaxed about it, Alan.


We also got six months each before we came to Spain for the winter in November. As there was such a lot of medicine the doctor contacted the chemist to be sure we got it all, as chemists are cutting down on the amount doctors prescribe.

It is entirely up to your doctor how much he decides to prescribe. There are guidelines but they are not set in stone.

If you are of retirement age the length of time you can be abroad is 6 months and still stay registered.

A friend of our on this site has just purchased blood pressure and diabetic drugs over the counter at the local chemist in Spain.


----------



## bozzer (Jul 22, 2009)

Brian only gets his Rheumatoid Arthritis drugs a month at a time when in UK. He really had to plead with Dr to get 3 months for our trip to Spain. Only the fact he had a piece of paper from Hospital that stated 3 months blood tests did the Dr give in. 

Dr did say go and see a Spanish Dr which we did last winter at the onset of RA and we were impressed with the speed and thoroughness - it was only on our return when a GP altered the medication the Spanish Dr gave that Brian became really ill.

Jan


----------



## greygit (Apr 15, 2007)

Our doctor would only give us the free prescriptions for two months we had to pay for the third ones.  
Gary


----------



## erneboy (Feb 8, 2007)

When we run out we buy over the counter in France or Spain without any problem and it's not very expensive for our particular medications, Alan.


----------



## bambi2 (Oct 19, 2007)

*prescription medication*

In France we can only get one months supply of tablets, we just go into a chemist in Spain with our empty pill boxes and come out with as many as we like, my thyroid pills are less than 3 euros, my husbands is about 16 euros for his hypertention pills. Best of luck bambi 2


----------



## wobby (May 1, 2005)

*Re: prescription medication*



bambi2 said:


> In France we can only get one months supply of tablets, we just go into a chemist in Spain with our empty pill boxes and come out with as many as we like, my thyroid pills are less than 3 euros, my husbands is about 16 euros for his hypertention pills. Best of luck bambi 2


Thats right, in Spain its not a problem and most, but not all drugs are very cheap. France you'll need a French proscription however a visit to a G.P. is only €23. As for your GP in the UK get someone to pick up your repeats then you'll be set up for the next trip.


----------



## witzend (Aug 22, 2009)

*medicine*

Eventually ended up with 3 mths supply from Doctor just to try it out I visited a French doctor who gave me a mths supply of same tablets on my repeat prescription only check was my blood pressure but I had to pay 23 euro which I will try to claim back on arrival home


----------



## Lesleykh (Apr 13, 2009)

As other replies have said, it is getting harder to get GPs to agree to a long term supply. I was very lucky that mine gave me 2 lots of 3 months supply before we went away, and then a friend went in to the surgery and picked up a prescription for another 6 months and posted them out to me.

I hope you get it sorted out. It was one of my biggest concerns about going away for a long trip.

Lesley


----------



## Losos (Oct 28, 2009)

Lesleykh said:


> As other replies have said, *it is getting harder to get GPs to agree to a long term supply*.


Is it because the GP's are worried about people overdosing :?:

I have a suspicion that this is the reason and it's annoying that once again the majority are suffering because of a small minority of irresponsible people.


----------



## HeatherChloe (Oct 18, 2009)

Get a private GP


----------

