Getting topical steroids in Spain? (prescription strength)

They don't sell otc. In Spain. I always bring a tube of Cortisone 10 with me.

Do you have travel insurance? If so call the number a d they can probably refer you to someone in Pamplona to see. If not, ask your hospitalera if they can guide you or go to a pharmacy and they may be able to help you.

I'd probably just go to a centro de salud.

One year I had very bad bed bug bites and went to the pharmacy to buy a cream. The pharmacist told me, if it doesn't get better, I need to go to the urgencias. The over the counter cream didn't help at all, but I was lucky and another pilgrim had a cortisone cream which he gave to me, so I could avoid the urgencias that year.

But when I got a very bad case of bed bug bites again in another year, I remembered the pharmacists advice and just went directly to the Fromista centro de salud during their "urgencias" hours and they gave me prescriptions for several different medications including cortisone and antibiotics. So I guess that might work for your problem.

Not sure if this is the "correct" way to do it, but it is what I learned to do from the pharmacist (and also the hospitaleros, who send me to centro de salud when I had a bad chest infection with a fever and needed antibiotics) and it worked.

I only had to show my European health insurance card and passport, didn't have to pay anything apart from a few Euros for the medication in the pharmacy.

By now, I've been to the centro de salud in Carrion, Fromista, Piedrafita and Triacastela. One even had a translation sheet for pilgrims, and three out of the four times there were other pilgrims in the waiting room with me. The staff was always friendly and seemed to be used to see pilgrims.

Get well soon!

garlicbread said:

Hi guys, thanks for all your help so far. I tried to search this topic in past threads but couldn’t find much. So apologies if this is a repetitive question

Basically I need to see a doctor to get prescription steroids for eczema (induced by Tuesdays rain storm). I’ll be in Pamplona soon.

I have never seen a doctor in Spain other than urgencias. Is there urgent care style walk in? Do I need an appointment somewhere?

If anyone has experience with this, specifically steroids or just seeing a doctor in general, any advice is appreciated.

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Go to the farmacia and ask for Decloban. It’s sold in a tube in a petroleum jelly like formula. No need for an Rx from an MD. Farmacista may want to look at your hands. I’ve suffered with hand eczema for years and this works. Use as sparingly as possible. Buen Camino!