Obtaining Anticoagulants from Spanish Pharmacies with a UK Prescription whilst on Camino

[Brightmore]

Hey everyone,

I will hopefully start my camino in late May and, as discussed in THIS post, will be doing so having recently suffered a DVT. This means I will be on anticoagulants, likely injectables, specifically enoxaparin sodium.

I hope to walk from SJJP to Muxia, via Finisterre, so would rather not carry all that medication from day one.

Given this, I have been giving some thought to carrying a UK prescription with me and seeking additional meds every few weeks from local pharmacies in the larger towns.

So far, I have found this link that seems to indicate this is possible healthcare-for-uk-nationals-visiting-spain

Also, it seems UK citizens with a EHIC or GHIC card, which are still valid following Brexit, will pay half prescription fees, but I am not clear what that actually means.

Has anyone any experience of doing this? Is it costly and are anticoagulants, such as enoxaparin sodium, readily available?

I can see this was previously discussed on this forum in 2022, but without much luck and regarding a Canadian. I hope everything work out well for him, I truly do.

Thanks in advance

 

[J Willhaus]

Hi @Brightmore,
Any chance your physician would switch you to an oral medication that is easier to carry? I also had a DVT a few years ago, but did not have to take an injectable. It might be worth a try to have the conversation. I am a nurse and there are newer formulations than the old warfarin (coumadin) medication that also work well without having to have blood tests regularly although they can be expensive here in the US.

 

[Brightmore]

Thank you for such a swift response! Yes, looking at a few options, but I tend to react to them unfortunately. I’m lactose intolerance, but may try Rivaroxaban regardless.

 

[J Willhaus]

OK, hope you get some UK replies on getting prescriptions filled. From the US, I feel pretty certain we would have to be seen by a physician to get a prescription medication in Spain.

 

[Brightmore]

Thank you

 

[Tincatinker]

As the gov.uk website says Spanish farmacias can/will fulfill UK prescriptions and there is an agreed reduction on prescription charges. The tricky bit is finding a farmacia willing to follow the protocol. You may have to try several, and then in the larger cities.

I’d advise checking whether your required medication is available and commonly prescribed in Spain. I was advised that no Spanish doctor would prescribe a medication I was trying to replenish.

As well as a prescription I carried a letter from my doctor and a certified translation. I got there in the end but just carrying a sufficient supply would have saved a couple of days of stress and extraneous travel.

 

[henrythedog]

Does your medication require any special storage? If not could you mail a supply ahead of you? I haven’t used ‘poste restante’ since the days when I carried travellers cheques, but it still exists. Ivar is a candidate for receiving a package in Santiago. Find another in Burgos and/or Leon and the job’s sorted.

 

[J Willhaus]

Does your medication require any special storage? If not could you mail a supply ahead of you? I haven’t used ‘poste restante’ since the days when I carried travellers cheques, but it still exists. Ivar is a candidate for receiving a package in Santiago. Find another in Burgos and/or Leon and the job’s sorted.

I think it is against the law to mail medications in Spain or at least that is what I was told when I had a similar idea.

 

[Tincatinker]

I think it is against the law to mail medications in Spain or at least that is what I was told when I had a similar idea.

That is correct. Though how Correos would establish the contents of the parcel is open to conjecture. Any which way it’s a risky way to transport anything you are dependent on.

 

[henrythedog]

I suspect you are correct.

Looking at a few British expat forum posts it seems to be one of those ‘you’re not allowed to do this but many of us do’ subjects.

I wouldn’t personally try it from the UK as a customs declaration has to be filled in and lying and getting caught is probably not a great place to be, but within Spain?

 

[LTfit]

Thank you for such a swift response! Yes, looking at a few options, but I tend to react to them unfortunately. I’m lactose intolerance, but may try Rivaroxaban regardless.

Just a heads up, Rivaroxaban is not an authorized prescribed drug for DVT in Spain and cost €80 (in 2020) for a months supply. A special request was made to the Spanish Medical Inspector by my doctor to no avail, either I paid for it myself or no go. Luckily I still had my Dutch health insurance which did pay for it.

 

[lvf]

It would be so much easier for you to take the new generation of anticoagulants which are in pill form and require no monitoring and less space and weight in your pack. I carried mine with me in my pack on both of our Caminos.I hope you can safely switch to one of these options. We are all rooting for you so please keep us posted on what you and your doctor decide!

 

[Brightmore]

As the gov.uk website says Spanish farmacias can/will fulfill UK prescriptions and there is an agreed reduction on prescription charges. The tricky bit is finding a farmacia willing to follow the protocol. You may have to try several, and then in the larger cities.

I’d advise checking whether your required medication is available and commonly prescribed in Spain. I was advised that no Spanish doctor would prescribe a medication I was trying to replenish.

As well as a prescription I carried a letter from my doctor and a certified translation. I got there in the end but just carrying a sufficient supply would have saved a couple of days of stress and extraneous travel.

This is really helpful - thank you

 

[Brightmore]

Just a heads up, Rivaroxaban is not an authorized prescribed drug for DVT in Spain and cost €80 (in 2020) for a months supply. A special request was made to the Spanish Medical Inspector by my doctor to no avail, either I paid for it myself or no go. Luckily I still had my Dutch health insurance which did pay for it.

This is mega helpful. However, where I to request anything from Spanish pharmacies, it would be the Clexane or Inhixa enoxaparin sodium syringes.

 

[Brightmore]

Does your medication require any special storage? If not could you mail a supply ahead of you? I haven’t used ‘poste restante’ since the days when I carried travellers cheques, but it still exists. Ivar is a candidate for receiving a package in Santiago. Find another in Burgos and/or Leon and the job’s sorted.

It doesn’t fortunately, but thank you!

 

[Brightmore]

It would be so much easier for you to take the new generation of anticoagulants which are in pill form and require no monitoring and less space and weight in your pack. I carried mine with me in my pack on both of our Caminos.I hope you can safely switch to one of these options. We are all rooting for you so please keep us posted on what you and your doctor decide!

Thank you so much! I am going to try some of the new generation, blood thinners in tablet form before I leave.

However, I’ve never managed to tolerate them in the past. That said, were I to bring syringes or rely upon a UK prescription to replenish my blood thinners from Spanish pharmacies, I would still bring a dozen or so tablets in case something where to go awry.

 

[Brightmore]

I suspect you are correct.

Looking at a few British expat forum posts it seems to be one of those ‘you’re not allowed to do this but many of us do’ subjects.

I wouldn’t personally try it from the UK as a customs declaration has to be filled in and lying and getting caught is probably not a great place to be, but within Spain?

Risky!