Prescription drugs

[Devinesilk]

Hi, I’m wondering if I can buy levothyroxine over the counter on the Camino Frances. I have a prescription for it in the uk. Thanks

 

[ivar]

I don't know what this drug does, but most likely if it needs a prescription in the UK it will also need a prescription in Spain. I don't know if prescriptions from one country is valid in another... maybe ask your UK health service?

 

[Molly Cassidy]

EU prescriptions are valid throughout the bloc but I'm not sure about UK ones. I would bring your UK prescription and if the pharmacy won't take it, show it to a doctor and ask them to give you a new one.

 

[Kathar1na]

Since my family had just practical experience with this: Yes, the arrangement is still in place that prescriptions issued by a doctor qualified to do so in an EU country are valid throughout the EU and in the UK and vice versa. However, as it turned out, in practice it just did not work and our family member did resort to a local doctor to get a local prescription. It won't work for electronic prescriptions (standard where I live). There is official info here: https://europa.eu/youreurope/citizens/health/prescription-medicine-abroad/prescriptions/index_en.htm

FWIW, levothyroxine is a very common medication for an under-active thyroid. FWIW again, honestly, I would just pack the required supply for the duration of my stay in Spain. These pills don't weigh a ton.

PS: It is called levotiroxina in Spanish and you can check brands on https://cima.aemps.es/cima/publico/lista.html. This website will also tell you that levotiroxina requires a prescription in Spain. This will not come as a surprise because anyone who uses it knows that, at least in principle, it requires follow-up by your doctor and blood tests from time to time.

 

[dougfitz]

PS: It is called levotiroxina in Spanish and you can check brands on https://cima.aemps.es/cima/publico/lista.html. It requires a prescription in Spain. This should not be a surprise because anyone who uses it knows that, at least in principle, it requires follow-up by your doctor and blood tests from time to time.

I would also recommend carrying enough for the time you are away. While practices might vary slightly from country to country, when on longer trips I have asked for sufficient for the whole period of my absence. Your doctor and pharmacist should know how to do that if it is possible, or tell you if it isn't. I suspect that there might be some limitations on certain types of medications, which your doctor or pharmacist would also be able to tell you about.

 

[Kathar1na]

There is also information from the UK government for UK nationals and UK residents who are entitled to an EHIC or GHIC card:

Healthcare for UK nationals visiting Spain

How to get state healthcare when you’re on holiday or travelling to Spain.

www.gov.uk

Quote: You can use a UK prescription to get medicines, including special food required for medical reasons, in Spain. Prescription medicines are not free in Spain. With an EHIC or GHIC you get a reduced rate, but you’ll still pay 50% of the prescription price. Also: These prescription charges are non-refundable.

 

[dick bird]

FYI here is a link to a Reddit thread where somebody has asked the same question.

https://www.reddit.com/r/SpainAuxiliares/comments/13acejz

Seems the answer is you do, technically, need a prescription but some pharmacists will sell it without. But the best advice must be to bring your own supply with you. You should also carry your doctor´s prescription with you, a) to satisfy inquisitive customs officials and b) this will at least make it easier to replenish your supply if you have to. Scan it and keep it on your phone/email as well so you have a soft copy.

 

[TravellingMan22]

There are a few threads online that suggest you 1) don’t need a prescription and b) the name of it differs in Spain which is quite typical as drugs have a master technical name, and often a branded name in each specific country. They often operate under different brand names. Just Google the drug and Spain and prescription and you will get some ideas. I think it may be called Euthyrox in Spain but that’s a quick Google!

I take two prescription drugs in UK. One was available without prescription in Spain, and one wasn’t. I sense there is a lower threshold in Spain as in prescription levels aren’t quite as stringent as UK, based in Google and personal conversations.

In UK you can order up to 3 months worth of persciption from your GP (technically if you are out of UK for more than 3 months you are meant to deregister not that anyone does!!). Also in theory if you phone from overseas they aren’t meant to fulfil.

In an emergency you can get it sent to a friend in UK and they can send it to you which I did in a very straight forward manner.

Been carrying quite a lot of a stock oversea both Europe and further afield with no customs issues.

Hi, I’m wondering if I can buy levothyroxine over the counter on the Camino Frances. I have a prescription for it in the uk. Thanks

 

[Kathar1na]

OK, to be clear: In Spain, just like in numerous if not all European countries, levothyroxine is not an OTC drug. It requires a prescription. Just check the official Spanish CIMA list (see link above). And in Spain, just like in numerous if not all European countries, a pharmacy may allow you to purchase a pack of pills containing levothyroxine when you have unexpectedly run out of your supply, not been to a GP or health centre to get a new prescription and look like a bona fide customer. However, there is no guarantee for this.

 

[Kathar1na]

As this question turns up from time to time, for those interested, here is a long article about the legal situation at EU level and at national level. In a nutshell: National law is different from one country to the next. It is not that Spanish pharmacists are "more lax" is it is sometimes insinuated.

The article is in German. It's about pharmacies, obligatory prescription for pharmaceutical substances and relevant practice and law in various European countries including the UK. I am sure one can find similar information in English if one tries.

Grenzbereiche der Rezeptpflicht

Mit einem Netzwerk von 160.000 Abgabestellen sind die öffentlichen Apotheken in Europa die am leichtesten zugänglichen Einrichtungen der Gesundheitsversorgung. Oft sind sie bei Gesundheitsproblemen der erste Ansprechpartner. Dies gilt vor allem für geringfügige Gesundheitsstörungen, die im...

www.deutsche-apotheker-zeitung.de

 

[TravellingMan22]

Indeed read some articles that suggest that Spanish Pharmacies play a broader role in healthcare where as in UK their role is limited though there are plans to move to a more Spanish type model given pressure on GPs

 

[Molly Cassidy]

Yes, it's quite common in European countries for the first port of call for illness to be the pharmacy.

 

[Kathar1na]

Quote [translated from the article mentioned above with reference to the situation in EU countries and the UK]:

Pharmacies are often the first point of contact for health problems. This is especially true for minor health disorders that can be treated with OTC medicines in the context of self-medication. However, freedom ends where the prescription obligation begins. In some European countries, this principle is dealt with very strictly; in others, pharmacists are given more credit and are also granted certain competences with regard to the dispensing of prescription drugs.​

 

[Quahaug]

Hi, I’m wondering if I can buy levothyroxine over the counter on the Camino Frances. I have a prescription for it in the uk. Thanks

I would not depend on getting the drug on the Camino. Bring enough for the trip. These is SOP for any long hike or vacation.

 

[WalkingInGers]

I walk with 5 types of medications. I plan 45 days on the road and take 60 days worth meds with me in a plastic box. I also copy the prescriptions to AirDrop and Files in case I need them. Pharmacists will generally give you an emergency supply in case of need, the worst being that you will need to see a medico (doctor) for a prescription that can be filled in France, Spain, or Portugal.

 

[naplesdon]

Excellent conversation and information, As one who lived with a resident's visa in France for a number of years and most recently Portugal for the past year. I made sure that I brought enough Rx meds with me to know I was covered and then consulted with the pharmacists. They are pros at what they do and I never had an issue refilling a US Rx with the same meds at a much lower price, i.e. co-pay versus OTC prices in Europe. Let me throw this one caution to the wind. As Kathar1na said the med in question on this thread is commonly used in Spain. However, I would suggest that you check any specific med that you use which may have restriction for use outside the US. In my case I was taking a reasonably new and "unproven" heart medication, Labetalol, in the US. It is not available in Portugal. My excellent Portuguese cardiologist prescribed an alternative, Carvedilol, and well it is not doing the job. So as I have told several friends on this Forum, I am headed back to the US.

 

[NavyBlue]

Hi,

Same advice : bring your own supply for the duration of your camino.

I guess you know that, but for what it's worth : in France, a fair number of people have been destabilized by (slight?) changes in Levothyroxine formulation, describing secondary effects, raising claims, asking for damage compensation...

In other words, a drug with an "International Nonproprietary Name" may have some variance. Better to rely on your usual one, I suppose?

​

 

[Devinesilk]

Thank you for all of your advice and support. I have ordered a second prescription from my doctor here

 

[Frogatthefarriers]

Just to clarify….

I take 4 types of medication daily and I'll be taking all the meds I’ll need for the duration. I’ve been searching t'internet on how to carry them all. My problem is that although weight-wise it’s not much but 8 boxes is a packing problem. I can take all the blister packs out of their cardboard containers, but t'internet says I should keep all meds in their original packaging.

I'm wondering if packing (see what I did there?) blister packs will be OK?

 

[dougfitz]

Just to clarify….

I take 4 types of medication daily and I'll be taking all the meds I’ll need for the duration. I’ve been searching t'internet on how to carry them all. My problem is that although weight-wise it’s not much but 8 boxes is a packing problem. I can take all the blister packs out of their cardboard containers, but t'internet says I should keep all meds in their original packaging.

I'm wondering if packing (see what I did there?) blister packs will be OK?

My practice is to keep the original packaging until after I have cleared customs, and wherever I stay the first night, re-pack medications in their blister packs into zip-lock bags with the prescription label from the box that they were in. There is a small reduction in volume, but more importantly it gives some more flexibility when it comes to packing them into a backpack than retaining the original boxes.

 

[Donna Sch]

Be very careful if you use benzodiazepines and similar agents, ADHD medication and pain medications such as opiates (including codeine-based formulations) which are on the restricted list. They require a permit as well as letters and evidence of a prescription and you may only be able to carry a 28 day supply. You cannot legally mail a further supply to yourself unless you are going through genuine pharmacy channels. You also need to check the requirements for any country you may transit through in the case that a flight gets cancelled and you need to step out of the transit lounge. Please do not spring this on your prescribing doc the week before you go especially if your doc has to deal with regulations from a non-English speaking country. While Singapore is a phone call and email/fax the week before at latest, others take months.