Question about prescriptions in Spain
Coming from the US, how do I transfer prescriptions in Spain?
Answers
These are the answers of some Facebook group members:
”You have to get new prescriptions in Spain”
”You don’t. Take your meds with you to your doctor and they’ll write your script”
”Just make an appointment with the closest clinic of your insurer, take your meds with you and the doctor will give you a prescription. Take the prescription to a farmacia and give it to them. Prescriptions are not covered by insurance and the cost may differ from farmacia to farmacia and, indeed at the same farmacia from month to month. I don’t know why, I guess it depends on how much the farmacia paid for it from the supplier. The farmacia may tell you they don’t have it in stock but will get in for you to collect the next day. Usually (but not always) you will only get a one month supply, even if thd doctor has given you a three month prescription. This is because farmacias are small usually, and they do not hold a lot of prescription medicine on hand, and to prevent over use. But they are in every block, sometimes on every street”
”Lots of meds in US do no need an rx here”
”My husband needed Singulair. He walked into a pharmacy yesterday and bought it with no problem. He didn’t have to show a prescription or his medicine bottle from home. I guess you don’t need a prescription for it here”
”I used MobiDoctor app for a telehealth appointment and they wrote the prescriptions I needed. 29€ for the visit”
In conclusion, according to Spainguru Facebook group members, transferring U.S. prescriptions in Spain directly isn’t common. Instead, many expatriates either consult with local doctors, often carrying their medications for reference, to obtain Spanish prescriptions or they discover that some medications don’t require a prescription as they do in the U.S. Telehealth services, like MobiDoctor, may offer a convenient alternative for obtaining prescriptions. Furthermore, costs and availability might vary across pharmacies, and they usually provide a month’s supply at a time, even for longer-term prescriptions.
Related article: What is the best Spanish health insurance for the Non lucrative Spain visa?
