Hi
We are moving to the Costa Blanca in July and my daughter takes regular medication for depression could anyone tell me whether she can still get this in Spain?

Many thanks

nikkiwinter

Hi Nikki,

You don’t say where you are moving from, but if it’s the U.K. you should be able to get your doctor to issue a prescription that would be valid in Spain, as it might take a while to get registered with a Spanish Doctor, and you might have trouble getting a U.K. Doctor to issue her with enough medication to bring with you.

I sincerely hope that her depression disappears once she has been here for a while - that’s why I moved here!

Alan.

Hi Nikki,

We will be moving to the Jaen Province in a few months and I had the same worries as yourself as I am asthmatic. While over in Jaen last year my prescribed medicine, Salbutamol inhaler ran out. I went into a Pharmacists and showed him my empty inhaler (I don’t speak Spanish) he simply handed me a new one, which cost just over 4 euros, cheaper than a prescription in U.K.
I have found that many prescription medicines in the U.K. are available to buy over the counter in Spain and are much cheaper. The next time you are over try to buy the medication in a pharmacy.

Hi
Thanks for your replies, I will try to go to the pharmacy when I’m next there.
Her medication is for depression ( prozac ) so not sure about that one, but she also has an inhaler same as yourself so that’s good I know she’ll be ok with that one.

thanks

Hi nikkiwinter,

just found this site and your question.

Been living in Spain for 3yrs and used to get prozac from the local pharmacy over here no problem either using a uk prescription over 12 months old or just asking or taking an empty box. None of the family need it now we live out here, were on it years off and on without it killing us, long grey uk days in uk used to trigger it in autumn if we were stressed at work, now no dull days no work and no stress so no prozac hooray!!

oh no! Did someone say pharmacy? Shit, I guess that’s like calling out the spammers! (who must all die)

One thing that took us by surprise is that here you pay for the actual cost of the medicine, rather than a flat prescription charge.  Fairer I guess but prices vary wildly as a result!  I would suggest getting your GP in the UK to write down not only the generic name of her prescription, but also other brand names that are pharmaceutically equivalent, so you can shop around and get the best source locally.  Pharmacists are highly knowledgeable and supportive here, but I agree with the advice that managing depression probably requires regular medical supervision and input,

Good luck, Spanish lifestyle is definitely good for anxiety and depression, and even if the move itself is stressful it will all turn out to be worth it in the end!

Maya

Nikkiwinter..
re your Q…
You have to be registered with a GP here to get some items.
It used to be a lot freer and you could get most things over the counter.
A dr in the last year or two prescribed me Anafranil - but it was totally on prescription only.
In the past year also -they have changed the laws and before you could buy penecillin/anti-biotics over the counter -
But no more :(

Ask when you get here. You will soon find out.
Hope things improve when you are here. (Most of us find this lovely climate/more relaxed lifestyle does help immensley!)
😊

Hi Nikki,

I have a freind who suffers with asthma and after a very bad attack she was prescribed new inhalers from the hospital. Her husband went the next day to buy them from the Farmacia and they cost him 50 Euros each! But once she had gone to her GP and got a prescription they were then only 2.75 Euro, a big difference! So I would imagine some drugs are cheaper with a prescription than just buying over the counter.

Fruity

The medication shouldn’t be an issue in gettin the same or equal type.

The Dr is unlikely (in my opinion, so not written in stone) to issue drugs without first examining and diagnosing the condition.

One person I no of was told by her Dr that she should not be so weak and basically get on with it, she was feeling down, sleepin lots and not wanting to dress or go out, her OH had lost his job and the paro was coming to an end etc etc, so he forced her to seek help.

Some Dr are a bit old fashioned in there ways, especially in smaller communities, it maybe the same in parts of the UK.

A Spanish friend moved to the UK through Lloyds pharmacy, she has commented that she issues more strong anti depresents here than she did in Spain.

I don’t think its as much of an issue in Spain as the UK, maybe its the weather, small towns or life style, I have no idea, but there is a difference.

You posted in 2007, would be nice to no how she got on and whether you moved to Spain.

I wish that were the case with all drugs - the medication I take for nerve pain was prescribed in Spain, however, when I get to the UK and start speaking with various people on similar meds I realise they have given me the most expensive drug here and it was costing me ?28 every 10 days! Where in fact there is a cheaper drug so the UK Dr was confused as to why the more expensive one was prescribed so for me, prescription was far cheaper, so I got 100 pills for 7 quid or whatever the prescription price is these days (Mum did it for me)

Swings and roundabouts eh!

Is it possible to get Propranolol over the counter without prescription. I have previously been prescribed it by my GP in the UK. Thanks for any advice!

nikkiwinter - 25 January 2007 05:05 PM

Hi
We are moving to the Costa Blanca in July and my daughter takes regular medication for depression could anyone tell me whether she can still get this in Spain?

Many thanks

nikkiwinter

Yes, of course, but from 1st July 2012 she will have to pay for her medication, even if it is for a chronic disease.

This thread was started over 5 and a half years ago.

I wonder if things all worked out.

I had problems with medication in Spain (diabetes stuff). I ended up flying back to the UK to stock up.
I must admit, I was quite shocked at the prices when I went to the pharmacy in Spain without a prescription; Around 100 (yes one hundred) times the prescription amount in most cases. I guess the moral of the story is get a prescription.