Ceejay1566

Hello - we move to Spain next year and was wondering what to do with current NHS prescribed medication. My wife takes 6 tablets for a heart condition which we pay for with an annual NHS card. We will be resident in Spain so not able to order from the UK (I guess) so could anyone enlighten us about what changes we will need to take care of to continue supply?
Many Thanks
Chris

KieronF

Many meds are available over the counter at pharmacies without a prescription. If you leave the name of the meds someone may be able to let you know if that is the case with your wife's meds.

Ceejay1566

Thanks - these are the ones currently required:
Bisoprolol 2.5mg
Rivaroxaban 20mg
Furosemide 40mg
Amlodipine 5mg
Candesartan 8mg
Atorvastatin 20mg

Loafing Along

You do not mention your age so am assuming you are not pensioners with the option to get an S1 from Uk before leaving so you can register with the Spanish health Service.
Option could be buy online , there are several sites across Europe that will sell you pharmaceuticals . This is an example : Comprar Amlodipine en España | Comprar Amlodipine Sin Receta

Ceejay1566

No - I will be 52 and my wife will be 58 when we move so a few years off pension. We will be retired and eventually tax resident so not sure if this makes a difference.
Thanks for the site info - will have a look.

sam2

Hello

I am British but currently live in Galicia, nw spanish state.
I am currently take 20mg rivaroxoban due to problems with thrombosis

I have a uk S1 this year due to my Galician wife being on maternity leave from a uk company. It was not very easy to get the local council to accept the paperwork like most bureaucracy in spain. My daughter born in spain to a spanish mum is only getting health cover through a uk ehic card.

If you are in the Spanish health care system either through uk (s1) or spanish tax contributions how it works for prescriptions is that you pay half the cost of the medication.

However rivaroxaban is not included in this system as it is deemed too expensive. You can get the Dr to write you a prescription but it will cost you 85 euros for a box of 28 pills. I am currently flying back to the uk to get my medication but this is not a long term option and i am sometimes without enough pills.

The alternative option the doctors could put me on here covered through the system was a weekly trip to the doctors for an injection. This would cost me 2 euros a week

A friends elderly father (A Galician who had payed taxes here all his life) recently passed away, he was having to take rivaroxaban and paying for it privately as well.

However there is a chance as your wife is taking such a cocktail of drugs they may be willing to let her continue with rivaroxaban due to the reduced side effects but I would bet against it.

I can't help with info on the rest of the medication your wife is taking.

I would recommend you get some professional advice about this as you could could be looking at a lot of money or a change of medication.

Sam

Rosemary

Hi and a warm welcome to the Spanish forum on BE. Myself and Fred James are the moderators for the Spanish forums whilst myself and BEVS moderate Europe. Please read the Site Rules Site Rules | British Expatriate Community and adhere to them so that the site runs smoothly. Moderators are there to ensure that the rules of BE are maintained. This is so that members gain the information that they are looking for and find their experiences on the forums to be friendly and worthwhile.

Problems and complaints should always be addressed to a moderator who will look into the matter and deal with it efficiently and fairly. Our members who post in the Spain Forums are usually friendly and helpful with a wealth of knowledge about the issues of living in Spain. I hope that you enjoy your time participating in the forums.

Please let me know if you need any further help.

Rosemary

Ceejay1566

Thanks Sam - really helpful and clearly something we need to fully understand before making the move. The costs could spiral and the €85 you mention for one of the 6 she has to have is already way more than the £10 per month we pay now for the annual prescription card.
Chris

amespana

If you are under uk retirement age the only ways to be on the Spanish health service are to be autonomo(self employed) or to be employed by a Spanish company.Therefore you will have to have private health insurance to become residents.Previous conditions are usually excluded from cover and you have to pay full price for medications.After a year of residence it is possible to access the Spanish health service for about 60€ per month each but I think you pay full price for meds.

Ceejay1566

Thanks - looks like this move could be expensive. I don't mind paying for private health insurance but the cost of meds per month could be anywhere from €250 to €400 per month which would not be sustainable in the long term if you add another €150 per month for the insurance. We don't particularly want to stay in the UK but might have to (at least for 6 months of the year) based on this.