L0VE

Hi,

I'm on thyroxine and have been for nearly 20yrs. It's a medication I have to take daily. I have a one-month prescription. I have declined a three-month prescription earlier this year, due to a recent change in dosage....and even today my dosage was changed!

I'm moving to BC this month and understand I won't be covered for health care for 3 months.

How can I get my Drs to give me a longer prescription to cover the first three months?

Do I tell him I'm on holidays for 3 months?
Surely if I say I'm moving to Canada they don't have to give me anything?
Or do I get a friend to collect it from Pharmacy and post it? I'm not sure if that's illegal though?

I can't get the medication when I'm I'm Canada without a prescription.

How has anyone else tackled this? I'm sure there are other people who are on daily medication and moved.

Dorothy

You can go to a doctor and pay for the appointment to get a prescription. Or even better would be to have adequate health insurance for the waiting period. What are you planning to do if you're injured in an accident or have a medical emergency?

christmasoompa

Once you are no longer resident, you aren't eligible for subsidised medication under the NHS. So no, you can't say you're on holiday for 3 months or get a friend to collect it for you.

But you presumably have temporary medical insurance in place to cover you for the three months gap when you arrive? So you can see a doctor under that if needed.

Pulaski

I think you understand wrong, and the question that you should be asking is "how do I get medical insurance to cover me ASAP after I arrive?"

L0VE

Yes, of course, I'll have insurance! I've had quotes just working which is the best for family and myself. However, I was looking at that for a medical emergency like my son breaking his leg, hospital admission etc But for a tiny cheap pill that I need to take it just seems a big hassle putting a claim in for that. So was wondering if I had any other options
So I presume I could find a private DR when I land to just get a prescription? If so any tips on how to find one, please? I know where we are going there are huge waiting lists to get a DR, but I gather it won't be the same to see a private DR before the health care system kicks in and I can visit the walk-in clinic.

Pulaski

Which is why you said, and I quote "I .... understand I won't be covered for health care for 3 months. "

You will get better information if you are frank and open about your situation. ..... When you said "of course, I'll have insurance", do you mean health insurance for a resident of BC, or have you been looking at quotes for "travel insurance" to cover emergencies like a broken leg?

L0VE

What I meant was I won't be covered by the BC provincial health care system for three months. I was just typing a post and keeping it as short as possible. I'm sorry if it confused you.
I've got quotes for travel insurance within Canada for example like this company https://arbetovinsurance.com/new-imm...ada-insurance/which I'll be sorting out the next couple of days. I never travel without insurance! I just didn't see it as a way to cover my prescription because I would have thought it a hassel to put a claim in. I've never put an insurance claim in before, perhaps I'm wrong? I searched the forum before and came across posts by expats that had managed to have the extra medication to take with them ie diabetics and was wondering how?

BristolUK

Just look for "walk-in" places. They may be listed as "out of hours"...chances are you'll see some and quite likely attached to the bigger pharmacy stores.
You can pay in there and then pay for the prescription at the pharmacy and then decide whether to claim on your insurance.

It may not be as cheap as you think mind.

L0VE

Thank you, my sister did show me the walk-in clinic last month when I was over there. I thought you could only use it if you had the BC provincial health care in place. So that's great to know I could do that. I'm happy to pay. Apparently without it within 6-12 months I'd go into a slow coma and die! So it's important I get it!

christmasoompa

Looks like about $130 for a 3 month supply according to a previous post on the forum. So more than the NHS, but not too bad.

​​​​​​​HTH.

L0VE

Yeah, that's good! Before we made plans to move it was one of the first things I checked, because some medications can be exceptionally expensive.

Silverdragon102

Pulaski

Not living in Canada myself, I am not sure, but do you think that writing a prescription for a long term hormone therapy, which properly requires monitoring and periodic testing, is something that a walk-in clinic would do? Personally I am sceptical.

BristolUK

I can't speak for this medication but any testing needed can still be done and paid for in the same way and with coverage kicking in after a couple of months it would soon be covered anyway. I believe arriving in June - no matter what date - makes June the first of the 3 months, so coverage 1st September.

Almost Canadian

In Alberta at least, anyone can use a walk in clinic, but you have to pay for the privilege.

Thyroxine is called Synthroid over here.