Countryboy1

Although I have private health insurance and am of pensionable age I still pay for my medicines when my doctor issues a prescription. These costs can add up, so can someone advise me how I can possibly get subsidised/paid for prescriptions?
Thanks.

Fred James

You will have to get your NHS doctor to issue the same prescriptions.

Sometimes they will do this, sometimes they won't.

Countryboy1

Hi Fred, have I made myself unclear? How can I access an NHS doctor here in Spain, or were you referring to the Spanish NHS?
Even so I can't see how I can go to my private doctor for a consultation, decline his prescriptions but then go another doctor for them!

scrubbedexpat095

I don't know where you live or your circumstances but the only way you can get cheap prescriptions is if you are a member of a Spanish Health system i.e if you were in Madrid you would need to be a member of Salud Madrid.

If you haven't worked here in Spain and paid SS contributions then I think it's probably impossible for you but I'm sure someone will come along with more exact info for you

Fred James

I was referring to the Spanish health service.

The private doctor will give you a prescription. You don't have to use it.

I assume you have a Spanish NHS doctor, in which case you can ask him to give you a similar prescription - he probably won't do so as I am pretty sure it is against the rules. However, if he examines you and decides you need medication he will prescribe it and it "might" be the same as the private doctor prescribed but more likely to be a cheaper alternative.

Countryboy1

Thanks Fred, no I don't have a Spanish NHS doctor, I'm not in the Spanish health service at all. Just asked re' prescriptions as, being a pensioner now, I thought perhaps my prescriptions could be got cheaper, but I guess as I'm not in the system, I can't achieve that.
Thanks for your response.

Rosemary

My understanding is that the only way to receive reduced prescription charges is if you are in the Spanish health care system. If you are in receipt of a UK state pension you can gain the required paperwork and enroll in the health system here. Prescriptions charges are roughly 10% of the price of the medication so it is very helpful if you are on expensive meds.

Rosemary

Countryboy1

Thanks Rosemary. Fortunately I'm not on expensive medication at the moment but who knows the future?
Think I should enroll on the system!

Rosemary

It would make sense because as you so rightly said you cannot predict what you might need in the future. I am lucky because my meds are very cheap even if I had to pay full price but when Graham was ill his meds were expensive and there were a lot of them and they were always changing so if we had needed to pay for them I think that we would have ended up bankrupt.

Rosemary