Prescribed Medicines

Andrew H

Hello,

Can anyone advise if it is cheaper to travel up to the North to buy Doctor prescribed medication?


Thanks for any replies,
Andrew

Esel

Probably depends on (i) your travel costs (ii) length of prescription.

I would think prescription meds are cheaper there.

Re non-prescription drugs - Boots sell 16 own-brand paracetamol for about 20p, and 16 ibuprofen for about 30p. Same for aspirin etc (which apart from Disprin are prescription only here, I think). I always stock up on these when there.

Hope you get a more accurate reply soon!

Andrew H

Thanks Esel.

I heard on an RTE programe that medicines are much cheaper in England and figured that Northern Ireland's prices would be similar.

Myself and my wife are paying over 120 euro per month on medication. Hoping to save some money.

Esel

You could ring a Boots shop in NI that would suit you location-wise and get prices for your prescriptions. Or another of the big chains - I think McAuley's (spelling?) is another one.

Also, apparently many POM (prescription only medication) can be bought over the counter in Spain, and prices are rock-bottom compared to here. Not sure of the legality of importing them in baggage though - probably best to carry your prescription with you just in case if you do decide to go on a 'free' holiday ('free' given the saving you would be making on the drugs).

Andrew H

I never thought of ringing them....thanks again Esel.

Every time we head to Portugal or Spain we stock up. Def think we will be heading away this year. Prices are ridiculous and savings will pay for the holiday.

dobsdave

Check on Boots website and www.lloydspharmacy.com for prices.

The prices I have checked out have been 50-75% cheaper.
The prescription you give them must have the actual name of the medicine as opposed to the brand name, other wise they will not fill it.
For example asking for neurofen as opposed to ibuprofen ( example only, I realise its not a prescription drug).

Also, call them a few days in advance to ensure they have the drug stocked.
I lived in the north for a few years, and it would be common for them to ask you to call back as they would have to order the drug.

Andrew H

Thanks dobsdave.

Will they take a prescription issued from a Doctor in the republic or will we have to go to a Doctor up in the North?

rom

My epic post of the day.

#######
EU states that a prescription can be filled in any other member states.

This would be great for when you are on holidays/up north etc.

Well thats not all.

There are UK chemists that both fill Irish prescriptions and deliver to Ireland. Lot of them are available online.

use google with a search string below.

site:co.uk drugname

I could give you examples sites but there are a few but drugs are different prices at difference places so it is best to shop around.

So then you ring them up that they will ship and take a ROI prescription and ask them what the procedure is.

Normally they ask for a fax or scan and for you to post the original to them.

I did this today with a UK chemist.

In my local it was 27.88 per month. I had a prescription for 6 months supply. So it would have cost 167.28 euro. I got the each same with delivery to Ireland for 81.42 which is less than half. I can wait a few days for it but it is taking the pi$$ in the markup.

Andrew H

Thats great Rom, thanks for the feedback :-)

fasttalkerchat

Andrew H wrote: »

Thanks dobsdave.

Will they take a prescription issued from a Doctor in the republic or will we have to go to a Doctor up in the North?

If you use a ROI perscription you will have to pay a fee. If you see a GP in the North or UK it will be free. More info: http://www.nidirect.gov.uk/prescription-charges

dobsdave

I thought this was a thread for people from the republic.
If only we could use doctors from the UK.

fasttalkerchat wrote: »

If you use a ROI perscription you will have to pay a fee. If you see a GP in the North or UK it will be free. More info: http://www.nidirect.gov.uk/prescription-charges

fasttalkerchat

dobsdave wrote: »

If only we could use doctors from the UK.

I think you can. I'm from the North and can see a doctor for free in the south under the "Reciprocal Agreement". Not sure if it covers GPs but I had hospital treatment for free.

dobsdave

fasttalkerchat wrote: »

I think you can. I'm from the North and can see a doctor for free in the south under the "Reciprocal Agreement". Not sure if it covers GPs but I had hospital treatment for free.

No, afraid not.
Reciprocal agreement is that you get the same coverage away from home that you do at home (if there is an agreement between the countries).

_Whimsical_

rom wrote: »

My epic post of the day.

#######
EU states that a prescription can be filled in any other member states.

This would be great for when you are on holidays/up north etc.

Well thats not all.

There are UK chemists that both fill Irish prescriptions and deliver to Ireland. Lot of them are available online.

use google with a search string below.

site:co.uk drugname

I could give you examples sites but there are a few but drugs are different prices at difference places so it is best to shop around.

So then you ring them up that they will ship and take a ROI prescription and ask them what the procedure is.

Normally they ask for a fax or scan and for you to post the original to them.

I did this today with a UK chemist.

In my local it was 27.88 per month. I had a prescription for 6 months supply. So it would have cost 167.28 euro. I got the each same with delivery to Ireland for 81.42 which is less than half. I can wait a few days for it but it is taking the pi$$ in the markup.

Buying prescription drugs for mail order to Ireland is illegal. If they're caught by customs they are seized and you see neither your medicine nor your money again
Annoying but true.


Interesting article published just today by the Irish Consumer Assoc however showing there can be a difference of up to 50% on medicine prices from one Irish chemist to another so its even worth shopping around locally.
http://www.nca.ie/index.jsp?p=100&n=101&a=992

muirsheen

I am on a generic antidepressant which cost me 55.00 euro here every month. The exact same drug cost me £5.00 yesterday in Newry.

I got 4 months supply at a time, as this was the max on the script. Never again will I buy my meds down here again. We are being ripped off big time. It maddens me so much:mad:

Ring before you go up and get a price, they had no problem holding the meds for me and said if I am coming up again to give them a few days notice so they can order the stock.

K.Flyer

My wife suffers with bad migraine, the medication for which here you need a doctors presciption for.
Doc visit 45euro
Meds in chemist 23euro per pack.

Same meds in Boots in Newry no scrip needed 8pounds.
Problem solved.

RATM

Is there anything to prevent someone going into a NI GP for a prescription ? Just wondering what they charge, I think they're free more or less for residents but unlikely they're free if a RoI resident walks in ?

pow wow

It's free if it's an incidental visit (i.e. you're visiting the North on holiday etc. and just happen to fall ill). I don't know what their position would be if it's obvious you've just travelled up to get a prescription for a more long-term ailment.

danois

Esel wrote: »

Also, apparently many POM (prescription only medication) can be bought over the counter in Spain, and prices are rock-bottom compared to here. Not sure of the legality of importing them in baggage though - probably best to carry your prescription with you just in case if you do decide to go on a 'free' holiday ('free' given the saving you would be making on the drugs).

Just wondered does anyone know if this is still the case? I thought it had changed? Thanks

Bebop

My Doctor gave me a 6 month prescription with the generic drug names, I rang the Chemist in Newry who were quite happy to give me a price and reserve the meds for collection, I normally pay about €40+ per month locally and the NI price was 12 GBP, that's quite a saving over 6 months and well worth the trip,

Maybe I should have priced like-for-like here first but some pharmacies are reluctant to answer such queries, what we need is a more transparent pricing policy with standard prescription charges, I'm retired and I find that more and more of my friends are sourcing their meds outside the state, some of them take cheap winter holidays to Spain and bulk buy there

brokenarms

I have lived in the south for 10 years now, but if I get ill and can travel, I head straight for home. Its all free if you where born in GB.

What I need to find out is, can I use my e1 11 to get free care here.

fasttalkerchat

brokenarms wrote: »

I have lived in the south for 10 years now, but if I get ill and can travel, I head straight for home. Its all free if you where born in GB.

What I need to find out is, can I use my e1 11 to get free care here.

You just need to tell them you're a NI/UK resident and give your address. You're covered under the reciprocal agreement. However, this doesn't work for a visit to a GP so you have to sit in A&E.

td2008

Bit cheaper for me, 144 here. Around 90 euro per month in the north. usually try get 3 months at a time

Access

I think its worth maybe stickying this as it is missed by a lot of Bargain alerters as it is stuck in here in the NI bargain alerts section.

Its being raised on the radio at the moment and there is a lot of money to be saved.

Even in my own case, i happened to be up in Belfast for a day trip with the family last weekend and i saved a small fortune in buying just paracetamol and calpol (calpol mainly for the kids)

Paracetamol is paracetamol no matter where you buy it and there is so many brand names out there which just charge more for the same thing.

The cheapest paracetamol i can find in the south is in aldi 500mg €1.49 for 12 (i think its 12 - i must check!)

Happened to be in sainsburys and got their own brand paracetamol 500mg 45p (approx 50c) for 16 tablets! And they even do another 500mg tablet that also has 65mg caffeine for the same price of 45p!

Also, 100ml of calpol (its just ibuprofen lets face it) in my local chemist is €6.49. The equivalent up the north is calprofen 100ml for £3.39 (€3.93).

We are being rode.

muirsheen

Access wrote: »

I think its worth maybe stickying this as it is missed by a lot of Bargain alerters as it is stuck in here in the NI bargain alerts section.

Its being raised on the radio at the moment and there is a lot of money to be saved.

Even in my own case, i happened to be up in Belfast for a day trip with the family last weekend and i saved a small fortune in buying just paracetamol and calpol (calpol mainly for the kids)

Paracetamol is paracetamol no matter where you buy it and there is so many brand names out there which just charge more for the same thing.

The cheapest paracetamol i can find in the south is in aldi 500mg €1.49 for 12 (i think its 12 - i must check!)

Happened to be in sainsburys and got their own brand paracetamol 500mg 45p (approx 50c) for 16 tablets! And they even do another 500mg tablet that also has 65mg caffeine for the same price of 45p!

Also, 100ml of calpol (its just ibuprofen lets face it) in my local chemist is €6.49. The equivalent up the north is calprofen 100ml for £3.39 (€3.93).

We are being rode.

Boots northern Ireland have 16 paracetamol for 16 pence. They also do their own version of Calpol . Can't remember the price but alot cheaper.

Bebop

Just reading Dr Guerin in the Sindo Magazine; About the Ventolin Inhaler (The have changed the brand name but the product is still the same) lots of kids are on them nowadays; the inhaler can be bought wholesale by Pharmacies here for 3 Euro, they sell it for around €11 to €12,
NI price: £5 (about 6 Euro)

Lots of my friends, OAP's like myself are making the trip to NI for their drugs or bulk buying in Spain, pharmacies must be losing business

muirsheen

Bebop wrote: »

Just reading Dr Guerin in the Sindo Magazine; About the Ventolin Inhaler (The have changed the brand name but the product is still the same) lots of kids are on them nowadays; the inhaler can be bought wholesale by Pharmacies here for 3 Euro, they sell it for around €11 to €12,
NI price: £5 (about 6 Euro)

Lots of my friends, OAP's like myself are making the trip to NI for their drugs or bulk buying in Spain, pharmacies must be losing business

They have to be losing out big time. Last year I left 1000 euro with my pharmacy on prescription drugs alone, thats not including what I bought on over the counter drugs, eg Calpol etc. Ok I got 20% back on med 1 but will never get my long term meds down here again and will be stocking up on OTC stuff as well.

CBRLizzie

I was doing a course up North and saved a small fortune on my antihistamines in Asda - 50p for 14 tablets for their own brand. Running low now that the course has finished, but I will definitely be travelling up next month to stock up again and bringing my prescription with me for inhalers, etc.

nua domhan

Bebop wrote: »

Just reading Dr Guerin in the Sindo Magazine; About the Ventolin Inhaler (The have changed the brand name but the product is still the same) lots of kids are on them nowadays; the inhaler can be bought wholesale by Pharmacies here for 3 Euro, they sell it for around €11 to €12,
NI price: £5 (about 6 Euro)

Not true.

If you're a massive company like Unichem then you can negotiate discount on huge quantities that will bring your cost price down. (Unichem and some other pharmacies are actually owned by larger wholesalers so they're basically buying off themselves anyway).

But independent pharmacies don't have that buying power and have to pay the over inflated wholesalers (remember who they own) price to keep their pharmacies stocked.

The government and doctors like to trot out these fictitious cost prices every now and again to justify reducing the dispensing fees received for supplying GMS patients with their medicines at cost price to the state.

Of course the states' cost price is based on what they think the discounted price is, and it wasn't so long ago that some small independents were actually losing money as the state were paying them less for drugs than the wholesalers were charging.

By all means, if you can find your medicines cheaper in the north and it's safe and legal to do so then go for it.

But just be aware of who's jacking up the prices in the republic and filling each others back pockets.

Bebop

I symphatise with the plight of independent Pharmacies but that does not mean I should have to fund their survival by paying double or treble UK prices; if a Newry Chemist can sell an item for €6 they must be buying it for less than €4,
Why cant Irish Pharmacies buy from the same wholesalers?

I used to work for a large multinational who sold Shampoo products to big multipules like Dunnes Stores until Ben Dunne discovered that he could buy the same brand at half the price wholesale in the UK and he was entitled to do this under EU rules, once Dunnes did it everybody else followed suit, thats how the free market works

I would imagine that Boots and Tesco buy their drugs in the UK and could well afford to sell here at UK prices, perhaps they are afraid to rock the boat here or perhaps they are biding their time, the punters are voting with their feet and their bus passes, time is up for rip-off drug prices

former legend

Bebop wrote: »

I symphatise with the plight of independent Pharmacies but that does not mean I should have to fund their survival by paying double or treble UK prices; if a Newry Chemist can sell an item for €6 they must be buying it for less than €4,
Why cant Irish Pharmacies buy from the same wholesalers?

You can't just import medicines from one country into another, they have to be licensed here.

Bebop wrote: »

I used to work for a large multinational who sold Shampoo products to big multipules like Dunnes Stores until Ben Dunne discovered that he could buy the same brand at half the price wholesale in the UK and he was entitled to do this under EU rules, once Dunnes did it everybody else followed suit, thats how the free market works

Pharmacies are entitled to do that, it's called parallel importation, widely used in pharmacies here. Google it.

Bebop wrote: »

I would imagine that Boots and Tesco buy their drugs in the UK and could well afford to sell here at UK prices, perhaps they are afraid to rock the boat here or perhaps they are biding their time, the punters are voting with their feet and their bus passes, time is up for rip-off drug prices

Tesco and Boots are subject to the same rules as everyone else so can't just buy whatever they want from the UK, but are you serious that they'd be afraid to rock the boat? They'd be afraid of upsetting the independent pharmacies/retailers that they're in direct competition with?