cheapest prescription meds in EU ?

TimTom

Hi,
Due to a recent change I now have the pleasure of requiring medicine to the value of 200 Euro a month. I realise that I can avail of the drug payment scheme so that this will be reduced to 144 Euro a month.

I want to pay less than 144 Euro a month. I have a 6 month prescription. I also have a EU health insurance card. The Europa.eu website states " This means that you will pay the same rate at the pharmacy as someone who was insured and living in that country.In some EU countries this may mean that you won't pay anything, while in others you may be required to pay a certain amount towards the cost of your prescription.". Which countries have no charge?

I would prefer to travel as opposed to give my money to greedy Irish pharmacies.
Thanks.


EIHC http://europa.eu/youreurope/citizens/health/help-from-the-pharmacy/expenses-reimbursements/index_en.htm

davo10

TimTom wrote: »

Hi,
Due to a recent change I now have the pleasure of requiring medicine to the value of 200 Euro a month. I realise that I can avail of the drug payment scheme so that this will be reduced to 144 Euro a month.

I want to pay less than 144 Euro a month. I have a 6 month prescription. I also have a EU health insurance card. The Europa.eu website states " This means that you will pay the same rate at the pharmacy as someone who was insured and living in that country.In some EU countries this may mean that you won't pay anything, while in others you may be required to pay a certain amount towards the cost of your prescription.". Which countries have no charge?

I would prefer to travel as opposed to give my money to greedy Irish pharmacies.
Thanks.


EIHC http://europa.eu/youreurope/citizens/health/help-from-the-pharmacy/expenses-reimbursements/index_en.htm

Taxpayers would prefer not to be subsidising your meds and trips abroad but that's life.

Usually the further east you go, the cheaper the meds.

You need to read that article carefully, you pay the same price as s person insured in that country, so if you would be considered a private patient in that country, you pay full price. Just because you are subsidised here does not entitle you to a subsidy there when you are paying at the counter. You could travel there, have to pay full price for Med's, then have to claim back money here.

Peregrinus

This is a minefield.

Even within one country, it can be a matter of Byzantine complexity to work out the cheapest way of getting your meds. Some countries impose prescription charges, and for some med which are available over the counter it may be cheaper to buy them without a prescription than with one. In other countries the reverse will be the case. In some countries significant savings may be possible by accepting generic alternatives to proprietary brands; in other countries the available savings may be modest, or nil.

Much is actually going to depend on the particular drug or drugs that you need, on whether generic alternatives are available and you are willing to accept them, and (given the cost of travel) on whether the drug is one for which pharmacists will cheerfully issue six months' or a year's supply, or one where they won't. And, NB, for some drugs the willingness of pharmacists to issue long-term supplies will vary from country to country.

In general, as davo10 says, drugs get cheaper as you go east, but there's really no substitute for first-hand research into the actual drugs you need to buy, and their cost in countries that you would consider travelling to.

L1011

Irish pharmacies do not set the cost price of medicines; which is far higher here than in the countries which you will get them cheaper in.

You cannot use the EHIC in the manner in which you think you can here - you will need a local prescription and will not be given 6 months supply on it either.

There are people who travel to other countries (Spain, generally) with Irish prescriptions. You are unlikely to save enough money to justify the costs of travel and the value of your own time - with a €864 total budget for 6 months supply to cover the cost abroad and the other costs you don't have much headroom.

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WhyTheFace

There are several pharmacies in Dublin with low cost medicine schemes for generics..

I get mine here http://www.citypharmacy.ie/city_saver.html for about half of what I used to pay in Boots and around the same if not less than up north.

Only applies to generics though.

redcup342

You can also use your prescription in another EU Country from Ireland
http://europa.eu/youreurope/citizens/health/help-from-the-pharmacy/prescription/index_en.htm

Even on the Continent though it can be a bit bananas, a box of 12 paracetamol can set you back 3.50 (as it's only available from Pharmacies)

A box of 24 Generics in Holland from the Supermarket will cost you 80 cents.

AFAIK Spain is the go to place for people with asthma inhalers.

L1011

redcup342 wrote: »

You can also use your prescription in another EU Country from Ireland
http://europa.eu/youreurope/citizens/health/help-from-the-pharmacy/prescription/index_en.htm

Even on the Continent though it can be a bit bananas, a box of 12 paracetamol can set you back 3.50 (as it's only available from Pharmacies)

A box of 24 Generics in Holland from the Supermarket will cost you 80 cents.

AFAIK Spain is the go to place for people with asthma inhalers.

You will have to pay as a private customer - the OP seemed to think he could get it dispensed with an EHIC card as if they were a temporary resident. Which they can't - local script and short term only.

That can be a hell of a lot cheaper than here, but not the free or dispensing fee only he OP expected!

zzyxxx

Is there a specific type of prescription needed if purchasing outside of the state?

Say one tried to buy their meds in Spain, and the prescription has x6 on it (for six months), will they provide x6 without a fight? Or how would one make it worth while?

L1011

Standard private prescription with x6 should be sufficient.

Remember that if not going for any other reason already, the total budget to justify going is now 804 every 6 months not the 864 I mentioned above due to a cut in the DPS limit. And if you value your personal time at 0 an hour, I have plenty of work I can offer you! :pac:

CeilingFly

OP tends not to like to pay for things anyway - previously had a summons for no tax or insurance on a vehicle.

But feel free to travel to another eu country and get your meds - at least the Irish taxpayer won't be subsidising them.

But remember the Irish system is amongst the fairest of them all - no matter what the meds, there is a very reasonabe max monthly charge of just €144 and that is per family - not just one individual person.

For people on expensive medication, that is a phenomenal bargain - but some people will never ever look at the bigger picture.

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CeilingFly

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If you are on high priced heart or other specialist drugs, its extremely cheap.

If you were in spain, whilst those drugs may not be as expensive, they would be an utter bargain at €144/month.

Overall, in my opinion the Irish system is very fair - you may pay a little more than others sometimes, but you know that no matter what medication you or your family (current or future), there is a reasonable maximum charge per month.

Or maybe compare to the USA system? Pay extortionate charge or do without.

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the_syco

CeilingFly wrote: »

For people on expensive medication, that is a phenomenal bargain - but some people will never ever look at the bigger picture.

Depends on what's available, I find. There was medication that I was on in Ireland; same drug, Portuguese language on it, and it cost €5 a packet, instead of €30 a packet for the less amount in Ireland. Parents would often get me a few months worth of it every time they went golfing. The price set here for said medicine was set by the importer; nothing the local pharmacy could do about it.

OP; the medicine price that you're paying is probably not decided by anyone in the Irish pharmacies, but by the company that is importing the medicines. Big Pharma, as you call them, probably sell it cheap enough, but the middle man can often name their price, as they're the only one importing the medicine.

CeilingFly

the_syco wrote: »

Depends on what's available, I find. There was medication that I was on in Ireland; same drug, Portuguese language on it, and it cost €5 a packet, instead of €30 a packet for the less amount in Ireland. Parents would often get me a few months worth of it every time they went golfing. The price set here for said medicine was set by the importer; nothing the local pharmacy could do about it.

OP; the medicine price that you're paying is probably not decided by anyone in the Irish pharmacies, but by the company that is importing the medicines. Big Pharma, as you call them, probably sell it cheap enough, but the middle man can often name their price, as they're the only one importing the medicine.

Big Pharma themselves set prices for different countries. Fairly crazy, but if you are a pharmacy in Spain you are buy drug A from Glaxo at Price A, if you are n Ireland you are buying same drug directly from same company (no middle man) but at Price B.

Price difference has changed over the past few years and discrepancy is nowhere near what it once was.

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L1011

The limit is now 134 a month.

zzyxxx

CeilingFly wrote: »

OP tends not to like to pay for things anyway - previously had a summons for no tax or insurance on a vehicle.

Not relevant, don't know why you would bother post that?

CeilingFly wrote: »

But feel free to travel to another eu country and get your meds - at least the Irish taxpayer won't be subsidising them.

Not sure who this is directed at, but I assume it is directed at someone who is considering buying meds outside of Ireland, I.E., me. Your post comes across as if you have some sort of gripe with this. Why? If you don't have a gripe with it then why bother posting it?

CeilingFly wrote: »

But remember the Irish system is amongst the fairest of them all - no matter what the meds, there is a very reasonabe max monthly charge of just €144 and that is per family - not just one individual person.

If you say so. I don't know much about other systems to comment, just trying to find out if I can legally get meds cheaper elsewhere.
Correct me if I'm wrong but I believe the DPS calculates (the €134*) based on the reference price (if it exists) of the medication, not what you paid at the till? The cheapest I could find my main medicine is 25% more expensive than the reference price for it, which doesn't help me in my current situation.

CeilingFly wrote: »

For people on expensive medication, that is a phenomenal bargain

Agreed.

CeilingFly wrote: »

- but some people will never ever look at the bigger picture.

Which is?