# Painkillers - prescription



## Phoenix1969 (Jun 14, 2019)

Hi all

Have an unusual question and wonder if anyone can help.Â*

I am a UK citizen, based in the UK, and have a long term chronic pain condition for which I was prescribed tramadol in tablet form in the past by my GP.Â* However the new GP is no longer as amenable, but nothing else is as effective.Â*

Last week, I went to Spain where tramadol is not illegal without prescription - at least, some pharmacists will supply small quantities of it without oneÂ*- and I went to a number of them, meaning that I ended up with some hundreds of tablets in my luggage.Â* It's so much cheaper there and all I wanted was to bring a few months supply back with me for my own use.Â*Â*

However, on returning to the UK, it got confiscated from me by UK Border Force officials at the airport - first time I've ever been stopped!Â*

I want to ask for it back from them and just wondered if anyone on this forum had had any experience of a situation like this?

Thanks in advanceÂ*

â€‹â€‹â€‹â€‹â€‹â€‹â€‹D


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## Relyat (Sep 29, 2013)

I think that you were lucky to only get confiscation. However, that might not preclude your details being shared and having greater attention paid to you in the future should you venture abroad again.
By all means ask for them back, but don't expect them.


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## Gran Erry-Bredd (Nov 1, 2016)

Are you having trouble with your keyboard A*e*$^. Can't work out how you do that A*^"!^&+.
Surprised you didn't hear or read about the British lady who took hundreds of Tramadol to Egypt for her boyfriend's back pain and was duly arrested and jailed. Have you heard of Amazon, they're a small company in America with a few hundred pills available on their website.


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## Beach buddy (Jul 7, 2018)

Things are changing here in Spain. Even some Paracetamol and Aspirin is nolonger being allowed without prescription.


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## xabiaxica (Jun 23, 2009)

Beach buddy said:


> Things are changing here in Spain. Even some Paracetamol and Aspirin is nolonger being allowed without prescription.


Yes, I read that. I think the 1g paracetamol tablets are now prescription-only - although I bought some last week. 


I'm sure Tramadol is supposed to be prescription-only, so I'm surprised the OP managed to buy them.

I take Tramadol, & have to see the doctor every few months for an assessment as to whether or not I still need them. 

At my last assessment I was asked why I still needed them when I had my new hip in March. 
That hip is now pain-free, but the other one won't be replaced until early next year, so I was allowed a new prescription.


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## Love Karma (Oct 10, 2018)

Likewise only yesterday bought some 1g paracetamol. Also bought a 2 box's of Clamoxyl 1g without a problem, have been using same Farmacia for many years. I thinks in smaller towns and villages if they know you then it seems to be no problem. I am sure it's different in bigger towns and cities.


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## emlyn (Oct 26, 2012)

Good practice dictates that your GP has a duty of care to review and recalibrate the dosage of your long term medication on a regular basis. There are many factors associated with chronic pain.
It might benefit you to revisit your GP to ascertain and discuss what alternatives are available to fine tune your pain relief going forward. Chronic pain has a depressing and debilitating effect on quality of life and your current strategy of trips to Spain to buy tramadol is unlikely to benefit you in the long term.


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## Juan C (Sep 4, 2017)

When I was in U.K. I was on an anti-inflammatory. (Indomethacin). 

The normal prescription was I believe for one month and the standard cost was more than the over the counter price ( The price on private prescription, was half the price in one chemist chain compared to another). 

My GP with whom I was friends, gave me a private prescription for 1,000 tablets, which was repeatable three times. At one Tablet a day, the total of 3,000 lasted me a very time and saved me a lot of money

I am now on a different medication but in Spain the cost on a prescription is a max of 10% of the over the counter cost, So very cheap


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## ClaireRuss (Jun 19, 2019)

Love Karma said:


> Likewise only yesterday bought some 1g paracetamol. Also bought a 2 box's of Clamoxyl 1g without a problem, have been using same Farmacia for many years. I thinks in smaller towns and villages if they know you then it seems to be no problem. I am sure it's different in bigger towns and cities.


I hope this is the case, my knees have been playing up in the winters lately and pain relief tablets are a must, I will have to search out the best place to find what I need if laws have made it harder, I better start now.


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## Juan C (Sep 4, 2017)

If one lives here and is entitled to S1 medical cover, or if a visitor with an EHIC then if you need prescription only medication you can get a prescription. 

As a pensioner, registered via an S1, I pay 10% of the cost of medication up to, i think it is 8 € per month. Anything after that in the month is free 

NB. THe DWP pays spain around 4,700 euros per year for the ‘free cover’ provided by the S1, for those over 64 years and somewhat less for those under 18 or under 65


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## Alcalaina (Aug 6, 2010)

Juan C said:


> If one lives here and is entitled to S1 medical cover, or if a visitor with an EHIC then if you need prescription only medication you can get a prescription.
> 
> As a pensioner, registered via an S1, I pay 10% of the cost of medication up to, i think it is 8 € per month. Anything after that in the month is free
> 
> NB. THe DWP pays spain around 4,700 euros per year for the ‘free cover’ provided by the S1, for those over 64 years and somewhat less for those under 18 or under 65


This is the case now, but it is not guaranteed after Britain leaves the EU.


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## Juan C (Sep 4, 2017)

If Brexit happens. at present no one knows what will happen if it does. 

That said though, if the Spanish free medical cover available to everyone is correct then spain would be crazy not to try to keep the S1 system

I am not saying spain is into common sense through !


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## Lynn R (Feb 21, 2014)

Juan C said:


> If Brexit happens. at present no one knows what will happen if it does.
> 
> That said though, if the Spanish free medical cover available to everyone is correct then spain would be crazy not to try to keep the S1 system
> 
> I am not saying spain is into common sense through !


In my opinion it would probably not be Spain not wishing to keep the S1 system we would need to worry about, but rather that the "no deal Brexit at any cost" supporters might not want to continue to paying for the healthcare costs of UK citizens living in EU countries. As far as I'm aware the Spanish Government position in the event of a no deal Brexit is that they are willing to continue the present arrangements, but that is dependent upon the UK Government reciprocating.

Even if a deal is agreed, the UK Government have currently given no assurances that the present arrangements will continue after the end of December 2020, that being the end of the transition period under a withdrawal agreement - and that date draws ever closer.


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## Juan C (Sep 4, 2017)

Well Lynn I believe the free health cover, which it appears certain exists, would step in so we would still get he same cover and U.K. would save. 

Of course if brits could not afford to live in spain then the UK would have to accept their return and that they may then qualifying for benefits not available to them if they stayed in spain


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## Lynn R (Feb 21, 2014)

Juan C said:


> Well Lynn I believe the free health cover, which it appears certain exists, would step in so we would still get he same cover and U.K. would save.
> 
> Of course if brits could not afford to live in spain then the UK would have to accept their return and that they may then qualifying for benefits not available to them if they stayed in spain


True. The universal health cover exists now (in Andalucia, at any rate) - but who is to say that if a very large number of British citizens (the majority of them elderly, so likely to be heavier users of healthcare than younger people) suddenly found themselves needing to apply for it, the rules might not rather hastily change again? Theoretically, I would be entitled to free healthcare anyway if my S1 cover were withdrawn as I was resident in Spain before 2012, but until I'd put that to the test by successfully applying for it and having my tarjeta sanitaria in my hand I won't be cancelling my private health insurance, just in case. I can't do that whilst my state healthcare costs are still being met by a third party, ie the UK Government.

You are quite right, if large numbers of British citizens had to return to the UK it would result in higher costs to the UK. But did you read the results of the latest poll of Tory party members (published yesterday or the day before) where the majority said they did not care if there was a negative effect on the economy or whether the United Kingdom broke up, so long as they got Brexit? I don't think it's Spain not being into common sense we have to worry about, as long as those currently vying for leadership of the Tory party are trying to keep people who feel that way happy.


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## Juan C (Sep 4, 2017)

Re the ‘2012 rule’ I think you will find that was amended and resulted in the cover being available to all. Thus if the cover was withdrawn it would apply to those resident before 2012. However I cannot believe that will happen. 

I have mentioned this previously: A friend from USA obtained the free cover when the 2012 rule applied. That was in Andalusia. He applied because he was not able to afford private cover any longer, being older and having ‘existing conditions.’ 

If a non EU National was eligible then if Brexit means U.K. nationals become non EU then they should still be OK


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## Lynn R (Feb 21, 2014)

Juan C said:


> Re the ‘2012 rule’ I think you will find that was amended and resulted in the cover being available to all. Thus if the cover was withdrawn it would apply to those resident before 2012. However I cannot believe that will happen.
> 
> I have mentioned this previously: A friend from USA obtained the free cover when the 2012 rule applied. He applied because he was not able to afford private cover any longer, being older and having ‘existing conditions.’


Personally, I don't think we can safely rely on what might have happened in the past. If the UK were to leave the EU without a deal we would be in a whole new set of circumstances and, as I said, the likely burden on the Spanish public healthcare system and public purse if they suddenly had to meet the healthcare costs of all British pensioners residing in Spain could be a game changer. That would be a very different situation to them agreeing to pay the healthcare costs of a small number of American (or any other nationality) citizens who found themselves in that position. Just my opinion, of course.

Of course, the UK Government, even with a Hard Brexit supporting PM, could opt to continue with the S1 system. But until they make that decision, and we know what their position will be post December 2020, we just can't assume that everything will remain the same.


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## Lynn R (Feb 21, 2014)

And don't forget the arrival on the political scene of the right wing anti-immigrant party, VOX. Wouldn't they love to be able to make political capital out of Spain suddenly having to meet the healthcare costs of hundreds of thousands of old British people who have never paid into the Spanish social security system.


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