Medication charges in Spain Chemists for residents and non residents of Spain
Non Resident and resident Pensioners prescription charges:
Some time ago a lady was charged at the Oria Chemist a huge sum for prescriptions, they had her EHIC card, her passport and a copy of her UK prescription which stated her DOB too, thus they knew she ought not to have been charged the 100 euro plus which caused her and her husband HUGE problems as their bank in Spain closed down during the pandemic and they had to borrow money, if anyone else goes in there ask them to read this which was sent to me by a friend who works at NHS in the overseas dept. thus she knows her stuff
What EHIC and GHIC covers
An EHIC or GHIC covers state healthcare, not private treatment.
With an EHIC or GHIC you can get medically necessary treatment in Spain on the same basis as a Spanish citizen. This means that you’ll get healthcare services for free or at a reduced cost.
An EHIC or GHIC is not a replacement for travel insurance – it does not cover everything, such as mountain rescue or being flown back to the UK (medical repatriation). Make sure you have both before you travel to Spain.
You may need to pay in full for treatment if you do not have an EHIC, GHIC or provisional replacement certificate (PRC).
Getting prescriptionsYou can use a UK prescription to get medicines in Spain.
Prescription medicines are not free in Spain. With an EHIC you get a reduced rate, but you’ll still pay:
- 50% of the prescription price
- 10% of the prescription price if you have a UK State Pension ‒ you may need to show proof that you’re a pensioner to pay this rate