Medication charges in Spain Chemists for residents and non residents of Spain - Page 2

Jenni wrote on Fri Mar 5, 2021 10:10am:

I agree with Ednab, I dont think income has anything to do with it. I am diabetic and I get my meds for about 2 euro, but I also have to have other meds that are not on the list and i pay full price for them ,they cost me 12 euro's per month. I still find it very difficult to believe that the che...

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...mist in Oria cheated this lady, they have been nothing but helpful to me. I think the whole thing was a huge misunderstanding.

ednab wrote on Fri Mar 5, 2021 10:47am:

I agree, the staff in the chemist in Oria are lovely and very helpful, the lady and son also speak english, who will help if asked.

em68 wrote on Wed Mar 10, 2021 10:54am:

I find the pharmacies vary a lot in their helpfulness although I don't know anything about the one in Oria.  There is one in the town near me which is positively rude, and requires a prescription for the mildest hydrocortisone cream which the other is prepared to sell and is available (and h...

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...as been for many years) over the counter in the UK.  As for prescription charges, the system is fairly typically convoluted at times.  I have an S1 and therefore a tarjeta sanitaria so pay Spanish pensioner rates.  My medications are pretty cheap at the worst of times, but I was staggered to be asked to pay 11 cents for the pack!  I agree that's probably about 10% of the normal cost, but frankly it's not worth the administrative time taking a sum  and recording something that small and would make more sense if they changed a minimum sum say of 20-50 cents per transaction.  But hey - the rules is the rules and there's nowt wrong here with filling in lots of forms!

ednab wrote on Wed Mar 10, 2021 11:32am:

I know what you mean with cents but it is always the same in spain.  I am sorry you have had some rude experience with some staff.  In Oria pharmacy the staff a very helpful, if you need help they will advise you.  The older gentleman does not speak English but his wife and son are...

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... great.

em68 wrote on Wed Mar 10, 2021 12:30pm:

Only staff in one pharmacy - and we all (Spanish and non-Spanish alike) avoid that one if we can.  Others have been great.  But we get the same in the UK after all.  It's just as someone who used to run a business employing a good number of staff as well as being an ex-civil s...

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...ervant, it does grate when I see practices which are simply not cost effective.  But Spanish bureaucracy is attempting to teach me the art of patience - I'm just not a very good learner!

em68 wrote on Wed Mar 10, 2021 10:54am:

I find the pharmacies vary a lot in their helpfulness although I don't know anything about the one in Oria.  There is one in the town near me which is positively rude, and requires a prescription for the mildest hydrocortisone cream which the other is prepared to sell and is available (and h...

Read more...

...as been for many years) over the counter in the UK.  As for prescription charges, the system is fairly typically convoluted at times.  I have an S1 and therefore a tarjeta sanitaria so pay Spanish pensioner rates.  My medications are pretty cheap at the worst of times, but I was staggered to be asked to pay 11 cents for the pack!  I agree that's probably about 10% of the normal cost, but frankly it's not worth the administrative time taking a sum  and recording something that small and would make more sense if they changed a minimum sum say of 20-50 cents per transaction.  But hey - the rules is the rules and there's nowt wrong here with filling in lots of forms!

Angelina wrote on Wed Mar 3, 2021 11:58am:

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...

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... 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 prescriptions

You 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 price10% 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 rateThese prescription charges are non-refundable.

LosPardoslady wrote on Thu Mar 11, 2021 12:23pm:

I would hope that pharmacies are not being deliberately obstructive.  Possibly it is the case that there are so many rules that they're just making an honest error.  However, if we don't highlight it nothing will change - fortunately my medication at full price is still affordable, that...

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... is not the issue.  You are entitled, as a pensioner to reduced cost medicines and under the current regulations Spain will be reimbursed by the UK. 

Sorry will now climb off the soapbox! 😘K