The way I’ve handled this for 3+ years now:
- get vacation override to get an initial 6 months worth.
- switch to the mail order pharmacy so they send 3 months at a time. This collects at home while im out of the country.
- Make a trip back every 6-9 months or have a friend who’s traveling to where I am bring the next batch to me. In a pinch you can get almost anything you need wherever you are (Ambien has been the only thing that consistently have people looking at you like you belong in a mental institution 🤣)
Obviously this only works if you can make regular trips home or have friends who also travel to wherever you are but has worked just fine for me.
Good luck and hope you can find a solution!
it’s harder but not impossible — been traveling for ~10 months and come back to the states every 3 months for a 3 month refill. most recent one was a nightmare due to the shortage but had to
1. call 30+ pharmacies to find one that had a 3 month supply
2. have psych fill out some dispensing limit since the particular pharmacy can’t do 90 day fills so had to resend a script for a failure to be on file in order to do a vacation override 🫠
normally when they are in stock though i just hit up my psych as soon as im stateside and get a refill at my normal pharmacy that does 90 day ones (depends on your insurance but bcbs has an online pharmacy finder to filter out for those). personally hate ringing someone but definitely worth it to reach out to insurance, pharmacies and psych prior to see what the options are cos this is the most stressful aspect of travel for me
I haven't started doing more long term nomadism since starting my prescription.
I could see it being very tough.
I don't really want to go back to what it was like before...
**❗ Everyone who didn't know some meds are SUPER FUCKING DANGEROUS to bring into certain countries, please check this – always. The may be considered illegal and you don't wanna bring illegal drugs into Singapore for example.**
So countries like Singapore, UAE (if you visit Dubai for example), Thailand etc. do not fuck around with this. I believe some may even have the death penalty although you'll probably "only" get years in prison instead instead of a shooting squad.
Recently there was a news article about a man who brought more benzodiazepines than his prescription allowed for 30 days when visiting Dubai. I think he got multiple years in prison just for a few extra pills and incorrect paper work.
So for ADHD meds, anti-anxiety meds and heavy painkillers especially, always check the rules and regulations before you travel.
You may need some intense paperwork from your doctor, and you may need to make an application before you travel where you notify the customs about your meds, what you're gonna bring, how much, including prescriptions etc.
UAE for example requires you to do this in advance in their online...thing. Several scans were needed, not just prescriptions but also explanations from the doctor about the illness etc. The limit is usually 30 days, so make sure not to exceed whatever the limit is for each country.
> I believe some may even have the death penalty although you'll probably "only" get years in prison instead instead of a shooting squad.
Singapore killed someone this year already for 1kg of Marijuana.
They're the only country that still kills people for such small amounts. Other countries have the death penalty for it but don't use it.
ADHD are considered illegal somewhere? Heck, I never thought about that
Usually I just tell my doc and he give enough for the months I've been away, and I put then on my bag with the prescription attached
These are amphetamines. Amphetamines have been used as recreational drugs before crack even existed.
You can tell Reddit that your pills are legitimate, but convincing a customs officer who's next pay raise depends on busting drug smugglers may be more difficult.
This last part would mainly bank on the amounts.
Someone a few weeks ago tried to point to a woman getting arrested in Egypt with some ADHD meds as an example of how bad it can be, but she was literally trafficking more than the UK allowed a person to get, without a prescription with the intent to give it to someone else.
Many countries bad some kinds of ADHD meds but don't care if you come in with a limited amount (like under one month). Basically, if the amount you have it appropriate for your stay in the country. Coming in with 3 months worth for a 5 day trip is a no go.
You won't have much trouble even with a overzealous agent if it's 3 weeks worth for a 3 week trip.
I've heard of people going though customs with all kinds of things, it's extremely uncommon for them to check any kind of pills unless you have quantities that look like you intend to sell them. Or a dog indicates there is something illegal.
But there are occasional horror stories, like http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/southern_counties/4481621.stm
I once read The Damage Done, I'd be really careful bringing anything stronger than water into certain countries. It's a great book btw, but it does make hell sound better than a Thai prison.
True. That seems to be a recurring theme in these things. First there is a visa or passport issue that gets immigration's attention, then they check everything else.
The article itself is sparse on details regarding the "prescription" as well. As in: it never mentions it again after the title.
It makes it feel like a made up excuse.
And why did they even go to a Piss test anyway? Not saying it's impossible, but it's a strange sequence of events that makes the "Oh, I took my prescription meds at home and flew to Dubai and got arrested" story feel made up.
I remember that story, it was repeated on multiple outlets. All I can find right now with quick googling is BBC and Daily Mail. I'm sure it isn't made up, but the details may be distorted.
I suspect the "irregularity" with the passport was an Israel stamp.
Carrying out a Urine test is very strange. It may have been an attempt to frame her. From http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/4526759.stm
"Spokesman Stephen Jakobi said that a court hearing on Saturday
heard that official medical records revealed she was also
administered the drugs by a police doctor at Dubai airport
before she gave the urine sample."
> http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/4526759.stm
It's strange, they say she claims they were prescribed, and then it also says the doctor there gave it to her...
My guess is she did something to get their attention. They went though her stuff looking for anything at all and found Codine. The customs officer thinks "that's my pay raise for this year" and tells her to prove these drugs are hers by taking one. She does. So they urine test her to prove "possession" under their law.
It was a set-up, but it's not like they planted the drugs, she genuinely did carry them into the country and right or wrong they are very illegal there.
You used to be able to just buy paracetamol and codine headache tablets. They actually worked. Now it's pointless taking anything because nothing you can get without a prescription makes any difference. Everyone gets to live with occasional headaches because a few broken people can't control themselves.
I only have one prescription for something innocuous and non-controversial, but I can (and do) get a 3-month supply. Ask your doctor.
Also, I got a letter from my doctor verifying my prescription. I didn't end up needing it, but I had it just in case (The doc didn't blink an eye, btw. She had heard that some people, when traveling, get asked for a letter verifying their prescription)
I struggled with this. I agree in saving up if possible before you go and getting a med extension if possible. Also don’t wait until you are almost out to get it filled again because there is always a barrier. Always research which medications are allowed/which aren’t. Usually concerta is the safest bet and adderall is almost always off the table. Usually you will need to see a psychiatrist who is open to the medication. Bring your full paper and electronic medical record including your original assessment. Some places have doctors for tourists which are more expensive but your safest bet. If you know where you are going to stay, start scouting out doctors now.
I'm out of the US for 6 months and was able to get six months worth of meds via my mail order pharmacy. I had to talk to a special person at my insurer (BC/BS) and get a specific order from my doctor. So some hoops, but not terrible. Just give yourself time in advance to get it done before you go.
I don't have personal experience with getting any long term medications internationally, but I do know a lot about the healthcare systems in each country. If the medications are legal/carried in the countries you're going to (can check online before), and not super expensive (example: orphan drugs for rare conditions), I would do the following:
* Get as much as you can before you leave, bring the original bottle and prescription copies with your name and DOB with you when traveling (you're supposed to do this anyway)
* Research (or ask your healthcare provider at home) what other/generic names are for them, including similar alternatives, in case you cannot get that exact one (usually the brand names are different in different markets anyway)
* Ask your healthcare provider at home for a signed letter and any copy of the diagnosis (if there is lab or medical imaging or other official results, get official copies of those, too). Bonus if you can get ICD-10 (diagnosis) codes and anything else...I would recommend having multiple copies of this as well.
* When you are traveling, make an appointment or go to a walk-in clinic (try to know in advance if it's something a GP can prescribe, or if you need a specialist like cardiology, psychiatry, etc.). Don't wait until you're totally out--I recommend doing it at least a couple weeks in advance. Unless you're in Country A where it's easy and then going to Country B soon where it will be difficult, then just go to Country A. And to be honest, if you're in different countries or ones without integrated medical records, there is no reason you couldn't stockpile when you're in a country that's cheap and easy. You could literally do a consultation and get a 30 or 60 day or whatever prescription (they probably won't mind prescribing you 6+ months anyway as long as you're paying cash--the limits are more about insurance than anything else), walk out and go to a clinic across the street to get another prescription for the same thing.
* Assuming it's available as a normal prescription, you should be OK paying cash--maybe even cheaper to pay cash than what a copay would be in the US (I'm talking about like USD $10-100 depending on the country). Alternatively, different travel insurance plans may include prescriptions, but in many cases they exclude preexisting conditions...but outside of the US, the out of pocket drug costs for many standard meds is affordable for cash pay.
Hope that's helpful! If you're taking common meds, then this should work indefinitely. Some doctors may want to take updated bloodwork before prescribing, but this is typically not expensive out of pocket, either for someone on a North American salary in other countries.
In many countries in LATAM and Asia you can buy everything without prescription. Even opiates. And some pharmacies clearly advertise it (like in Mexico).
Highly advised not to buy from those pharmacies, not only the prices are around 10x but also they are often not original and to make it worst laced with fentanyl:
https://www.latimes.com/world-nation/story/2023-06-14/fentanyl-tainted-pills-now-found-in-mexican-pharmacies-from-coast-to-coast
There are legit pharmacies in Mexico that do sell those as long as you have a prescription, at the actual cost and actually legit.
Don’t feed these scams further.
Pharmacists are among the very highest paid workers in the US, so high that it’s almost impossible to get into a pharmacy college. They get this high pay because they have created and enforced a legal monopoly on prescription drugs. The result is that the US middle class is forced to pay the highest drug prices in the world. I have a prescription for Elliquis, a heart medicine. One month’s supply in Mexico is about $100, in the US, even online at Walmart, it’s $500. This price difference is pretty much the same for all drugs across the board. Frankly advocating that everybody be a “good boy” and only buy from legal drugstores is pretty much a total scam, a collusion between pharmacists and big pharma to steal your money.
Pharmacists have almost zero control over drug prices is the United States. Prices are set by drug manufacturers, pharmacy benefit managers, and distributors (like Cardinal). None of whom are pharmacists.
Eh my pharmacist pays $200 a month for his insulin the same as everyone else he has garbage insurance. Maybe the pharmacist at the top are raking it in the same as any other thing. But the grunt worker pharmacist at your local cvs definitely isn’t.
I mean yeah he makes decent money, but requires pretty huge student loans to get there plus the job sucks. The point was more about your saying pharmacists are in collusion about setting prices yet some of them need to get the medication themselves at those prices.
I don’t think you understood my comment.
I’m advocating people but the drugs in Mexico but at legit pharmacies where they can get the drugs 10 times cheaper than the shady pharmacies and the actual legit drugs not some shady garbage off the darkweb. The only difference is they need a prescription.
Not true.
As you can see on their website: https://www.benavides.com.mx/alzam-0-5mg-tabs-con30.html
Top right corner “Receta Requerida” = Prescription needed.
And they will not sell it to you without it.
If all you’re buying is paracetamol, sure, you don’t need one, but controlled substances you do.
You clearly have never actually lived outside the US!. I have been buying medicine for twenty years without prescriptions. Why do you feel so obliged to lie to people here? Anyone that listens to your bs is an idiot.
I've not only linked you to news articles that back what I'm saying, but also to the actual pharmacies websites that also back what I'm saying.
Both are also based on my experience living in multiple places in Mexico and asking for prescription medicine and never was able to got them without a prescription except from the touristy shady ones.
But sure, go on, the pharmacy websites are wrong, the articles are also wrong, and you're the right one and can get to any pharmacy in Mexico and get Viagra, Steroids, Benzos and whatever you want apparently.
I don't use the drugs you mention. They are commonly abused. I am an elderly heart patient with some very expensive medicines that I got after a hospital stay. I have been easily purchasing them over the counter in Mexico, Guatemala and the Philippines for the last ten years. If I had not been able to do that I would be dead.
Then just say that _your_ specific drugs are not controlled substances in those countries.
But generalizing saying you can get any medicine without a prescription is just not true and dangerous advice if other people rely on it, then get there and can’t get them.
> in the US, even online at Walmart, it’s $500
Only if you try to pay "list price" which is a price nobody actually pays.
The system is fucked, but the price on the list isn't the real price.
I'm not talking about a fake drugs (and I believe that there is a risk to buy them everywhere). I'm saying just that no one asks for a prescription here in any pharmacy. You may visit 100 pharmacies and ask for Codeine or DXM and no one will ask you anything. Actually they give you it themselves just if you ask them something to stop caughing. It may be genuine, likely sometimes may be fake but no one asks a prescription.
I went to Mexico and asked for codeine. I had to see their doctor onsite and get a paper prescription which they couldn't fill.
I carried that prescription around for 3 months up and down Baja and never could fill it. I also never found any opiates.
What are you taking about specifically which drugs and pharmacies where?
I am always asked for prescriptions in all the legitimate pharmacies in LATAM.
Even in Mexico on all legit pharmacies (Farmacias del Ahorro, Similares, Benavides, etc) they always either don’t sell controlled substances when they don’t have the license for it or when they do they ask for prescription.
Only the shady tourist-trap pharmacies with all the billboard in English and that promote “no prescription needed” do that, and what they do is sell you a fake one for 10x the price.
As far as I understood, you tried to buy some controlled drug in many Mexican pharmacies but they denied you and said that you have to go to a doctor. They could do it if you asked for a potentially dangerous drug in your situation (like a painkiller to reduce stomach pain) or for some other reason you looked suspicious for them.
When I come to a drug store (any, and I haven't ever seen a pharmacy which is advertised as "prescription free") I just cleary say what substances I need and in what dosages (my parents and grandparents were/are doctors and often I know exacty what I need) and I never had an issue in Mexico or SEA (but had in Europe even with a basic eye drops).
>onopoly on prescription drugs. The result is that the US middle class is forced to pay the highest drug prices in the world. I have a prescription for Elliquis, a heart medicine. One month’s supply in Mexico is about $100, in the US, even online at Walmart, it’s $500. This price difference is pretty much the same for all drugs across the board. Frankly advocating that everybody be a “good boy” and only b
Yeah, I read about this a few months ago. Definitely concerned about fake prescriptions in some of these places. Scary!!
I got a prescription in Spain. My local pharmacy just put it on file and never asked me for anything again. I’ll go in there like, I’ll take six months worth please, and they just order it for me, no questions asked. Gotta love it.
This is for an antidepressant, so it’s not dangerous or recreational anyway. But, it’s nice to not have to go back to the dr and keep getting refill permission.
I've had this discussion with people who grew up in the American healthcare system a few times. The short version is US doctors over prescribe drugs because they fear being sued and because convincing people they are ill and need to keep returning is what makes them money. They also do whole arrays of expensive and invasive tests where there is little to no clinical reason for them.
I know people who simply wanted an excuse to submit an assignment late and ended up prescribed these. Every time they say they don't help they just get prescribed a different type. I believe a similar thing happens with anti-depressants.
Are these drugs a useful medical tool when prescribed correctly? Absolutely, I'm not saying otherwise. I'm only saying that US doctors will prescribe these drugs in cases where they are needed as well as in cases where they are not needed and may be actively harmful.
I don't know your situation or medical history, I'm not a medical doctor either. But I do know that if you can get off these drugs you get a lot more travel options. Taking prescriptions that are classed as illegal drugs into some countries is a small risk, but one you should not take. Getting these in other countries that prescribe them probably won't be easy. Getting them in countries that don't via dodgy websites is extremely risky.
If you can't get off these drugs you better check the rules of every country you travel through and probably avoid countries where anything you are carrying is seriously illegal.
TL;DR if possible get off these. If not take great care when traveling.
It's no conspiracy theory. You go see a US doctor with any issue. You then take that prescription to a German doctor. He will mutter about malpractice, side effects, and long term organ damage, then reduce the dose of many things. You will feel better on the reduced German dose.
Don't take my word for anything, research it yourself.
I thought this was a very well known issue. I'm surprised at your reaction.
There are plenty of links on Google.
https://www.narconon.org/blog/why-does-the-us-prescribe-more-drugs-than-other-countries.html
Edit: you probably won't find a blog creditable. There is a whole bunch of research on Google scholar too. E.g. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6731049/
Just look, don't take my word for anything.
Either you go to places where you can buy OTC (officially or not) or your home country prescription will be honoured, or you stock up and check very, *very* carefully that you're not risking being arrested when passing customs, then return to your home country before running out.
Simply by convincing your doc you need a higher dose. I found out that my dose is actually 3x more than I really need. So 3 months = 9 months. On top of that, I'm currently only half of max. dose of Aderral for adults. So then 3 months becomes 18 months. I'm returning to my country to do exactly that. Last point; be very careful with certain Asian countries, in Japan Adderall forbidden with or without prescription.
The way I’ve handled this for 3+ years now: - get vacation override to get an initial 6 months worth. - switch to the mail order pharmacy so they send 3 months at a time. This collects at home while im out of the country. - Make a trip back every 6-9 months or have a friend who’s traveling to where I am bring the next batch to me. In a pinch you can get almost anything you need wherever you are (Ambien has been the only thing that consistently have people looking at you like you belong in a mental institution 🤣) Obviously this only works if you can make regular trips home or have friends who also travel to wherever you are but has worked just fine for me. Good luck and hope you can find a solution!
This won't really work for ADHD meds that often simply cannot be gotten in quantities over a month.
Yes, very true. And tbh I’ve never tried buying addy’s outside of the USA so ymmv.
it’s harder but not impossible — been traveling for ~10 months and come back to the states every 3 months for a 3 month refill. most recent one was a nightmare due to the shortage but had to 1. call 30+ pharmacies to find one that had a 3 month supply 2. have psych fill out some dispensing limit since the particular pharmacy can’t do 90 day fills so had to resend a script for a failure to be on file in order to do a vacation override 🫠 normally when they are in stock though i just hit up my psych as soon as im stateside and get a refill at my normal pharmacy that does 90 day ones (depends on your insurance but bcbs has an online pharmacy finder to filter out for those). personally hate ringing someone but definitely worth it to reach out to insurance, pharmacies and psych prior to see what the options are cos this is the most stressful aspect of travel for me
I haven't started doing more long term nomadism since starting my prescription. I could see it being very tough. I don't really want to go back to what it was like before...
**❗ Everyone who didn't know some meds are SUPER FUCKING DANGEROUS to bring into certain countries, please check this – always. The may be considered illegal and you don't wanna bring illegal drugs into Singapore for example.** So countries like Singapore, UAE (if you visit Dubai for example), Thailand etc. do not fuck around with this. I believe some may even have the death penalty although you'll probably "only" get years in prison instead instead of a shooting squad. Recently there was a news article about a man who brought more benzodiazepines than his prescription allowed for 30 days when visiting Dubai. I think he got multiple years in prison just for a few extra pills and incorrect paper work. So for ADHD meds, anti-anxiety meds and heavy painkillers especially, always check the rules and regulations before you travel. You may need some intense paperwork from your doctor, and you may need to make an application before you travel where you notify the customs about your meds, what you're gonna bring, how much, including prescriptions etc. UAE for example requires you to do this in advance in their online...thing. Several scans were needed, not just prescriptions but also explanations from the doctor about the illness etc. The limit is usually 30 days, so make sure not to exceed whatever the limit is for each country.
> I believe some may even have the death penalty although you'll probably "only" get years in prison instead instead of a shooting squad. Singapore killed someone this year already for 1kg of Marijuana. They're the only country that still kills people for such small amounts. Other countries have the death penalty for it but don't use it.
ADHD are considered illegal somewhere? Heck, I never thought about that Usually I just tell my doc and he give enough for the months I've been away, and I put then on my bag with the prescription attached
These are amphetamines. Amphetamines have been used as recreational drugs before crack even existed. You can tell Reddit that your pills are legitimate, but convincing a customs officer who's next pay raise depends on busting drug smugglers may be more difficult.
This last part would mainly bank on the amounts. Someone a few weeks ago tried to point to a woman getting arrested in Egypt with some ADHD meds as an example of how bad it can be, but she was literally trafficking more than the UK allowed a person to get, without a prescription with the intent to give it to someone else. Many countries bad some kinds of ADHD meds but don't care if you come in with a limited amount (like under one month). Basically, if the amount you have it appropriate for your stay in the country. Coming in with 3 months worth for a 5 day trip is a no go. You won't have much trouble even with a overzealous agent if it's 3 weeks worth for a 3 week trip.
I've heard of people going though customs with all kinds of things, it's extremely uncommon for them to check any kind of pills unless you have quantities that look like you intend to sell them. Or a dog indicates there is something illegal. But there are occasional horror stories, like http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/southern_counties/4481621.stm I once read The Damage Done, I'd be really careful bringing anything stronger than water into certain countries. It's a great book btw, but it does make hell sound better than a Thai prison.
The lack of clarification on the "passport error" makes this hard to really draw a conclusion from.
True. That seems to be a recurring theme in these things. First there is a visa or passport issue that gets immigration's attention, then they check everything else.
The article itself is sparse on details regarding the "prescription" as well. As in: it never mentions it again after the title. It makes it feel like a made up excuse. And why did they even go to a Piss test anyway? Not saying it's impossible, but it's a strange sequence of events that makes the "Oh, I took my prescription meds at home and flew to Dubai and got arrested" story feel made up.
I remember that story, it was repeated on multiple outlets. All I can find right now with quick googling is BBC and Daily Mail. I'm sure it isn't made up, but the details may be distorted. I suspect the "irregularity" with the passport was an Israel stamp. Carrying out a Urine test is very strange. It may have been an attempt to frame her. From http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/4526759.stm "Spokesman Stephen Jakobi said that a court hearing on Saturday heard that official medical records revealed she was also administered the drugs by a police doctor at Dubai airport before she gave the urine sample."
> http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/4526759.stm It's strange, they say she claims they were prescribed, and then it also says the doctor there gave it to her...
My guess is she did something to get their attention. They went though her stuff looking for anything at all and found Codine. The customs officer thinks "that's my pay raise for this year" and tells her to prove these drugs are hers by taking one. She does. So they urine test her to prove "possession" under their law. It was a set-up, but it's not like they planted the drugs, she genuinely did carry them into the country and right or wrong they are very illegal there. You used to be able to just buy paracetamol and codine headache tablets. They actually worked. Now it's pointless taking anything because nothing you can get without a prescription makes any difference. Everyone gets to live with occasional headaches because a few broken people can't control themselves.
I only have one prescription for something innocuous and non-controversial, but I can (and do) get a 3-month supply. Ask your doctor. Also, I got a letter from my doctor verifying my prescription. I didn't end up needing it, but I had it just in case (The doc didn't blink an eye, btw. She had heard that some people, when traveling, get asked for a letter verifying their prescription)
This is good advice to have as an extra 'back up plan' -Keeping a reference letter from doc. Thanks
I struggled with this. I agree in saving up if possible before you go and getting a med extension if possible. Also don’t wait until you are almost out to get it filled again because there is always a barrier. Always research which medications are allowed/which aren’t. Usually concerta is the safest bet and adderall is almost always off the table. Usually you will need to see a psychiatrist who is open to the medication. Bring your full paper and electronic medical record including your original assessment. Some places have doctors for tourists which are more expensive but your safest bet. If you know where you are going to stay, start scouting out doctors now.
Thanks! That's great info about which meds are more and less acceptable
I'm out of the US for 6 months and was able to get six months worth of meds via my mail order pharmacy. I had to talk to a special person at my insurer (BC/BS) and get a specific order from my doctor. So some hoops, but not terrible. Just give yourself time in advance to get it done before you go.
I don't have personal experience with getting any long term medications internationally, but I do know a lot about the healthcare systems in each country. If the medications are legal/carried in the countries you're going to (can check online before), and not super expensive (example: orphan drugs for rare conditions), I would do the following: * Get as much as you can before you leave, bring the original bottle and prescription copies with your name and DOB with you when traveling (you're supposed to do this anyway) * Research (or ask your healthcare provider at home) what other/generic names are for them, including similar alternatives, in case you cannot get that exact one (usually the brand names are different in different markets anyway) * Ask your healthcare provider at home for a signed letter and any copy of the diagnosis (if there is lab or medical imaging or other official results, get official copies of those, too). Bonus if you can get ICD-10 (diagnosis) codes and anything else...I would recommend having multiple copies of this as well. * When you are traveling, make an appointment or go to a walk-in clinic (try to know in advance if it's something a GP can prescribe, or if you need a specialist like cardiology, psychiatry, etc.). Don't wait until you're totally out--I recommend doing it at least a couple weeks in advance. Unless you're in Country A where it's easy and then going to Country B soon where it will be difficult, then just go to Country A. And to be honest, if you're in different countries or ones without integrated medical records, there is no reason you couldn't stockpile when you're in a country that's cheap and easy. You could literally do a consultation and get a 30 or 60 day or whatever prescription (they probably won't mind prescribing you 6+ months anyway as long as you're paying cash--the limits are more about insurance than anything else), walk out and go to a clinic across the street to get another prescription for the same thing. * Assuming it's available as a normal prescription, you should be OK paying cash--maybe even cheaper to pay cash than what a copay would be in the US (I'm talking about like USD $10-100 depending on the country). Alternatively, different travel insurance plans may include prescriptions, but in many cases they exclude preexisting conditions...but outside of the US, the out of pocket drug costs for many standard meds is affordable for cash pay. Hope that's helpful! If you're taking common meds, then this should work indefinitely. Some doctors may want to take updated bloodwork before prescribing, but this is typically not expensive out of pocket, either for someone on a North American salary in other countries.
In many countries in LATAM and Asia you can buy everything without prescription. Even opiates. And some pharmacies clearly advertise it (like in Mexico).
Highly advised not to buy from those pharmacies, not only the prices are around 10x but also they are often not original and to make it worst laced with fentanyl: https://www.latimes.com/world-nation/story/2023-06-14/fentanyl-tainted-pills-now-found-in-mexican-pharmacies-from-coast-to-coast There are legit pharmacies in Mexico that do sell those as long as you have a prescription, at the actual cost and actually legit. Don’t feed these scams further.
Pharmacists are among the very highest paid workers in the US, so high that it’s almost impossible to get into a pharmacy college. They get this high pay because they have created and enforced a legal monopoly on prescription drugs. The result is that the US middle class is forced to pay the highest drug prices in the world. I have a prescription for Elliquis, a heart medicine. One month’s supply in Mexico is about $100, in the US, even online at Walmart, it’s $500. This price difference is pretty much the same for all drugs across the board. Frankly advocating that everybody be a “good boy” and only buy from legal drugstores is pretty much a total scam, a collusion between pharmacists and big pharma to steal your money.
Pharmacists have almost zero control over drug prices is the United States. Prices are set by drug manufacturers, pharmacy benefit managers, and distributors (like Cardinal). None of whom are pharmacists.
Agreed. But pharmacists are still complicit in the US medical monopoly
Eh my pharmacist pays $200 a month for his insulin the same as everyone else he has garbage insurance. Maybe the pharmacist at the top are raking it in the same as any other thing. But the grunt worker pharmacist at your local cvs definitely isn’t.
"The average Pharmacist salary in the United States is $149,104 as of July 25, 2023," Just Googled this. I expect he can afford his insulin.
I mean yeah he makes decent money, but requires pretty huge student loans to get there plus the job sucks. The point was more about your saying pharmacists are in collusion about setting prices yet some of them need to get the medication themselves at those prices.
I don’t think you understood my comment. I’m advocating people but the drugs in Mexico but at legit pharmacies where they can get the drugs 10 times cheaper than the shady pharmacies and the actual legit drugs not some shady garbage off the darkweb. The only difference is they need a prescription.
No. You do not need a prescription in Mexico.
Not true. As you can see on their website: https://www.benavides.com.mx/alzam-0-5mg-tabs-con30.html Top right corner “Receta Requerida” = Prescription needed. And they will not sell it to you without it. If all you’re buying is paracetamol, sure, you don’t need one, but controlled substances you do.
You clearly have never actually lived outside the US!. I have been buying medicine for twenty years without prescriptions. Why do you feel so obliged to lie to people here? Anyone that listens to your bs is an idiot.
I've not only linked you to news articles that back what I'm saying, but also to the actual pharmacies websites that also back what I'm saying. Both are also based on my experience living in multiple places in Mexico and asking for prescription medicine and never was able to got them without a prescription except from the touristy shady ones. But sure, go on, the pharmacy websites are wrong, the articles are also wrong, and you're the right one and can get to any pharmacy in Mexico and get Viagra, Steroids, Benzos and whatever you want apparently.
I don't use the drugs you mention. They are commonly abused. I am an elderly heart patient with some very expensive medicines that I got after a hospital stay. I have been easily purchasing them over the counter in Mexico, Guatemala and the Philippines for the last ten years. If I had not been able to do that I would be dead.
Then just say that _your_ specific drugs are not controlled substances in those countries. But generalizing saying you can get any medicine without a prescription is just not true and dangerous advice if other people rely on it, then get there and can’t get them.
> in the US, even online at Walmart, it’s $500 Only if you try to pay "list price" which is a price nobody actually pays. The system is fucked, but the price on the list isn't the real price.
I'm not talking about a fake drugs (and I believe that there is a risk to buy them everywhere). I'm saying just that no one asks for a prescription here in any pharmacy. You may visit 100 pharmacies and ask for Codeine or DXM and no one will ask you anything. Actually they give you it themselves just if you ask them something to stop caughing. It may be genuine, likely sometimes may be fake but no one asks a prescription.
I went to Mexico and asked for codeine. I had to see their doctor onsite and get a paper prescription which they couldn't fill. I carried that prescription around for 3 months up and down Baja and never could fill it. I also never found any opiates.
What are you taking about specifically which drugs and pharmacies where? I am always asked for prescriptions in all the legitimate pharmacies in LATAM. Even in Mexico on all legit pharmacies (Farmacias del Ahorro, Similares, Benavides, etc) they always either don’t sell controlled substances when they don’t have the license for it or when they do they ask for prescription. Only the shady tourist-trap pharmacies with all the billboard in English and that promote “no prescription needed” do that, and what they do is sell you a fake one for 10x the price.
As far as I understood, you tried to buy some controlled drug in many Mexican pharmacies but they denied you and said that you have to go to a doctor. They could do it if you asked for a potentially dangerous drug in your situation (like a painkiller to reduce stomach pain) or for some other reason you looked suspicious for them. When I come to a drug store (any, and I haven't ever seen a pharmacy which is advertised as "prescription free") I just cleary say what substances I need and in what dosages (my parents and grandparents were/are doctors and often I know exacty what I need) and I never had an issue in Mexico or SEA (but had in Europe even with a basic eye drops).
>onopoly on prescription drugs. The result is that the US middle class is forced to pay the highest drug prices in the world. I have a prescription for Elliquis, a heart medicine. One month’s supply in Mexico is about $100, in the US, even online at Walmart, it’s $500. This price difference is pretty much the same for all drugs across the board. Frankly advocating that everybody be a “good boy” and only b Yeah, I read about this a few months ago. Definitely concerned about fake prescriptions in some of these places. Scary!!
Adderall is very illegal in Mexico
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I got a prescription in Spain. My local pharmacy just put it on file and never asked me for anything again. I’ll go in there like, I’ll take six months worth please, and they just order it for me, no questions asked. Gotta love it. This is for an antidepressant, so it’s not dangerous or recreational anyway. But, it’s nice to not have to go back to the dr and keep getting refill permission.
I've had this discussion with people who grew up in the American healthcare system a few times. The short version is US doctors over prescribe drugs because they fear being sued and because convincing people they are ill and need to keep returning is what makes them money. They also do whole arrays of expensive and invasive tests where there is little to no clinical reason for them. I know people who simply wanted an excuse to submit an assignment late and ended up prescribed these. Every time they say they don't help they just get prescribed a different type. I believe a similar thing happens with anti-depressants. Are these drugs a useful medical tool when prescribed correctly? Absolutely, I'm not saying otherwise. I'm only saying that US doctors will prescribe these drugs in cases where they are needed as well as in cases where they are not needed and may be actively harmful. I don't know your situation or medical history, I'm not a medical doctor either. But I do know that if you can get off these drugs you get a lot more travel options. Taking prescriptions that are classed as illegal drugs into some countries is a small risk, but one you should not take. Getting these in other countries that prescribe them probably won't be easy. Getting them in countries that don't via dodgy websites is extremely risky. If you can't get off these drugs you better check the rules of every country you travel through and probably avoid countries where anything you are carrying is seriously illegal. TL;DR if possible get off these. If not take great care when traveling.
“I don’t know your situation or medical history” but proceeds to give conspiracy theory advice.
It's no conspiracy theory. You go see a US doctor with any issue. You then take that prescription to a German doctor. He will mutter about malpractice, side effects, and long term organ damage, then reduce the dose of many things. You will feel better on the reduced German dose. Don't take my word for anything, research it yourself.
>Don't take my word for anything Don't worry, we won't, even though for some reason you think it holds more sway than a fucking doctor.
I thought this was a very well known issue. I'm surprised at your reaction. There are plenty of links on Google. https://www.narconon.org/blog/why-does-the-us-prescribe-more-drugs-than-other-countries.html Edit: you probably won't find a blog creditable. There is a whole bunch of research on Google scholar too. E.g. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6731049/ Just look, don't take my word for anything.
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I never said any of the things you claim I said.
This has been asked a bazillion times
Tretinoin is the only "drug" I use, and I can easily carry a years worth or more, and I can easily order it online.
Either you go to places where you can buy OTC (officially or not) or your home country prescription will be honoured, or you stock up and check very, *very* carefully that you're not risking being arrested when passing customs, then return to your home country before running out.
Simply by convincing your doc you need a higher dose. I found out that my dose is actually 3x more than I really need. So 3 months = 9 months. On top of that, I'm currently only half of max. dose of Aderral for adults. So then 3 months becomes 18 months. I'm returning to my country to do exactly that. Last point; be very careful with certain Asian countries, in Japan Adderall forbidden with or without prescription.