Anyone ordered prescription items from Belgium, into the UK by post?

[snowathlete]

I'm looking into this. I think it is the case that if you have a prescription and you order items from outside the UK to be shipped in, that it is legal (for personal use).
But I dont know if that it still the case if you have a Belgian prescription (i.e. not a UK one?) and if you are importing stuff that isnt normally available in the UK (even on prescription) such as high dose B12 shots.

Anyone know, or have any experience with this?
I really want to avoid another trip to Belgium just to pick up the meds I need.

Thanks!

 

[maryb]

Its an EU prescription legal anywhere in the world (but you can't get pharmacies in belgium to ship here - crazy).
You should be fine with Canada, USA, India etc

 

[snowathlete]

I took it to a couple of pharmacies in the UK and one told me it was not legal in the UK because it didnt have my address on it.

 

[maryb]

Phone Dennis the Chemist if they have the stuff in they will accept EU prescriptions, KdM's sec will also fax a script to them if necessary.

 

[snowathlete]

Phone Dennis the Chemist if they have the stuff in they will accept EU prescriptions, KdM's sec will also fax a script to them if necessary.

I'll do that. Thanks mary - I remember you said about it but then I forgot.

I also found this site: http://www.internationalpharmacy.com/en/restrictions
which lists customs rules per country and it says that you dont need a prescription in the UK for small quantities of non controlled drugs.

 

[Hibiscus]

I emailed Chemist Direct the other day to see if they would accept Belgian prescriptions and they said that they would. They didn't mention anything about an address. My prescription doesn't have an address on it either.
I haven't tried it out though so I suppose they could still turn it down if they see it doesn't have an address.

There's some EU guidance that mentions a prescription should have a patient address: http://www.psni.org.uk/documents/136/Dispensing+European+Economic+Area+prescriptions.pdf

If you show them that K de M is registered in Belgium that might help. This site is the Belgian equivalent of the GMC register....

https://www.ordomedic.be/fr/rechercher-un-medecin/

 

[Hibiscus]

Just saw your earlier post - I've used International Pharmacy before.

If you order goods over £15 you have to pay tax plus a handling charge from Royal Mail which I think is around £8.

 

[snowathlete]

Tried Denis the Chemist today, they could do it but not post it. Manchester is closer than Belgium, but still a long way to go.

But I managed to get half of my prescription today - locally. Dispite being turned down at a few pharmacies already, we went to Boots, and I didnt expect much. But the assistant I spoke to seemed interested in doing something new that he had not seen before (a foreign prescription).

I started off by saying, we've got this foreign prescription, but it's from the EU so we understand you can dispense this.
They started to say no, but we persisted and they agreed to look in their rule book. It says that they can do an EU member prescription. They didn't mention the address.
So, if you are in my shoes, then I suggest you go to your chemist and persist and ask them to look it up, because they have the rules writen down and they CAN fill the prescription, they just probably haven't done it before, so their intitial response is no.

Now, as having ME/CFS is one step forward, one step back, there is still a problem because they couldn't prescribe the probiotics because they don't sell that product (but you can order it over net as its not a prescription only product anyway) and they couldn't prescribe the B12 because they just don't have that strength in the UK. But those are easier to get through the post from Belgium than the antibiotics are!

So I am closer than I was. I'll check out those two chemists, thanks Hibiscus. If anyone has any other bright ideas, then let me know! I am VERY keen to get started ASAP.

Another interesting thing is that the pharmasist asked me what the treatment was this for and I told him Borrelia and Bartonella, and refering to the 8 week course he said, "Is that enough?"
I explained that I was going back to De Meirleir in 8 weeks and would get more treatment but it was interesting and good to see that he understood that 8 weeks would likely not be sufficient for a chronic infection like that.

Best
Joel

 

[snowathlete]

Kutapresin arrived today, so I just drove out to a pharmacy and asked for syringes and needles - took the 4ME with me.
But they said no, said you have to have a prescription. I asked them if they were sure, and pointed out that they were wrong the other day when I they told me a Belgian prescription wasnt valid in the UK. They just said they coudln't give me any. I'm not convinced to be honest. Will go to Boots tomorrow, as they were helpful the other day.

 

[Valentijn]

Kutapresin arrived today, so I just drove out to a pharmacy and asked for syringes and needles - took the 4ME with me.
But they said no, said you have to have a prescription. I asked them if they were sure, and pointed out that they were wrong the other day when I they told me a Belgian prescription wasnt valid in the UK. They just said they coudln't give me any. I'm not convinced to be honest. Will go to Boots tomorrow, as they were helpful the other day.

Weird. In the US you just go to the counter and ask for the size you want, no questions asked. They shouldn't really care if it's for Belgian B12 or a British prescription or heroin - there's a public interest in people being able to buy clean needles, so it makes no sense for it to be restricted.

My theory is that they're just a bunch of idiots and/or jerks

 

[snowathlete]

Weird. In the US you just go to the counter and ask for the size you want, no questions asked. They shouldn't really care if it's for Belgian B12 or a British prescription or heroin - there's a public interest in people being able to buy clean needles, so it makes no sense for it to be restricted.

My theory is that they're just a bunch of idiots and/or jerks

That's my best theory at the moment too, though it may well be the case that in this nanny state we live in here in the UK that needles might genuinely require a prescription if you are a law abiding responsible citizen, but free and no questions asked if your a law breaker. Thats the UK way! Why did you guys in the US ever object to being under British rule?

 

[maryb]

I also asked for needles at the chemist and got told I needed a prescription for them!! I order them online now.

 

[Valentijn]

That's my best theory at the moment too, though it may well be the case that in this nanny state we live in here in the UK that needles might genuinely require a prescription if you are a law abiding responsible citizen, but free and no questions asked if your a law breaker. Thats the UK way! Why did you guys in the US ever object to being under British rule?

Maybe you need to go to a methadone or addiction clinic to get needles for your dodgy Belgian product.

 

[snowathlete]

Maybe you need to go to a methadone or addiction clinic to get needles for your dodgy Belgian product.

Well they have the needle exchange in chemists for that purpose. Addicts and body builders use them. And tomorrow - maybe me too!

 

[maryb]

Yes but have you got any to exchange

The system is ridiculous - our NHS are a dictatorship. I mean we're in the EU why did the rules change that Belgian phamacies can't post meds - it only changed a couple of years ago - the frst time I ordered everything from one and all came together no probs - talk about make it hard for us!!!!

I did the same with Boots eventually got them to agree to accept the rtx but then they didn't have the stuff in......
Then I found Dennis - lucky for me only a short distance.
Hope you get sorted its very stressfull all this messing about.

 

[cigana]

Hi Snowathlete,

I am in the same situation as you. Chemists in the UK can accept Belgian prescriptions if they want to. The chains (eg. Boots tend not to). It is worth just asking your local places, and I have found that the prices can really differ (they can charge whatever they like for private prescriptions) so it is good to shop around for the cheapest.

If you contact KDM's clinic they can give you the contact details on places in belgium that will send out the B12, or let me know and I can dig out the place I use.

Oh and yeah I use needle exchange too! Get ready to be frowned upon