Tips for Finding Reliable Prescription-Free Online Pharmacies

[Rim1]

I have been trying to order a few medications but the italian customs are extremely strict, they even block supplements. Since i live somewhat close to switzerland, if there was a swiss person that was willing to receive the package and hand it over to me (i will pay for the hassle of course) it could potentially be a solution, but if the swiss customs are just as strict as the italian ones then obviously this would be useless. Some pharmacies i saw did have an option to ship to switzerland so my guess is that the customs there are not as strict as the italian ones. Are there any swiss patients that can chime in and tell me their experience with the customs?

Hello Hubris.
Have you found any solution for Italy so far?
I have the same problem as you. Impossible to enter medicines in Italy.

 

[Rim1]

Lots of ME/CFS patients in European countries which have strict customs have the same trouble of getting drugs from Indian, Asian or Mexican pharmacies, so it would be good to find a solution to this perennial problem. Here are some ideas about how it might be possible to solve this problem:



➤ I recently came across this review of various UK parcel forwarding / reshipping companies. There are also similar parcel forwarding companies in the US, and in other countries.

Parcel forwarding companies are usually free to join, and provide you with your own personal address in their country. The idea is that you can then use this address for online shopping, when a web store does not ship internationally.

I recently wanted to buy a medication from the US, but the supplier would not ship abroad. So I used my US address from Shipito, who when they receive my parcel will forward it to me. They only charge a handling fee of $3, plus the cost of forward shipping.

However, I am not sure if these parcel forwarding companies will accept parcels that are send from outside their country, such as parcels from Asia. They certainly accept parcels posted from within the country, but not sure if they accept parcels from abroad.

But if they do accept parcels from abroad, that could be the solution, as you would use the address they provide you to buy your pharmaceuticals, and then get the parcel reshipped to your address. If you use a parcel forwarding company in the UK, the UK has very lenient customs for pharmaceuticals, and will never ever confiscate pharmaceuticals bought for personal use (provided they are non-controlled drugs).



➤ One interesting UK parcel forwarding company mentioned in the review is www.parcl.com . This has no official depot, but instead recruits individual people to act as parcel forwarders using their own home address. So in effect, for a small fee, this website puts you in touch with a person who is willing to forward a parcel to you. You may be able to make specific arrangements with such an individual to accept your parcel from abroad, and pay any customs fees that are due, and then forward to your home address.



➤ Another very useful website is www.fiverr.com . This is free to join, and it has millions of people all over the world that you can hire to do a specific job, usual for very low fees of around $5 (hence the name Fiverr).

Once when I wanted to obtain a medication which was only available in the Ukraine, I hired someone in the Ukraine via Fiverr to buy the drug from me at an online Ukrainian pharmacy, with the drug being sent to his home in the Ukraine. Then he shipped it to me by DHL. I paid for all the shipping costs, plus his fee. The fee you agree on in advance between yourself and the other person on Fiverr.

You might be able to find someone on Fiverr who is in the UK, and is happy to receive your medications, pay any customs fees, and happy to forward them to you. You could even ask them to remove the invoice and drug boxes and labelling from your parcel, and place the drug blister packs in a relatively flat envelope with a hand-written address label, so that it might pass through customs unnoticed. Once you create a relationship with a person on Fiverr, you may be able to use them again and again.



➤ It is also possible to set up your own company, and import drugs under a company name. You will find that companies are not as restricted as individuals in terms of importation. In the UK, it costs just £12 to register and set up your own company.



➤ There are also some prescription-free pharmacies which specialize in shipping to countries with strict customs:

mospharma.com (a sister company of rupharma.com) specialize in shipping to countries with strict customs. Here is a list of countries they ship to (includes CZ). This pharmacy only have a limited range, but they have good communications, and may be able to obtain drugs for you which are not listed on their website. The can ship from within the EU (Lithuania) if you ask them.

www.indianpharma.co ship to countries with strict customs. I am not sure which countries, but you can email them to ask.

mexipharmacy.mx ship to countries with strict customs.

Genericdoctor.com ship to countries with strict customs.



➤ There are some UK pharmacies that have an online doctor who will provide you with a prescription after you fill out a questionnaire (for a fee of typically around £25). These include: www.pharmacy2u.co.uk , www.pharmacyfirst.co.uk , www.dockpharmacy.com , www.clearchemist.co.uk and www.pharmplexdirect.com . I am not sure of the regulations, but maybe if you have a UK prescription, customs will let these drugs through.

Hello Hip.
Unfortunately forwarding/reshipping from UK does not solve the problem because UK is outside EU now and the parcels from UK can be blocked for verification in EU customs, like for any other country outside EU.
Meanwhile the pharmacies specialized to ship in strict countries don't have a lot of medicines like most of antiretrovirals for example, or they don't ship to countries like Italy. Still haven't found a solution to this problem.
Have you come along with any other idea meanwhile?
Thank You

 

[Hip]

Unfortunately forwarding/reshipping from UK does not solve the problem because UK is outside EU now and the parcels from UK can be blocked for verification in EU customs, like for any other country outside EU.

Yes, that's unfortunately the case now, so the UK is no longer useful for reshipping to an EU country.

We need another country like the UK where importing pharma drugs is legal, but which is located inside the EU.

I believe that the Netherlands, Belgium, Slovenia ,Romania, Malta and Liechtenstein will satisfy these criteria: this webpage details the legality of importing non-controlled prescription drugs for personal use in each country, and from what I can see, in these six EU countries, it is legal to import drugs for personal use.

 

[Rim1]

Yes, that's unfortunately the case now, so the UK is no longer useful for reshipping to an EU country.

We need another country like the UK where importing pharma drugs is legal, but which is located inside the EU.

I believe that the Netherlands, Belgium, Slovenia ,Romania, Malta and Liechtenstein will satisfy these criteria: this webpage details the legality of importing non-controlled prescription drugs for personal use in each country, and from what I can see, in these six EU countries, it is legal to import drugs for personal use.

That's cool. Now must find a reshipping/forwarding service or person in one of these countries to complete the job.

 

[Hip]

Now must find a reshipping/forwarding service or person in one of these countries to complete the job.

I am not sure, but you might have trouble with some reshipping/forwarding services, if they have rules which prevent the handling of prescription drugs. That's something you would need to look into.

If you use www.parcl.com , where forwarding is done by individual members of the public who register with this company, even if they have such rules, you may be able to locate someone that you then come to a private arrangement with.

 

[bertiedog]

@Hip Do you know of any online pharmacies that supply Neomycin?

Thanks
Pam

 

[Hip]

@Hip Do you know of any online pharmacies that supply Neomycin?

Neomycin seems to be mainly available as a skin cream or eye drops. Almost nobody sells tablets, but I found this pharmacy which does.

Wikipedia says oral neomycin is not absorbed by the gastrointestinal tract. But I guess if it is used for treating SIBO, this is desirable.



Neomycin seems to pretty toxic and allergenic, and can cause hearing loss (ototoxic), like all aminoglycoside antibiotics. From Wikipedia:

Neomycin was the fifth-most-prevalent allergen in patch test results (10.0%). It is also a known GABA gamma-Aminobutyric acid antagonist and can be responsible for seizures and psychosis.

Like other aminoglycosides, neomycin has been shown to be ototoxic, causing tinnitus, hearing loss, and vestibular problems in a small number of patients.

Patients with existing tinnitus or sensorineural hearing loss are advised to speak with a healthcare practitioner about the risks and side effects prior to taking this medication.

This article says:

Never take neomycin in larger amounts than recommended, or for longer than 2 weeks. High doses or long-term use of neomycin can cause serious kidney problems, or hearing loss that may not be reversible. The longer you take neomycin, the more likely you are to develop these serious side effects.

So I guess that might be why neomycin oral tablets are not sold by most pharmacies.



This study though suggests oral neomycin is generally safe, and that ototoxic effects are mostly likely to occur in patients with gastrointestinal inflammation or kidney failure:

In contrast to parenteral neomycin, which may result in severe and progressive ototoxicity, oral neomycin has been widely used for 25 years, and its index of safety has been regarded as high. Ototoxicity is viewed as an uncommon complication of oral neomycin most likely to occur in patients with renal failure or gastrointestinal inflammation. Two cases of ototoxicity resulting from oral neomycin are presented.

Though that study is from 1983.



This article says:

Toxicity warning: This drug can harm your kidneys, ears, and nervous system, including your brain. This can happen even if you take this drug at the dosage your doctor prescribes. Your risk of kidney damage is even greater if you already have kidney problems. Ear damage or hearing loss can start after you stop taking this drug. Your doctor will make sure you’re a good candidate for this drug before prescribing it for you.

Muscle and breathing problems warning: This drug can cause you to lose your muscle function. It can also cause breathing trouble or make you unable to breathe. Your risk of these issues may be higher if you also take other drugs that can cause these side effects.

 

[bertiedog]

Neomycin seems to be mainly available as a skin cream or eye drops. Almost nobody sells tablets, but I found this pharmacy which does.

Wikipedia says oral neomycin is not absorbed by the gastrointestinal tract. But I guess if it is used for treating SIBO, this is desirable.
Neomycin seems to pretty toxic and allergenic, and can cause hearing loss (ototoxic), like all aminoglycoside antibiotics. From Wikipedia:

Thanks so much Hip for all that information. Definitely worrying side effects but it would only be used for a short course with the Rifaximin at a later date.

I have read that Metronizadole can also be used but I remember that was a horrible drug to take too. Unfortunately I have had severe migraines and GI side effects from the anti-microbial I was taking plus severe insomnia. It looks as if the garlic is probably the culprit and still recovering from 4 days of severe migraine after 2 weeks of the Biocare Oregano Complex which was supposedly to be gentle! I have many problems with herbal type supplements and think probably many of them interact with the Prednisolone I take as they are metabolised by the same CYP enzymes.

Very grateful for your help.

Pam

 

[Hip]

Thanks so much Hip for all that information. Definitely worrying side effects but it would only be used for a short course with the Rifaximin at a later date.

I think because neomycin is not absorbed it is considered relatively safe. But if it lands on open wounds, it can then get into the bloodstream and cause toxic damage to the ears, etc. I suspect this is why having pre-existing gastrointestinal inflammation is a risk factor for neomycin toxic damage, as this drug may get into the bloodstream via the inflammatory lesions in the GI tract.

 

[vaer]

I recall hearing that oral neomycin is not available in the UK anymore or limited supply. Either or a pharmacist could verify

 

[Fogbuster]

Can anyone recommend a reliable pharmacy that delivers within 2 weeks to the UK with standard delivery?

Preferably one that sells abilify and naltrexone.

I'm not really interested in paying £20+ for delivery.

Many thanks

 

[Thomas]

I used to use brand medicines dot com but it looks like it has been shut down. It’s been a while since I’ve needed to purchase meds for myself. Does anyone know what the best ones are for shipment to USA?

 

[Belle21]

Anybody knows a reliable online pharmacy that sells high(er) dose Calcium folinate? Thanks.

 

[Haso]

I just bought https://clvdeliverystore.com/ I'm in the u.s ive bought from them before. I like that they accept visa which is hard to find these days

 

[Rim1]

Yes, that's unfortunately the case now, so the UK is no longer useful for reshipping to an EU country.

We need another country like the UK where importing pharma drugs is legal, but which is located inside the EU.

I believe that the Netherlands, Belgium, Slovenia ,Romania, Malta and Liechtenstein will satisfy these criteria: this webpage details the legality of importing non-controlled prescription drugs for personal use in each country, and from what I can see, in these six EU countries, it is legal to import drugs for personal use.

Hello, I've struggled to find a forward shipping service/person in one of those countries (Netherlands would be the best I think). Do you have any idea where I can look to? Before I maybe start a new post where I ask precisely that? Thank you very much

 

[Hip]

Do you have any idea where I can look to?

You could try Fiverr.com But be careful what you say on that website, as your listing may be removed by moderators if you talk directly about drugs. You could instead say that you want someone to buy some items in the Netherlands (like the famous salty Dutch licorice) and mail them to you. Then once you make contact with the person, you can provide full details of what you really want outside of Fiverr.

It may be better to find someone in Romania, rather than the Netherlands. Romanian law also allows importation of drugs, but money has a much higher value in Romania, so if you give someone there $10, it's really like giving them $20, in terms of what it buys in Romania. See the cost of a Big Mac in different countries, and you will understand what I mean.

You can try also www.parcl.com . See this post for more details.

 

[Rim1]

You could try Fiverr.com But be careful what you say on that website, as your listing may be removed by moderators if you talk directly about drugs. You could instead say that you want someone to buy some items in the Netherlands (like the famous salty Dutch licorice) and mail them to you. Then once you make contact with the person, you can provide full details of what you really want outside of Fiverr.

It may be better to find someone in Romania, rather than the Netherlands. Romanian law also allows importation of drugs, but money has a much higher value in Romania, so if you give someone there $10, it's really like giving them $20, in terms of what it buys in Romania. See the cost of a Big Mac in different countries, and you will understand what I mean.

You can try also www.parcl.com . See this post for more details.

Yeah sure I get it what you mean. But the point is how do I find someone who does this on Fiverr? Are there people in there who offer forward shipping specifically?

 

[Hip]

But the point is how do I find someone who does this on Fiverr? Are there people in there who offer forward shipping specifically?

Fiverr is a website where you can hire people to do almost any task. I once needed to get a medication which was only available in Russian and Ukrainian street pharmacies. So on Fiverr I found someone who was willing to buy that medication, and ship it to me in the UK. I think I paid him $30 for doing this (which again in the Ukrainian is more like $60).

 

[ChookityPop]

Do the prescription goldpharma gives us make orders go easier through costums?

And a lot of medications doesnt show on my goldpharma, I think they limit certain products for some countries, mine for example. Anyone know if this is true? Ivermectin doesnt show on mine goldpharma account, maybe someone could see if Ivermectin shows on theirs?

 

[MeSci]

Do the prescription goldpharma gives us make orders go easier through costums?

And a lot of medications doesnt show on my goldpharma, I think they limit certain products for some countries, mine for example. Anyone know if this is true? Ivermectin doesnt show on mine goldpharma account, maybe someone could see if Ivermectin shows on theirs?

The only medication containing Ivermectin for the UK on goldpharma seems to be SOOLANTRA 10 MG/G CREME 45G.