Life Abroad: Your Stress-Free Guide to Getting Prescription Medications in Spain

There are many logistical challenges to consider when preparing to move abroad. One of these challenges that I really wanted to prepare for ahead of time was figuring out how to get my prescription medications while living in a different country. Now that I have successfully filled my prescriptions here in Spain, I can say that the experience was relatively easy for me. So to make the process easy for others as well, here I will share a few tips: how I prepared for the process of getting my prescription medications before leaving the USA; my experience with going to the doctor in Spain, including information about public versus private health insurance in Spain; what pharmacies in Spain are like; advice for traveling internationally with prescription medication; and helpful vocabulary in Spanish.

My roomie Alyssa, a fellow American and my partner in figuring out the Spanish healthcare system

Step-by-Step Guide

Here is a detailed list of all the steps I took to fill my prescriptions in Spain.

1. Filling your prescriptions at home first

The very first step I took to make the process of getting my prescriptions easier occurred before I even left the USA. Figuring out how to fill my prescriptions was not something I particularly wanted to have to figure out within the first few months of living in Spain while I was still adjusting to life here and starting my work as an auxiliar. So, I called my health insurance company in the USA to see if I could get approved for an extended time period on my prescriptions. I normally refill my prescriptions every three months, and after playing phone tag with my insurance company, my pharmacy, and my doctor’s office, I was able to receive a six month supply of both of my medications. I picked up my prescriptions shortly before I left, meaning I arrived in Spain in September and did not have to figure out the process of getting my medications here in Spain until February. I highly recommend taking this approach so you can first focus on other logistical challenges like finding housing and adjusting to your new surroundings.

2. Getting a letter from your doctor at home

Another step I took while I was still in the USA was to ask my doctor for a signed letter with my prescriptions, including dosages and diagnoses/reasons for taking the medication. This was a very easy step that also lessened my anxiety of not having any documentation I might need to receive my prescriptions in Spain.

Researching your medications

After receiving this letter from my doctor, I also researched my medications to see if they would be easily accessible in Spain. Doing this ahead of time can help you see if your medicine is even sold in Spain or the country you are moving to and give you opportunities to talk to your doctor at home about possible alternatives.

Going to a pharmacy to ask if my letter was valid

When it was finally time to refill my prescriptions here in Spain, I first went to a pharmacy to see if they could give me my medications with the letter from my doctor in the USA. The pharmacist told me that this was not possible, and I would first have to make an appointment with a doctor here in Spain to receive a written prescription. This made sense to me due to differing medical laws and systems in different countries.

3. Making a doctor’s appointment

So with this information from the pharmacist, my next task was to make a doctor’s appointment. But first, it is important to note the differences between private and public health insurance in Spain.

Public versus private healthcare in Spain

Spain has a strong public healthcare system that is essentially universal. This is of course only for Spanish citizens and anyone else authorized to receive access under the national healthcare system. As an auxiliar, I was required through my CIEE program to have private health insurance, which CIEE thankfully set up for me with a company called ASISA. This is important to note when making a doctor’s appointment because it changes which health centers you can visit and still be covered by insurance. Most Spanish people will just go to their nearest health center to receive care, but these are often public health centers. You can of course still visit these centers (my fellow American roommate has done so), but you may be paying out of pocket. Side note: if you have a healthcare emergency, just go to the nearest available place you can receive medical care. Out of pocket costs will be nowhere near what you’re used to in the USA.

With this understanding of the different systems, I looked on the ASISA app to find the nearest in-network family medicine physician. Luckily, I found a doctor located in a private health center directly on my walk home from work. I was nervous about making a phone call to make an appointment, so I went to the health center in person to make my appointment. I did this because as a general rule, I would advise not to automatically expect you will be connected with someone who speaks English. I do speak enough Spanish that I successfully made my appointment in person while speaking Spanish, but personally it feels easier for me to speak Spanish in person than over the phone. In person, the receptionist asked for my insurance card and residency permit, and I was able to schedule an appointment for the following week.

4. Going to the doctor

On the day of my appointment, I arrived at the health center a few minutes early. The health centers I have been in so far have kiosks where you can select your reason for visiting. At the kiosk, I entered my information and received a waiting room number that was called when the doctor was ready for me (which only took about five to ten minutes of waiting). Since it was my first time at this health center, the doctor asked for basic information about my personal and family medical history. I did do all of this in Spanish, so if being able to speak with your doctor in English is a must for you, I would request that ahead of time when scheduling your appointment. Then, the doctor asked what I was there for, and I explained that I am a foreigner and needed to refill my prescriptions from home. I gave her the letter from my doctor in the USA.

For one of my medications, I was able to receive the exact same type and dosage as my medication at home, which I had assumed I would be able to because I had researched it ahead of time. For my other medication, the Spanish doctor gave me a prescription for a slightly different but very similar medication which has been working well for me so far. This is why I advise researching your medications ahead of time, especially if you are sensitive to changes in medication and absolutely cannot or do not want to have your medication changed. The doctor then printed my prescription and gave it to me.

5. Getting your medication at a pharmacy

Unlike what I am used to in the USA, my doctor did not have to call my prescription into a specific pharmacy directly. Instead, I was able to take the printed prescription I received at my doctor’s appointment to the most convenient pharmacy for me. I gave the pharmacist my prescription, and she went and grabbed it for me. My private health insurance here does not cover prescriptions, so I (by which I 100% mean my dad) paid out of pocket. For my two prescriptions, face wash, and a compression brace for my knee (thank you, Dad), it was about €48 total. Another side note: receiving over the counter medication at pharmacies is also a bit different here than in the USA. Each time I have gone to a pharmacy, I go directly to the pharmacist, tell them what symptoms I am having, and they give me what I need as opposed to choosing over the counter medication myself like I normally would in the USA.

6. Refilling your prescription when you run out

Since I filled my medications for the first time in Spain very recently, I have not yet gone through the process of refilling the prescriptions. However, I asked the pharmacist what to do when I need a refill, and she told me that I will have to make another doctor’s appointment to receive another prescription.

A tapa a day keeps the doctor away!

Traveling With Medication

Another important consideration related to this topic is traveling internationally with prescription medication. In addition to my time living in Spain, on weekends I have also been traveling to different countries within Europe. As the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) notes, over the counter and prescription medications that are common in the USA may not necessarily be legal in other countries. As I have been traveling mainly in Western Europe, I generally assume that traveling with my medications won’t be an issue. So far, I have not been stopped by anyone at the airport or elsewhere to be questioned about my prescriptions. However, I do travel with my prescriptions in their original containers, and I have a digital copy of the letter from my doctor on my phone. If you are worried about traveling abroad with your prescription medications, I would advise researching country-specific information before traveling.

Helpful Vocabulary

• Receta → your written prescription
• Seguro médico → medical/health insurance
• Seguro privado → private insurance
• Centro de salud → health center
• Medicina/medicamento → medication
• Medicina general → general medicine (on the ASISA app, this is what my Spanish doctor was listed under)
• Doctor/doctora → doctor
• Enfermero/enfermera → nurse
• If you have a specific medical condition, I would recommend looking up its Spanish translation before going to the doctor or pharmacist
• Other articles with medical terms in Spanish

I hope these tips will assist you in successfully getting your prescription medications while living abroad in Spain!