Filling a prescription in Switzerland

So my parents are stranded in Basel for a few days due to a delayed flight.

My dad being stubborn, didn’t take any reserve medication, so now he has none of the heart medication he needs.

Has anyone managed to fill an NHS prescription here? Not sure if it is possible to get the UK doctor to message a pharmacy here to get it filled.

These are for things for high blood pressure, beta blockers, statins etc.

  • Candesartan 2mg tablets One To Be Taken Each Day 28 tablet
  • Bisoprolol 1.25mg tablets take one daily 28 tablet
  • Atorvastatin 80mg tablets One To Be Taken Each Day 28 tablet
  • Amlodipine 5mg tablets One To Be Taken Daily (With Or Immediately After Breakfast) 28 tablet

He needs just 3-4 days worth.

Can‘t the NHS send a fax/an email? Does he have a copy of his last prescription?
If not, go to your GP and bring the meds he has, maybe they can give you a prescription.

What I have done in the past was to go to the airport medical center and they helped me with some meds to tide me over.

Good luck!

Ps: could only help you with the statins, could send a bunch over tomorrow?

I will try this tomorrow.

That’s very kind of you to offer, but I hope we’ll manage figure something out tomorrow morning.

Get the doctor to fax a prescription and then you can use it here, the best approach is for the doctor to fax it direct to your pharmacy.
Worked for me in the past

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Thanks. That’s what we will try tomorrow!

I’d call the pharmacy 1st thing in the morning and ask them exactly what they need from you - before calling your Dad’s GP.

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Good thinking! With my multiple mishaps last year the lady at the pharmacy knows me now!

The pharmacy here will normally fill a foreign prescription as long as the medication is available here.
Ask the pharmacy exactly what they need then call the UK surgery and ask them to fax or email a copy to them, that’s usually all they’ll need.

We had a similar issue on holiday in Italy when hubby forgot one his blood pressure meds and he got the pharmacy here to email him a copy of the prescription which be showed to the pharmacy and they sold him the meds (much cheaper than Swiss prices).

If that fails we have a couple of them we could let you have.

BBC just mentioned that Manchester airport is opening again.

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In the end, I got the doctor to email the prescription which I printed out and took to the French pharmacy to fill. It was cheaper than I was expecting, around 20 EUR for 5 different medicines.

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Happy to hear it worked out!!

And wow, that is cheap!

Good news and hopefully next time he travels your father will take along some backup medications just in case.

He’s on alot of medication.

Get a pacemaker and that amount will be tripled……

Nothing strange that older people are on several meds.

True. But I have seen cases where some old people are overmedicated (20+ tablets in one day.

Just seen this, I take those in different doses 2.5mg Bisoprolol & 20mg Atorvastatin easy to get hold of & a French pharmacy will accept even a copy of an old prescription as it’s easily available. Many French Dr’s will also write a prescription for about €25, all standard stuff so they won’t need to ask many questions.

After speaking to the doctor, she said that 80mg was far too much and suggested 20mg instead. The medicine is apparently damaging to the liver so not good to have too much.

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There were other medicines I didn’t list:

  • Aspirin (dispersible)
  • Pantoprazole

I learned that there was a difference between dispersible aspirin which is rapidly absorbed in the stomach and coated aspirin which is absorbed just below.

The Pantoprazole is then required to protect the stomach lining.

I hope the plane is not delayed as I’d have to go through the same rigmarole for my mum’s medicines.

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These drugs are common and often used in combination. As a result combi-pills have been developed, for instance Caduet combines Atorvastatin and Amlodipin, some combine even three drugs in one pill. People generally like reducing the number of pills to take, and typically they’re less expensive.

Once his lab values have stabilised, if they aren’t already, your dad might want to talk to his doc about going combi.

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