Can my parents mail me OTC drugs to Budapest?

0POSTS

14 years ago

I'm experiencing spoiled American syndrome again...
I'm just learning that Hungary is WAY behind in the OTC drug market. My (hungarian) friend has gotten a cold, and I told him to take medicine. He said he did. 4 hours later, he felt no relief. He said he never heard of a drug that worked faster than a day later.

Not only (as an American) do I find it inconvenient to have to talk to a pharmacist for every little item (as if my constipation is any of their business!) but it seems almost third-world to not have a simple thing like tylenol or Dayquil. I'm spoiled - when I get sick, I need relief NOW! I want to get on with my studies and travels, not be laid up in bed for 3 days for something as simple as the common cold!

Anyway, on to the real question. My parents send me care packages once in a while (perks of being a college student!) Would there be any problem if they put some ibuprofen and cold medicine in there? Not huge quantities, just a box/bottle of each?

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Margle Active member

60POSTS

14 years ago

I agree, it's strange that a lot of drugs that would be over the counter at home are only be prescription here. Case in point: I wanted to buy rehydration salts (like gastrolyte or Royal D) and was told that I could buy banana flavour over the counter (grooooss) but I needed a prescription for other flavours. Eh?

As for ibruprofen, you apparently can get it over the counter here, but it has a different name / particular brand name you have to ask for. I'm really sorry, I have it written down somewhere, but I can't find it. Maybe ask a Hungarian friend, or someone on this forum can help.

I don't imagine you would run into problems sending just one or two boxes from overseas. I think you'd have to be unlucky to get caught or get in trouble. But that's not legal advice! They could get confiscated, or you could potentially get in trouble from the authorities for posting them. You might be better off asking anyone who is travelling out of Hungary to pick you up some and bring it back with them.

GuestPoster116 Guest

0POSTS

14 years ago

I know these things are available in Budapest, but apparently they do not work as well or as quickly as medicine available in the States. And I seem to recall, last time I was here and had the flu, I had to take several different medicines (one for cough, one for decongestion, etc) whereas things like Dayquil or Sudafed often cover everything

angol Active member

62POSTS

14 years ago

Don't know about the rules on importing medicines. You have EU regulations on approved drugs, plus Hungary's own historic system.

What I do know is it's difficult to send liquids abroad from the UK, because Royal Mail won't export such things. My experience is of colognes/deodorants. I can just understand not carrying aerosol products by air. But the Royal Mail ban extends to natural sprays (non-aerosol) carried overland, according to my 'former' UK supplier.

The US is even more freaked on air security than UK, so perhaps they have some liquids export ban too. Can't see a problem with pills though, as long as they're sent in plain packaging. Presumably, Hungary Posta won't know what's in a package - unless they open it.

szocske Serial expat

839POSTS

14 years ago

I think the main difference between the US and the EU is in drug advertising :-)

Paracetamol is available in all shapes, forms and dosages (pretty easy to overdose resulting in permanent liver damage, so keep count!)
from cheap Rubophen to fancy Panadol.
It's the same stuff without the added value of "IMMEDIATE RELIEF!!!" having been shouted in your ears until you believed it.

GuestPoster116 Guest

0POSTS

14 years ago

szocske wrote:
I think the main difference between the US and the EU is in drug advertising

Allowed marketing claims in the US do differ from the EU, but it is not quite so simplistic as that alone.

In the US the FDA regulates OTC drugs over all 50 states for consistency. Meanwhile, the last I read on the topic, the EU is still struggling with a consistent OTC regulation between member states. Thus, dosage, for example, varies by country in the EU, and thus also the "pain relief" per pill. For example, ibuprofen OTC maximum dosage in Spain is 600 mg, but in Germany it is 400mg. What is legal OTC in one EU member state is not necessarily legal OTC in another EU member state.

tomasc Active member

52POSTS

14 years ago

Well, Europe is not USA and it has different regulation.

You can actually get OTC drugs also other places than pharmacies (DM, petrol stations), but you need to ask. As Szocske says the regulations have reasons, however, i am almost 100 % sure you can get the same medication here (and in EU in general) that in US, the brand names vary significantly though.

The plasebo effect then is another matter (in reality recovery from virus infection cannot really speeded up with medication too much anyhow, symptoms can be treated).

In the past, you could get antibiotics etc from south europe without prescription but not anymore. The problem with different flavours most likely was lost in translation, i am pretty sure they meant that they need to order different flavour as they did not stock them.

fluffy2560 Hungary Expert

14905POSTS

14 years ago

tomasc wrote:
In the past, you could get antibiotics etc from south europe without prescription but not anymore. ....

You can buy just about any medicine OTC in Serbia. And everyone with an education speaks reasonable English there too.

BTW, one of the best headache/nausea (i.e. hangover) cures was a drug called Quarelin. It became regulated when Hungary entered the EU but if you smile a lot and ask carefully, many pharmacies will give it to you without prescription. Same with some other stuff.

GuestPoster116 Guest

0POSTS

14 years ago

#10

fluffy2560 wrote:
You can buy just about any medicine OTC in Serbia.

Which is a serious issue, and one of grave concern that needs to be halted. The overuse and improper distribution of important medical drugs that are normally only available by prescription is increasing becoming an enormous problem. It is leading, in some circumstances, to the generation of "super bugs" that are becoming resistant to modern medications.

fluffy2560 Hungary Expert

14905POSTS

14 years ago

#11

klsallee wrote:
fluffy2560 wrote:
You can buy just about any medicine OTC in Serbia.

Which is a serious issue, and one of grave concern that needs to be halted. The overuse and improper distribution of important medical drugs that are normally only available by prescription is increasing becoming an enormous problem......

I agree with you to a degree for a number of reasons:

1) Some people are really misinformed and want antibiotics for the common cold (which is a virus, not a bacterial infection).

2) Counterfeit drugs. Buying prescription medication OTC might means less stringent controls. This is really a serious problem.

But....

On the other hand, some generic pharma products are very cheap but in their branded form are very expensive and drug companies go out of their way to get doctors to prescribe those which costs everyone who is in a public health insurance system.

GuestPoster116 Guest

0POSTS

14 years ago

#12

fluffy2560 wrote:
On the other hand, some generic pharma products are very cheap but in their branded form are very expensive and drug companies go out of their way to get doctors to prescribe those which costs everyone who is in a public health insurance system.

That is purely a political issue/failure of government mandated health systems.

It has nothing to do with the public health issue of improper passage of any medication, branded or generic, as OTC when it should be only available by prescription (for good reasons that have nothing to do with politics or prices).

fluffy2560 Hungary Expert

14905POSTS

14 years ago

#13

klsallee wrote:
fluffy2560 wrote:
On the other hand, some generic pharma products are very cheap but in their branded form are very expensive and drug companies go out of their way to get doctors to prescribe those which costs everyone who is in a public health insurance system.

That is purely a political issue/failure of government mandated health systems.

It has nothing to do with the public health issue of improper passage of any medication, branded or generic, as OTC when it should be only available by prescription (for good reasons that have nothing to do with politics or prices).

Yes, true enough in the main. However, just my 2 cents on mentioning that prescription drugs (branded) are often much cheaper as generics and this will inevitably lead to a black or alternative market, with inevitably less quality controls, OTC, back door or otherwise.