Medication in Austria

Good morning everyone,

Whether it's a simple cold or a chronic illness, medication and medicine use vary from country to country and culture to culture.

When you are used to certain brands or types of drugs, being in a country like Austria with different rules can affect your daily well-being.

Some drugs also differ in name, price, dosage, active molecule, so we would like to hear your opinion on these issues:

Have you ever had difficulties finding familiar or useful medicines for your health in your host country?

Have you ever been faced with a shortage of medicines in Austria?

Would you have said that in Austria drugs are more or less expensive than in your home country? Do you find them more or less effective or of similar quality?

What is the place of alternative medicines in your host country? Have you ever used them?

Thank you in advance for your feedback,

Loïc

Medicines generally are more expensive in Austria if bought off prescription, so do not expect to buy Paracetamol for 18 cents (12), as you'll pay over €5!
In Austria the Apotheke/apothecary have a monopoly, so NO medicines are  available in the supermarkets, only in the Apotheke. Prescription items cost €6.50 per item, less than nearly £10 in the UK. There are no pensioner reductions or exemptions. They do however keep a record of expenditure, and of you frequently spend a %age more in a calendar year, then sometimes in December, they are free.

Rod604 wrote:

There are no pensioner reductions or exemptions. They do however keep a record of expenditure, and of you frequently spend a %age more in a calendar year, then sometimes in December, they are free.


Unemployed get them free.