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 Portugal 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 Portugal?
Would you have said that in Portugal 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
Medication in Portugal
It was different when I first moved here I add lived in Spain for 10 years where I was fully in the system, moving there from my home country England, then to Portugal, it was hard to get medical cover and the medication that I was on was not available. I had to find a private Doctor for new prescriptions, most of the chemist did not stock them I had to go to many chemists and still not find it, however, the chemists stamped my prescription and I was advised to take it to the hospital chemist where they made the medicine up for me.
the medicines are more expensive than both Spain and England in those countries I did not need to pay for x rays, c scans, scans, blood tests extra. at first, I did not have a health number and I was told that I needed to be employed to have one, I was lucky that my mother in law gave me a job in her company. Because I am married to a Portuguese citizen we had thought it would be easier, I still had to run around from here to here also given incorrect information sometimes having to go back over and over. after that worry at 1st within about 6-8 months, everything was ok.
I just arrived in Portugal Jan 12. I am still trying to get my U.S. prescriptions re-written by a Portuguese doctor so I can buy them at resident prices, roughly 1/2 of the cost of a U.S. discount (online) pharmacy. I can buy them without having them re-written by a Portuguese doctor at 2X the price of a resident discount (so about the same price as in the U.S.).
No shortages that I know of (though COVID-19 shortages caused by shutdowns in China could change that). All medications I take, high BP & cholesterol, are available here in Portugal.
Hi tfollmer,
LIke You I take several Inhalers spec. Pro-Air HFA, Spiriva, Advair & Trelogy for COPD.
Also Generic versions of Lipitor and Plavix as well as a common blood pressure med (name escapes me at the moment) but commonly prescribed here in the states.
Still prepping to move, but here's the thing. I get Social Security Dissability. Not Retirement SS. So there are differences like CANNOT WORK any kind of job (at least not on the books) without losing benefits. (assumption is if I can work, go work and don't ask for help. That doesn't work though so considered permanent.
I also receive Medicare/Medicaid.
I've read conflicting info on Medicare. Some info says Medicare is transferable, whole other info says it is not. Ergo I need to really know from the source yes or no?
I currently work from home doing what is called "Sync Licensing" which is submtting music to Music Supervisors for placement in TV/Film and/or Ads. But it's a long haul as one needs to establish reliability under pressure so while I have music in circulation right now... at the moment no big fish are biting.
That will change and soon I am hoping, however, we are talking about residual income that builds over time. (think like a musical version of a 401-K.)
Their is that rare opportunity where a large Sync Fee is paid out (like $50,000 and up) but they are rare. (Superbowl, World Cup and so on...) So most likely a slow build up of cumulative incomes from multiple songs or sections of songs.
So what's the deal with having an SSA income and Medicare regarding Meds and access to Portuguese Health Care System?
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