Moving abroad while on prescription meds?

[bamagirl26]

A friend of mine is moving to Europe with their spouse, and both of them take Rx Zep. While getting ready for the move, they've been spacing out their doses so they could set aside a small stockpile. On top of that, they recently signed up for a 3 month compounded special, which means each of them would end up with roughly 5 months' worth (and yes, they genuinely both need these meds — for them it's lifesaving).

They wanted that cushion because they know it might take a while to get set up with healthcare in the new country and, hopefully, to obtain their meds there. They're not wild party animals — just two retired Americans who are relocating because the cost of healthcare where they live now has become too expensive for them to keep up with.

Will they run into problems bringing the meds with them? I suggested getting a letter from their doctor, but they figure the Rx receipts should be sufficient. I think that's a gamble. Not that they'd get in trouble, but could some of the quantity be confiscated?? Any thoughts?

 

[BBA1969]

bamagirl26 said:

A friend of mine is moving to Europe with their spouse, and both of them take Rx Zep. While getting ready for the move, they've been spacing out their doses so they could set aside a small stockpile. On top of that, they recently signed up for a 3 month compounded special, which means each of them would end up with roughly 5 months' worth (and yes, they genuinely both need these meds — for them it's lifesaving).

They wanted that cushion because they know it might take a while to get set up with healthcare in the new country and, hopefully, to obtain their meds there. They're not wild party animals — just two retired Americans who are relocating because the cost of healthcare where they live now has become too expensive for them to keep up with.

Will they run into problems bringing the meds with them? I suggested getting a letter from their doctor, but they figure the Rx receipts should be sufficient. I think that's a gamble. Not that they'd get in trouble, but could some of the quantity be confiscated?? Any thoughts?

I'm not certain, but my impression is that bringing prescription drugs along isn't an issue in this part of the world. People with diabetes do that routinely.

Over here you won't find compounding pharmacies that prepare the mixture for you. The only form of Tirzepatide available in Belgium is the Mounjaro KwikPen. A pen contains 4 doses. I've stopped purchasing them, so whether that "Golden 5th dose" still exists I can't say.

What each pen costs:

7,5 mg: €332,80

10 mg: €332,80

12,5 mg: €410,88

15 mg: €410,88

The cheapest route is to have the 15mg pen prescribed and to count clicks.

A prescription from a Belgian MD will be necessary for them.

Or take the grey route, the way I did ; )

 

[eidos]

France and Belgium handle this the same way.

For half a year, my doctor put me on Mounjaro, and it ran me €250 (US$280) each month. From April onward, I've been getting it on the grey market for under US$50.

The one item that makes sense to pack is the Hospira BAC. Alternatives do exist, though.

.

 

[bamagirl26]

BBA1969 said:

bamagirl26 said:

A friend of mine is moving to Europe with their spouse, and both of them take Rx Zep. While getting ready for the move, they've been spacing out their doses so they could set aside a small stockpile. On top of that, they recently signed up for a 3 month compounded special, which means each of them would end up with roughly 5 months' worth (and yes, they genuinely both need these meds — for them it's lifesaving).

They wanted that cushion because they know it might take a while to get set up with healthcare in the new country and, hopefully, to obtain their meds there. They're not wild party animals — just two retired Americans who are relocating because the cost of healthcare where they live now has become too expensive for them to keep up with.

Will they run into problems bringing the meds with them? I suggested getting a letter from their doctor, but they figure the Rx receipts should be sufficient. I think that's a gamble. Not that they'd get in trouble, but could some of the quantity be confiscated?? Any thoughts?

I'm not certain, but my impression is that bringing prescription drugs along isn't an issue in this part of the world. People with diabetes do that routinely.

Over here you won't find compounding pharmacies that prepare the mixture for you. The only form of Tirzepatide available in Belgium is the Mounjaro KwikPen. A pen contains 4 doses. I've stopped purchasing them, so whether that "Golden 5th dose" still exists I can't say.

What each pen costs:

7,5 mg: €332,80

10 mg: €332,80

12,5 mg: €410,88

15 mg: €410,88

The cheapest route is to have the 15mg pen prescribed and to count clicks.

A prescription from a Belgian MD will be necessary for them.

Or take the grey route, the way I did ; )

yes, people who are retired can't afford to spend 1000 euro on medication! What worries her is that the drug she takes is Zepbound, not Mounjaro

 

[bamagirl26]

eidos said:

France and Belgium handle this the same way.

For half a year, my doctor put me on Mounjaro, and it ran me €250 (US$280) each month. From April onward, I've been getting it on the grey market for under US$50.

The one item that makes sense to pack is the Hospira BAC. Alternatives do exist, though.

.

The compounded version she has was already prepared by a US pharmaceutical company, though she might eventually work up the nerve to try it herself. Which BAC do Europeans rely on that matches Hospira-grade quality? In other words, is there a gold-standard BAC over there?

 

[miameow]

bamagirl26 said:

A friend of mine is moving to Europe with their spouse, and both of them take Rx Zep. While getting ready for the move, they've been spacing out their doses so they could set aside a small stockpile. On top of that, they recently signed up for a 3 month compounded special, which means each of them would end up with roughly 5 months' worth (and yes, they genuinely both need these meds — for them it's lifesaving).

They wanted that cushion because they know it might take a while to get set up with healthcare in the new country and, hopefully, to obtain their meds there. They're not wild party animals — just two retired Americans who are relocating because the cost of healthcare where they live now has become too expensive for them to keep up with.

Will they run into problems bringing the meds with them? I suggested getting a letter from their doctor, but they figure the Rx receipts should be sufficient. I think that's a gamble. Not that they'd get in trouble, but could some of the quantity be confiscated?? Any thoughts?

Without knowing the specific European country your friends are headed to, it’s hard to give useful answers. That said, I’ve relocated both inside Europe and across continents several times carrying a large amount of medication (no letters), and fortunately nothing ever went wrong. Still, that doesn’t mean it’s guaranteed. Another route would be for them to mail the medication instead, sidestepping border concerns—though that approach comes with its own set of problems.

bamagirl26 said:

eidos said:

France and Belgium handle this the same way.

For half a year, my doctor put me on Mounjaro, and it ran me €250 (US$280) each month. From April onward, I've been getting it on the grey market for under US$50.

The one item that makes sense to pack is the Hospira BAC. Alternatives do exist, though.

.

The compounded version she has was already prepared by a US pharmaceutical company, though she might eventually work up the nerve to try it herself. Which BAC do Europeans rely on that matches Hospira-grade quality? In other words, is there a gold-standard BAC over there?

The same thing applies. Answers will differ from one country to the next. Europe isn’t a single country—it’s a continent. Hospira remains the gold standard, yes, but what matters is whether you can actually get it, and that depends on which European country you mean.

 

[bamagirl26]

ireland Close to where Grandpa Eli is! hahahahaha

 

[eidos]

bamagirl26 said:

eidos said:

France and Belgium handle this the same way.

For half a year, my doctor put me on Mounjaro, and it ran me €250 (US$280) each month. From April onward, I've been getting it on the grey market for under US$50.

The one item that makes sense to pack is the Hospira BAC. Alternatives do exist, though.

.

The compounded version she has was already prepared by a US pharmaceutical company, though she might eventually work up the nerve to try it herself. Which BAC do Europeans rely on that matches Hospira-grade quality? In other words, is there a gold-standard BAC over there?

In Europe, BAC isn't sold or used, since the usual formulations come as single-dose.

Multiple forum threads cover where else to get it. Options include bringing Pfizer in from Canada, or preparing your own BAC from sterile water plus pure BA.

Or even boiled water sourced from China or India /j

 

[bamagirl26]

eidos said:

bamagirl26 said:

eidos said:

France and Belgium handle this the same way.

For half a year, my doctor put me on Mounjaro, and it ran me €250 (US$280) each month. From April onward, I've been getting it on the grey market for under US$50.

The one item that makes sense to pack is the Hospira BAC. Alternatives do exist, though.

.

The compounded version she has was already prepared by a US pharmaceutical company, though she might eventually work up the nerve to try it herself. Which BAC do Europeans rely on that matches Hospira-grade quality? In other words, is there a gold-standard BAC over there?

In Europe, BAC isn't sold or used, since the usual formulations come as single-dose.

Multiple forum threads cover where else to get it. Options include bringing Pfizer in from Canada, or preparing your own BAC from sterile water plus pure BA.

Or even boiled water sourced from China or India /j

oh, alright, that's pretty interesting!

 

[miameow]

bamagirl26 said:

ireland Close to where Grandpa Eli is! hahahahaha

Ah.. sadly I'm English, and believe me that will not be of any help to you or your friends whatsoever. That said, we've got a few Irish folks in this community, so with any luck they'll jump in with something better.

 

[Thighknee]

bamagirl26 said:

ireland Close to where Grandpa Eli is! hahahahaha

The finest nation and culture anywhere on the planet

They would 100% require letters from doctors plus prescriptions spelling out the quantity of medication they need, the quantity they are carrying, and the duration it must cover. In Ireland we can generally only obtain a maximum of one month's supply of prescription meds at a time, so whether there is a cap on how much a person may bring through, I'm not certain.

If you ask me, it's worth taking the chance with the doctors letters — as long as they can't be used for recreational drug taking, they should be fine!

 

[ultima thule]

Should they have retired, a medical card could be applied for. That would make every gp appointment free of charge, while certain specific medications would run roughly €2-4. My understanding, though, is that glp-1 drugs fall outside the mc scheme.

 

[eidos]

bamagirl26 said:

BBA1969 said:

bamagirl26 said:

A friend of mine is moving to Europe with their spouse, and both of them take Rx Zep. While getting ready for the move, they've been spacing out their doses so they could set aside a small stockpile. On top of that, they recently signed up for a 3 month compounded special, which means each of them would end up with roughly 5 months' worth (and yes, they genuinely both need these meds — for them it's lifesaving).

They wanted that cushion because they know it might take a while to get set up with healthcare in the new country and, hopefully, to obtain their meds there. They're not wild party animals — just two retired Americans who are relocating because the cost of healthcare where they live now has become too expensive for them to keep up with.

Will they run into problems bringing the meds with them? I suggested getting a letter from their doctor, but they figure the Rx receipts should be sufficient. I think that's a gamble. Not that they'd get in trouble, but could some of the quantity be confiscated?? Any thoughts?

I'm not certain, but my impression is that bringing prescription drugs along isn't an issue in this part of the world. People with diabetes do that routinely.

Over here you won't find compounding pharmacies that prepare the mixture for you. The only form of Tirzepatide available in Belgium is the Mounjaro KwikPen. A pen contains 4 doses. I've stopped purchasing them, so whether that "Golden 5th dose" still exists I can't say.

What each pen costs:

7,5 mg: €332,80

10 mg: €332,80

12,5 mg: €410,88

15 mg: €410,88

The cheapest route is to have the 15mg pen prescribed and to count clicks.

A prescription from a Belgian MD will be necessary for them.

Or take the grey route, the way I did ; )

yes, people who are retired can't afford to spend 1000 euro on medication! What worries her is that the drug she takes is Zepbound, not Mounjaro

In FR, Zepbound cannot be obtained. As for other nations, I'm not sure. Online sales are offered by authorized pharmacies.

Mounjaro is the only option, ranging from 2.5mg up to 15mg per dose, with 4 doses in each pen. It remains Tirzepatide. (https://www.vidal.fr/medicaments/gammes/mounjaro-kwikpen-115324.html)

(Since the figures appear in French, you'll need to rely on the auto-translate tool

Knowing the specific country they plan to move to would be useful for tailored details. The forum has members from every part of the EU.

 

[BBA1969]

Zepbound (US and others) = Mounjaro (Europe and others) Just a different delivery method and market approval, the compound itself is identical.

Across most EU countries, the ways to obtain GLP's are far fewer: either an MD writes you a prescription, or you're stuck buying from single vial sellers/grey. When it comes to other peptides, an MD option doesn't even exist.

If Hospira is really what they want, perhaps someone could ship it over to them now and then ; )

Hospira will only be of any use to them if they manage to get the peptides.

 

[bamagirl26]

ultima thule said:

Should they have retired, a medical card could be applied for. That would make every gp appointment free of charge, while certain specific medications would run roughly €2-4. My understanding, though, is that glp-1 drugs fall outside the mc scheme.

I ought to have mentioned up front: it's a move back HOME to Ireland after having spent most of my life in the US, so luckily the legal side is already sorted.. but she has been told that getting a GP is quite difficult, with waiting lists and so on

 

[bamagirl26]

BBA1969 said:

Zepbound (US and others) = Mounjaro (Europe and others) Just a different delivery method and market approval, the compound itself is identical.

Across most EU countries, the ways to obtain GLP's are far fewer: either an MD writes you a prescription, or you're stuck buying from single vial sellers/grey. When it comes to other peptides, an MD option doesn't even exist.

If Hospira is really what they want, perhaps someone could ship it over to them now and then ; )

Hospira will only be of any use to them if they manage to get the peptides.

Thanks so much!

 

[bamagirl26]

ultima thule said:

Should they have retired, a medical card could be applied for. That would make every gp appointment free of charge, while certain specific medications would run roughly €2-4. My understanding, though, is that glp-1 drugs fall outside the mc scheme.

And if a doctor in Ie writes a script for Mounjaro, the patient still covers the cost themselves, yeah? I'd guess gray is really common over there for that reason, since I know compounders don't exist.

 

[ultima thule]

bamagirl26 said:

ultima thule said:

Should they have retired, a medical card could be applied for. That would make every gp appointment free of charge, while certain specific medications would run roughly €2-4. My understanding, though, is that glp-1 drugs fall outside the mc scheme.

I ought to have mentioned up front: it's a move back HOME to Ireland after having spent most of my life in the US, so luckily the legal side is already sorted.. but she has been told that getting a GP is quite difficult, with waiting lists and so on

It really depends on the destination. Smaller towns make it easier than larger towns or cities — and here we only have a few cities... which would still count as a big village back in the States

bamagirl26 said:

ultima thule said:

Should they have retired, a medical card could be applied for. That would make every gp appointment free of charge, while certain specific medications would run roughly €2-4. My understanding, though, is that glp-1 drugs fall outside the mc scheme.

And if a doctor in Ie writes a script for Mounjaro, the patient still covers the cost themselves, yeah? I'd guess gray is really common over there for that reason, since I know compounders don't exist.

Getting a glp prescription is pretty straightforward. You can even do it online, as long as it's for diabetes or obesity... though it gets pretty pricey that way... I can't give exact figures since legal glp sources never caught my interest

Also, Hospira can be found in Ireland, but you'd need to go pretty far down the rabbit hole...

 

[cheaperseeker]

bamagirl26 said:

BBA1969 said:

bamagirl26 said:

A friend of mine is moving to Europe with their spouse, and both of them take Rx Zep. While getting ready for the move, they've been spacing out their doses so they could set aside a small stockpile. On top of that, they recently signed up for a 3 month compounded special, which means each of them would end up with roughly 5 months' worth (and yes, they genuinely both need these meds — for them it's lifesaving).

They wanted that cushion because they know it might take a while to get set up with healthcare in the new country and, hopefully, to obtain their meds there. They're not wild party animals — just two retired Americans who are relocating because the cost of healthcare where they live now has become too expensive for them to keep up with.

Will they run into problems bringing the meds with them? I suggested getting a letter from their doctor, but they figure the Rx receipts should be sufficient. I think that's a gamble. Not that they'd get in trouble, but could some of the quantity be confiscated?? Any thoughts?

I'm not certain, but my impression is that bringing prescription drugs along isn't an issue in this part of the world. People with diabetes do that routinely.

Over here you won't find compounding pharmacies that prepare the mixture for you. The only form of Tirzepatide available in Belgium is the Mounjaro KwikPen. A pen contains 4 doses. I've stopped purchasing them, so whether that "Golden 5th dose" still exists I can't say.

What each pen costs:

7,5 mg: €332,80

10 mg: €332,80

12,5 mg: €410,88

15 mg: €410,88

The cheapest route is to have the 15mg pen prescribed and to count clicks.

A prescription from a Belgian MD will be necessary for them.

Or take the grey route, the way I did ; )

yes, people who are retired can't afford to spend 1000 euro on medication! What worries her is that the drug she takes is Zepbound, not Mounjaro

Tirzepatide is the active ingredient in both Zepbound and Mounjaro, so they're identical. Regardless, I'm crossing my fingers that their supply makes it through. The impact on life is genuinely huge! A prescription can be requested from their doctor purely to have documentation on hand; filling it isn't required.

BBA1969 said:

Zepbound (US and others) = Mounjaro (Europe and others) Just a different delivery method and market approval, the compound itself is identical.

Across most EU countries, the ways to obtain GLP's are far fewer: either an MD writes you a prescription, or you're stuck buying from single vial sellers/grey. When it comes to other peptides, an MD option doesn't even exist.

If Hospira is really what they want, perhaps someone could ship it over to them now and then ; )

Hospira will only be of any use to them if they manage to get the peptides.

In the US, Zepbound and Mounjaro are both available, but they're marketed for separate purposes. Zepbound is for weight loss, while Mounjaro is for diabetes. Like you mentioned, both are tirz.