Since Brexit, Spanish pharmacies often will not dispense against a UK prescription. Medicines that need a prescription in Spain (all antibiotics, for example) need a Spanish prescription: from your Spanish GP if you have a health card, or a private prescription from a doctor registered in Spain. I am a GP registered in Almería: I can review your medication in English at home, in your hotel or by video, and issue a private prescription when it is appropriate. Bring the box or your UK letter with the generic names of your medicines.
Will a Spanish pharmacy accept my UK prescription?
Often not. The UK is no longer in the EU, so pharmacies in Spain are not obliged to accept UK prescriptions, and many will ask for a Spanish one. Prescriptions from other EU countries follow different rules.
Medicines that need a prescription in Spain
Some medicines you can buy over the counter in the UK need a prescription in Spain, and the other way round. All antibiotics need a prescription. Brand names also change: always check the generic name of your medicine (for example omeprazole, amlodipine, sertraline).
How to get a Spanish prescription
- Health card holders (residents with a SIP card or S1): your Spanish GP at the health centre. Read health card in Almería.
- Visitors or while you wait for your card: a private prescription from a doctor registered in Spain, which any Spanish pharmacy accepts.
I review your medication in English and issue a private prescription when it is appropriate and safe: by video anywhere in Spain, or at home or in your hotel in Almería, Roquetas, El Ejido, Vícar and Níjar (€45).
Duty pharmacies in Almería
At night and at weekends a farmacia de guardia (duty pharmacy) stays open in each area. The list is on the door of every pharmacy and on the website of the Almería pharmacists' association. For an emergency, call 112.
What to bring
- The boxes of your medicines or a letter from your UK GP with the generic names and doses.
- Your passport or NIE.
- Any recent reports or blood tests.
Frequently asked questions
Can I use my UK prescription in Spain?
Often not. Spanish pharmacies may refuse UK prescriptions since Brexit and ask for a Spanish prescription.
How do I get a prescription in Almería without a health card?
From a doctor registered in Spain, as a private prescription. Dr Guillermo Martínez can review your medication in English by video or at home or in your hotel.
Do antibiotics need a prescription in Spain?
Yes. All antibiotics need a prescription in Spain.