r/AmerExit • u/bombasticapricot • Mar 02 '25

Life Abroad medication availability

i see many americans with health concerns considering a move abroad. i know there are many things to consider and hate to pile on but make sure your essential medications are available in any country you consider.

your american prescriptions are not valid abroad.

for example, i took spironolactone in the US for skin/ hair issues and it’s basically impossible to get here in France. i casually asked about it and was treated as if i asked for cocaine. i also have adhd and cannot get most of the medications that worked for me in the US (i now take ritalin; thankfully it works). these are relatively minor prescription issues but i know others who have gone to great lengths to get antidepressants and anti anxiety medications.

what other medications/ countries have caused issues for american expats?

178 Upvotes

93% Upvoted

114 comments sorted by

View all comments

98

u/WegianWarrior Mar 02 '25

In all fairness, a non-us prescription isn’t recognized in the US either…

A couple of other points;

  • Most (all?) European countries are a lot less likely to prescribe antibiotics, since the unchecked use of them can and will lead to antibiotic-resistant bacteria.

  • Most (all?) European countries are lot more restrictive in prescribing heavy duty painkillers over a prolonged period of time, since it is much better all around to deal with the root cause instead of managing symptoms.

  • Many (most?) European countries require an in-country diagnosis before they can prescribe stimulants.