UK Prescription in Spain? Your Prescription Refill, Spain-Wide, After Moving from the UK or US
Medically Reviewed by Dr. Pedro Yelamo Vera, MD
Licensed Physician No. 484814280 · Official Medical College of Bizkaia (Spain)
Video medication reviews, with a prescription only if appropriate.
Dr. Pedro Yelamo Vera
Licence No. 484814280 · Urgent, non-emergency care
Quick answer
After moving to Spain, a doctor in Spain needs to take over your regular prescriptions. US prescriptions are not valid in Spanish pharmacies, and UK ones are accepted only at the pharmacist's discretion. Dr. Pedro Yelamo Vera, a GP licensed in Spain, can review your medicines by video and, if clinically appropriate, issue a Spanish e-prescription until you are registered with a public GP.
Common Symptoms
Moving to Spain brings a gap between your last doctor at home and your first one here. New residents from the UK and the US usually need help with:
- Running low on a regular medicine before they have a Spanish health card
- A UK or US prescription that the pharmacy will not dispense
- Finding the Spanish name of a medicine (paracetamol, not acetaminophen; salbutamol, not albuterol)
- A medicine that is not sold in Spain, or comes in different strengths
- Bridging the months until the public health system registers them
- Bringing a supply of medicines into Spain legally
- Reviewing treatments started abroad, with recent test results
Keeping your treatment going matters. But a safe refill takes more than copying an old prescription. The doctor has to confirm the diagnosis, the strength and how you take it, check any tests the medicine needs, and find the right Spanish product. Spanish prescribing rules apply too, and so does his own clinical responsibility.
You don't have to figure this out alone
Dr. Pedro Yelamo Vera is an independent, bilingual GP licensed in Spain. Book a 15-minute video consultation in English or Spanish for €50, with a private electronic prescription issued under Spanish law when clinically appropriate.
How We Treat It
Have your prescription or repeat slip, the medicine boxes, and any letter or recent results from your doctor at home. The doctor reviews why you take each medicine, how well it works, side effects and allergies. A refill may be possible when:
- The treatment is right for you and safe to continue
- There is enough information to confirm the diagnosis, the medicine and the strength
- No examination, blood test or specialist approval is needed first
- A Spanish equivalent with the same active ingredient is available
Some medicines need an exam, blood tests, specialist approval or in-person care. Controlled medicines, such as strong painkillers, sleeping pills and stimulants, are not prescribed online. Private prescriptions are paid in full at the pharmacy. Only get your medicines from a pharmacy: pills from unofficial sellers may be fake.
Can you use a UK or US prescription in Spain?
Not reliably. Spanish law recognises prescriptions from other EU countries. GOV.UK tells UK visitors that a UK prescription can be used in Spain, but since Brexit acceptance is up to the pharmacist, and NHS electronic prescriptions cannot be dispensed here. Prescriptions from the US are not valid in Spanish pharmacies. A Spanish prescription is the reliable route.
How do you keep your medicines going after the move?
Before you move, ask your doctor for a letter listing each medicine by its generic name, strength, how you take it and why, plus recent test results. Bring enough to bridge the first weeks. Spain's medicines agency (AEMPS) allows travellers to carry medicines for their own treatment, up to about three months' supply, with a prescription or medical report. Controlled medicines need an AEMPS permit.
Once you are resident, register for public healthcare if you are entitled: through work or self-employment, an S1 form if you receive a UK State Pension, or the Convenio Especial after a year on the padrón. Residents usually pay part of the price of prescribed medicines. Until then, a private doctor can bridge the gap.
What changes for Americans in Spain?
Medicare does not cover healthcare abroad, and visas such as the non-lucrative visa require private health insurance. Most Americans therefore use private doctors at first. Medicine names change: acetaminophen is paracetamol, albuterol is salbutamol, epinephrine is adrenaline and glyburide is glibenclamide. Some US medicines are not sold in Spain, including mixed amphetamine salts (Adderall) and hydrocodone combinations, which are controlled and need specialist care in person.
Clinical Evaluation & Evidence-Based Protocol for UK Prescription
During a telemedicine consultation with Dr. Pedro Yelamo Vera (licensed medical practitioner No. 484814280 at the Official Medical College of Bizkaia), clinical evaluation adheres strictly to evidence-based medical (EBM) standards. The doctor conducts a thorough history, evaluating symptom duration, aggravating factors, prior treatments, and drug allergies to establish an accurate differential diagnosis.
Private Electronic Prescriptions (Receta Médica) Issued Under Spanish Law
When clinically indicated, Dr. Yelamo issues a private electronic prescription (Receta Médica Electrónica Privada) under Spanish law. The digital prescription contains a secure QR verification code accepted at all 22,000+ registered community pharmacies across Spain for immediate medication dispensing.
Itemized Invoices for Travel & Private Health Insurance Reimbursement
After your consultation, you receive an official medical report and an itemized invoice. The invoice shows Dr. Yelamo's licence details and tax ID. You can send it to your travel or private health insurer (such as Bupa, Allianz, Cigna, AXA or a US travel policy) to claim the cost back.
Preparing for Your Online Medical Consultation
Before your appointment, note when your symptoms started and any medicines you have already tried. Have your allergies and your usual prescriptions to hand. For a skin, rash or eye problem, sit in a well-lit room so the doctor can see it clearly.
Clinical Follow-Up & When In-Person Urgencias Are Necessary
Video care works well for common infections, mild sudden symptoms, skin rashes and repeat prescriptions. Some warning signs need emergency care in person: severe shortness of breath, a high fever you cannot bring down, chest pain or a stiff neck. If you have any of them, call 112 in Spain straight away.
When to Seek Immediate In-Person Care
Seek urgent medical attention if you have:
- Running out of insulin, seizure medicine, blood thinners or another vital medicine
- Withdrawal symptoms after stopping a medicine
- A severe reaction to a medicine
- Chest pain, severe breathlessness, or new weakness, numbness or confusion
- Very high blood pressure or blood sugar with worrying symptoms
- A possible overdose
Frequently asked questions
Can a UK prescription be used in Spain?
Not reliably. GOV.UK says UK visitors can use a UK prescription in Spain, but Spanish law only guarantees recognition of prescriptions from EU countries, so the pharmacist decides and many decline. NHS electronic prescriptions cannot be dispensed. A doctor in Spain can issue a private electronic prescription under Spanish law, only where clinically appropriate, following a genuine evaluation.
Can I use my US prescription in Spain?
No. Prescriptions from the US are not valid in Spanish pharmacies. Bring your prescription and medicine boxes to a doctor in Spain, who can review them and, where clinically appropriate, issue a Spanish prescription for the equivalent medicine.
How much does a repeat prescription or refill cost?
A repeat prescription review is a video consultation with Dr. Pedro Yelamo Vera, a GP licensed in Spain. It has a fixed price of €50 for 15 minutes. The fee covers the review, a medical report and an itemised invoice for your insurer. A private electronic prescription is issued only where clinically appropriate, following a genuine evaluation. Medicines are paid in full at the pharmacy.
What should I bring to the appointment?
Your prescription or repeat slip, and the medicine box or label. Know your dose and why you take it. Also have recent letters from your doctors, recent test results, your allergies and the date of your last dose.
Why does my medicine have a different name in Spain?
Brand names often differ between countries, and some generic names differ between the US and Europe. In Spain, medicines are prescribed by their active ingredient, so knowing it helps. The strengths on sale can differ too. The doctor checks that the Spanish product matches what you take.
Can my UK GP keep prescribing once I live in Spain?
Often not. Many NHS practices stop repeat prescriptions once you live abroad, and some only give a limited supply before you leave. Plan early: find a doctor in Spain, public or private, before your supply runs out.
How much medicine can I bring when I move?
AEMPS allows medicines for your own treatment, up to about three months' supply, in their original packaging with a prescription or medical report. Controlled medicines need an AEMPS permit. Check with the Spanish consulate before you travel if you are unsure.
Will every medicine be refilled online?
No. Some medicines need an exam, tests, specialist follow-up or in-person prescribing. A refill is never guaranteed.
I used a US telehealth service. Can it keep treating me while I live in Spain?
Usually not. A US doctor's licence covers patients in the states where they are licensed, and Spanish pharmacies do not dispense US prescriptions. Once you live in Spain, a doctor licensed here should take over your repeat medicines. Bring your US prescription list and recent records to the video call, and the Spanish equivalents can be prescribed when that is clinically appropriate.
Is Dr. Yelamo American-trained?
No. He studied medicine at the Universidad de Carabobo and is a GP licensed in Spain (No. 484814280). He consults in fluent English and takes over care for Americans who live in Spain: he matches US brand names to their Spanish equivalents and explains how prescriptions, pharmacies and health cover work here.
Sources and clinical guidelines
- GOV.UK: Healthcare in Spain, including the Balearic and Canary Islands
- GOV.UK: Healthcare for UK nationals visiting Spain
- AEMPS: Medicines for travellers' treatment
- BOE: Real Decreto 1718/2010 on medical prescriptions
- Medicare.gov: Travel outside the US
- AEMPS – CIMA: official medicine information in Spain
Online consultations are for urgent, non-emergency care. In a medical emergency call 112 immediately or go to your nearest emergency department.
Every day · 07:30–20:30One named doctor, from first call to follow-up
Book a secure 15-minute video consultation with Dr. Pedro Yelamo Vera for €50. Appointments every day, 07:30–20:30 (Spain time). For urgent, non-emergency care; in an emergency, call 112.
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