If you’re ever in a situation where you can’t get the treatment you need in your country, this article contains everything you need to know. You’ll learn how to get prescription drugs from abroad, what is and isn’t allowed, what to avoid, and key considerations for ensuring safety. 

Let’s get started. 

Why get prescription medication from abroad?

There can be many reasons to consider sourcing medication from another country, including delays in local availability, or cost savings. Exploring these options requires careful consideration, and you should always do it together with your treating doctor. 

Below are some of the main reasons to seek access to medicine in another country. 

#1: The drug you need isn’t approved in your country (yet)

This is the most common scenario.

Many medicines are approved first in countries like the USA, while patients elsewhere may wait months – or years – for local approval. When your condition can’t wait, accessing treatment from a country where it’s already available becomes a real option.

#2: The drug you need is approved in your country, but not available (yet)

Approval doesn’t mean immediate access.

Even after approval, it can take months or years before a medicine is launched locally. This delay can leave patients without timely treatment.

In these cases, sourcing the medicine from abroad can help avoid interruptions or delays in care.

#3: The drug you need is considerably cheaper abroad

Prices for the same medicine can vary widely between countries.

For patients paying out of pocket – especially for long-term treatment – buying abroad can sometimes make treatment financially possible.

How to get a prescription medicine from another country

In many cases, getting medicine from abroad is legal – but the rules depend on your situation.

#1: How to get a medicine if it isn’t approved in your country yet

When a necessary prescription drug isn’t yet approved in your country, you have several options.

Join a clinical trial

Novel medicines are often still undergoing clinical research after approval. If there is a suitable clinical trial, for which you qualify, joining it may be a fast way to get treatment with the newly approved medicine. Note, however, that in clinical trials you can also be assigned to the control group, so there is no guarantee you will in fact get the treatment. 

If you and your medical team are open to this idea, you can explore global clinical trials and enrol. 

Contact the medicine manufacturer

Often, Pharma companies establish Expanded Access Programs when launching a medicine. These programs are intended to help patients access the treatment in locations where it is not marketed yet. If there is such a program for the medicine you need, your doctor will need to apply for it on your behalf. 

Personal importation

If there is no Expanded Access Program for the medicine you need, and a clinical trial is not an option, there’s something else you can do.

You have the right to import a prescription medicine for personal use from another country. This is possible due to the so-called Named Patient Import regulation, which is in place worldwide. 

Personal importation is allowed when:

• The medicine is for a life-threatening or debilitating disease;
• There is no approved alternative in the patient’s country;
• The medicine has been prescribed by the treating doctor;
• The medicine is strictly for personal use.

You can exercise your right to Named Patient Import in any country – just keep in mind that the documents required may vary per country. To help you understand the process for personal importation in your country, we’ve put together a Global Medicine Import Guide. 

#2: How to get a medicine if it isn’t available in your country yet

This may sound contradictory, but medicine approval and medicine availability are not the same thing, and there can be years between the two events. In the EU, for example, after a medicine gets EMA approval, it can take between 3 months (in Germany) and 3 years (in Portugal) for the medicine to reach patients. So, sometimes, you may find yourself in the absurd situation of not being able to find a medicine that is approved in your country.

If you’re in this situation, you can use the Named Patient Import outlined above to access your treatment. 

#3: How to get a medicine if it’s cheaper abroad

This is more complex and depends heavily on your location.

Europe

In Europe, if a medicine is approved and available locally, but cheaper in another country, you could ask your doctor for a cross-border prescription. With that, you can fill your prescription in another EU country. Note that the local pharmacist applies local laws and regulations, so always check in advance with the pharmacy abroad before you make the trip or place the order.

USA

In the United States, importing for cost reasons is common in practice due to high prices, but under FDA rules it falls into a legal grey area. Personal importation rules are designed for unmet medical needs, rather than price. Therefore, if you order an FDA-approved prescription medicine from abroad and have it shipped to you in the USA, it will not be allowed in.

This being said, if you personally purchase a medicine from a pharmacy abroad and bring it back with you to the USA, there is nothing prohibiting you from doing that, as long as you have all documentation with you (e.g. prescription, invoice), and you stay within the limit of a 3-month supply. 

Rest of the world

Most countries technically allow personal import with a prescription, but when the medicine is already approved locally, importing it for a lower price is often unofficially tolerated rather than clearly regulated. In other words, there’s a risk if you get a medicine shipped to you. However, you can purchase it abroad and bring it back with you, as long as you have the appropriate documentation with you, and you stay within a short-term supply.

What isn’t allowed

While there are multiple options for getting medicines from abroad, there are some lines that you should not cross.

Shipping FDA-approved medication to the USA

Having FDA-approved medication shipped to you in the USA from another country is prohibited. This is considered parallel import, and if you try to do it, you run the risk of your package being stopped at Customs. 

An acceptable alternative to shipping is picking up your medicine from a pharmacy abroad and bringing it back on a flight with you. 

Spontaneously using local prescriptions in foreign pharmacies

Walking into a pharmacy in a foreign country with an original prescription from your home country and expecting to get it filled can be problematic. A prescription that is valid in your home country may not be recognized in another country. And even if it is, some medicines (e.g. a cancer medicines) are unlikely to be readily available if you just walk into a foreign pharmacy. 

To avoid disappointment, always communicate in advance with the pharmacy in the country you have in mind.

Where to buy prescription medicines from abroad

When considering buying prescription medication from another country, it is important to ensure that the online pharmacy or mediator you’re dealing with is legitimate. Here are some basic checks:

• Do they require a prescription? Anyone selling you a prescription medicine without verifying your prescription is not trustworthy. A reliable source will always prioritize patient safety and adhere to the necessary prescription requirements.
• Do they have a licence? An online pharmacy or wholesaler will have their registration number or licence available on their website or upon request. If they cannot provide one, then you should not proceed with them. 

How to tell if the medicine being sold is genuine

Ensuring the medicine being sold is genuine is important, due to the prevalence of counterfeit substances in certain regions. To mitigate this risk, only use reliable suppliers with a licence, who preferably are also GDP-certified. 

Need help getting a prescription medicine from another country?

If you’re struggling to access necessary prescription medication from another country, Everyone.org can provide valuable assistance. We specialize in helping patients navigate the complexities of cross-border pharmaceutical access, ensuring that individuals with serious conditions can obtain the medicine they need, even when it may not be available in their home country.