Cancer Research UK main site
  • Replies 1 reply
  • Views 450 views
  • Users 0 members are here

Getting meds for someone abroad (EU country)

teeeeeeee
Offline

Hi there

I have a question I need support with. My mum has pancreatic cancer and needs treatment with Nab-paclitaxel (Abraxane), however she lives abroad and has been told there is a shortage of that medicine in that country. She has a prescription for the medication and lives in a EU country - according to the gov.uk website prescriptions from the EU should be valid to buy a medicine in the UK. We are willing to pay for the medicine.

Is it possible for me to buy this medicine here using her EU prescription and send it to her? And if yes how would I go about doing this? Who should I contact? I am assuming it's not something I can get in a regular pharmacy... 

Otherwise if she booked a private (online?) consultation with a doctor in the UK and sent them all her tests etc. would they be able to prescribe and send the medication to her? 

Are there any other alternatives/ways to get this medication or has anyone bought and sent chemo meds to someone abroad before and can tell me a bit about how they did it?

Thanks!

  • Hello Teeeeeee

    I'm sorry to hear about your Mum's diagnosis and that there are some issues with her treatment at the moment. It's understandable that you want to help in any way that you can. 

    There is currently a wide shortage of this particular drug and the company that markets Abraxane is working with national authorities to assess how to allocate global stocks across EU Member States. These potential shortages are expected to last until September 2023, In the meantime, healthcare professionals have been advised to consider alternative treatment options for their patients if Abraxane is not available.  Additional advice, including information on suitable alternatives, may be available from your mother’s consultant.

    In answer to your questions, there are several issues in respect of obtaining drugs in the UK to ship abroad. First of all the prescription must be written in English. Secondly, a pharmacy can only dispense items that are not classed as controlled drugs. The drug Abraxane is a controlled cancer drug, so, even though the prescription for these drugs is from a registered medical practitioner in the EEA area, it is unlikely you’d be able to obtain these drugs in the UK. There would also be the issue of sending the drugs overseas as there are strict controls on what drugs you can send abroad, and this type of drug may require an export licence. You can read more about this on the UK government website here. 

    Finally, it is a requirement that both the doctor and patient be in the UK when the patient is advised or treated. So sending over her notes or arranging a remote consultation wouldn’t necessarily be an option.

    We do have some further information on our website here that may be of help but probably the best course of action would be to speak to her consultant and see if they can suggest any alternative drugs. Explain that you are happy to pay for this drug if they can obtain it for you from the UK. Or, you might want to contact the drug manufacturer directly. It is not permissible to buy drugs directly from the manufacturer however they may be able to offer some advice.

    I do hope that your Mum is able to access the treatment that she needs. 

    Best wishes, 
    Jenn
    Cancer Chat moderator 

Speak to a nurse

Quick links

Follow us

Registered with Fundraising Regulator (logo)
Cancer Research UK is a registered charity in England and Wales (1089464), Scotland (SC041666), the Isle of Man (1103) and Jersey (247). A company limited by guarantee. Registered company in England and Wales (4325234) and the Isle of Man (5713F). Registered address: 2 Redman Place, London, E20 1JQ.