How to Refill a Prescription While Travelling in Turkey
Run out of regular medicine on holiday? Here is how a prescription refill works in Turkey, what the doctor needs from you, and what cannot be prescribed online.
Running out of a regular medicine, losing a bag or finding that your tablets were left at home is one of the most common reasons travellers contact us. A prescription from your home country is usually not accepted at a Turkish pharmacy, so you need a new prescription issued in Turkey.
What the doctor needs from you
Have the medicine name, strength and how you take it ready, together with a photo of the box or blister pack, and a recent prescription or discharge letter if you have one. The doctor will ask why you take it, how long you have taken it, whether you have had side effects, and when you last saw your own doctor. For a medicine that needs regular checks, such as blood pressure tablets, thyroid medicine or contraception, the doctor may ask for a recent reading or test.
How a refill works
Request a video visit or message us on WhatsApp. If the doctor judges that continuing the medicine is safe, an e-prescription is sent to you by WhatsApp or email, and you collect the medicine from a pharmacy (eczane) by showing it on your phone or printing it. Brand names differ between countries, so the pharmacist may offer an equivalent with the same active ingredient.
What cannot be refilled online
Controlled substances such as strong opioid painkillers, ADHD stimulants and benzodiazepines cannot be prescribed online. If you are on one of these, speak to your own doctor before travelling, carry a letter and check the rules for travellers. The doctor may also decide that you need an examination or a blood test before restarting a medicine, in which case we can help arrange it.
Planning ahead
Pack enough medicine for your whole trip plus a few extra days, keep it in your hand luggage in the original packaging, and carry a list of your medicines with generic names. If you do run short, ask early: a refill is quickest when you still have a packet to show.
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