Customs enquiry

cathy36

Please does anyone know if I can send a family members medication onto her in Barbados by post? She has enough medication on her until May 2014. Her GP is happy to give her a prescription which I can get for her and then send the medication on to her but don't know if I'm allowed. I have rung customs on 0845 010 9000 but after a very lengthy messages keep saying there is no-one available and cuts me off. They are blood pressure and cholesterol pills but can't find anything anywhere.

Thank you. :mad:

richardw

If she has the prescription, can't she get them there?

Voyager2002

No sense asking Customs (HMRC) since they only know about the law for things coming into the UK, and Barbados is an independent country. See if you can find a website for their High Commission in the UK.

I do agree, she should have a doctor there and should ask how to get her drugs locally.

cathy36

richardw wrote: »

If she has the prescription, can't she get them there?

The prescription is here in the UK. I have to pick the prescription up here for her, get the medication and send out to her. Bit nervous about doing it as not sure what regulations are in Barbados. I think I will have to ask her to make enquiries her end, don't you think?

cathy36

Voyager2002 wrote: »

No sense asking Customs (HMRC) since they only know about the law for things coming into the UK, and Barbados is an independent country. See if you can find a website for their High Commission in the UK.

I do agree, she should have a doctor there and should ask how to get her drugs locally.

I will look to see if there is a website, thanks. I think she may have to get them her end if it's easier.

johnnyreggae

I don't want to sound mean and apologies if I've caught the wrong end of the stick but as why should my taxes subsidise her medication when she is not resident ? Its not as if they are rare drugs so surely as noted above a local prescription would be far easier

InsideInsurance

cathy36 wrote: »

The prescription is here in the UK. I have to pick the prescription up here for her, get the medication and send out to her. Bit nervous about doing it as not sure what regulations are in Barbados. I think I will have to ask her to make enquiries her end, don't you think?

Even if you can post it to her she may well have to pay taxes to import them subject to the value of the drugs this could be expensive.

Never been to Barbados and know little about it but certainly in many countries of the world pharmacies simply sell many medications here that require a prescription with the exception tending to be opiates or other psychoactive substances. Could be easier but may not be open to a non-resident or may not sell the drug she needs

cathy36

i have just phoned the High Commission Uk for Barbados, extremely helpful and polite. Traveling abroad with your medication on you is ok as they give you a certificate to take and hand in the other end. Sending medication abroad alone is a no no. It causes not only problems here but BIG problems in Barbados. She advised that my sister see a medical doctor there and get the medication through the proper channels as there could be serious consequences.
Thank you so much, after weeks of trying to get answers I think I have solved it.

cathy36

johnnyreggae wrote: »

I don't want to sound mean and apologies if I've caught the wrong end of the stick but as why should my taxes subsidise her medication when she is not resident ? Its not as if they are rare drugs so surely as noted above a local prescription would be far easier

That's ok you don't sound mean. I think, to be honest, my sister thought it was straight forward and didn't look at it like that. Her doctor said to her when she left that he was giving her a 6mth prescription and he would write her out another one in May 2014. So I think she thought, great I will have them sent out. I will explain this to her later. She will be upset if she thinks that what people think she was doing when she has always worked, never claimed a penny and has the opportunity to see the world a bit.

InsideInsurance

johnnyreggae wrote: »

why should my taxes subsidise her medication when she is not resident ? Its not as if they are rare drugs so surely as noted above a local prescription would be far easier

Who says its being subsidised?

For my wifes monthly medication on private prescription £4.20, on NHS prescription £7.85, controlled medication so cannot be bought without prescription. Certainly no subsidisation going on there, quite the opposite.

When we used to see our family who live overseas she always used to buy antibiotics (which are available over the counter) as they are less than half the price of the UK prescription fee.

Buzby

When I was there, I took my repeat prescription with me. At the pharmacy they referred me to a doctor across the street who simply rewrote it and wished me an uneventful stay. (He didn't charge).

The local script was then dispensed at the standard cost.