This does not concern members in the UK as I understand it´s legal for you to import prescription drugs for personal use. But for those in countries where it´s illegal to import prescription drugs without a valid prescription (which would seem to be all current EU member states), I wanted to tell you about what recently happened to a friend of mine:
She ordered thyroid hormone from a third country (outside the EU). It was confiscated by customs, and the courier contacted her and told her she needed to provide a prescription or pay for a customs pass and insurance (2000€). The latter would allow her to bypass local customs regulations.
She had no choice but to pay, as the letter she received told her she risked prosecution for illegal import of prescription drugs, and that this could lead to a 2500€ fine or up to six months in prison.
To date, she has not heard anything, and the information on the website has not changed; it still says "held by customs following routine check".
This has been a source of great stress for her; she has no guarantees the courier will deliver on their promises, and the money she paid will be forfeited in case the package cannot be delivered in the end.
When she contacted the seller, the reply was: "What is it with you in Europe? We ship worldwide, and never have any problems with other countries".
So, my advice to everyone in the EU outside the UK would be to avoid ordering prescription drugs without a prescription from countries outside the EU. Or, if you have no choice but to, at least check what the law in your country says.
Of course, thyroid hormone is not the same as anabolic steroids and controlled substances, so I am not sure the authorities really have the time and resources to prosecute everyone who orders prescription drugs. But, from having seen what this has done to my friend, the anguish it has caused her, at least I wanted to issue a friendly warning to everyone considering doing the same thing.
It was confiscated by customs, and the courier contacted her and told her she needed to provide a prescription or pay for a customs pass and insurance (2000€). The latter would allow her to bypass local customs regulations.
So, if I am understanding correctly, it's illegal to import prescription medication in her country unless you have a prescription. Yet the courier company are telling her that if she pays 2000 euros she can break the law and that would be fine with Customs? Something doesn't add up there.
Yes, and I agree. My friend contacted the seller who assured her the courier was legit. But I don´t like the sound of it.
But what I am trying to say here is that, from what I understand, importing prescription drugs without a prescription is illegal in many (if not all) EU countries, and that people should be careful if considering this option when ordering from third countries. If the shipment is opened by customs, there could be trouble.
If not, it's been several months can we now name the country and courier ?
You would have to raise that question with ThyroidUK, to whom this forum belongs and who drew up the Posting Guidelines for the forum. But what you have asked does beg the question "Why, what good would it do?"
Yes, I think so too. But they are capitalising on people´s fear by telling them that if they don´t pay, they will be arrested and prosecuted...that´s enough to make anyone panic. Although I doubt that you´d end up six months in prison for buying three months´worth of thyroid hormone for personal use, that argument can still be used to scare someone enough to pay.
I have no idea how this "insurance" is supposed to work...maybe they will somehow provide customs with a prescription issued by a doctor working with them. We´ll see what happens next. I told my friend to ignore them should they come back asking for more money. She was told the insurance she paid was 70% refundable "upon delivery of the package" which remains to be seen...but this should also mean that if the package is not released, the money will be lost.
This does not concern members in the UK as I understand it´s legal for you to import prescription drugs for personal use.
Only true up to a point.
Controlled drugs are excluded from that and are always illegal to import for the ordinary person. So, we can't import morphine or tramadol for example. But thyroid hormones are not controlled.
The list of the most commonly encountered drugs that are controlled in the UK can be found here :
I should add to my previous post that I expect our laws to become much more like those in other European countries once the current government starts making a bonfire of lots of our laws and rewriting them to make life worse for everyone once Brexit takes full effect.
People in the UK obtain legit prescription medications from abroad for all sorts of things, for all sorts of reasons. It's not just a meager handful of thyroid patients doing this. There would be a humongous outcry if this privilege was withdrawn!
I hope you are too! Polaris posted recently about a conversation she had with a doctor when she was receiving inpatient treatment. The doctor concerned referred to efforts being made to close the 'loophole' (not really a loophole; it's a regulation that explicitly allows) whereby individuals can import medicines for themselves and family members. Clearly, medics are aware of this, and they want total control of everyone's healthcare
If there are ways in which patients can bypass the medics then it means that potential profits aren't coming to the UK private health services or companies.
I am, of course, referring to the demolition of the NHS which is ongoing as we speak with more and more private companies getting involved.
On the other hand, people in the UK are denied many life saving or quality of life enhancing medications through the NHS due to cost, (which of course is set by the pharma companies). Actually taking away the right to buy their own from abroad would be inhumane. If the law that allowed this had never existed, that would be one thing. But to actively revoke such a law is quite another.
Yes, I am shocked on an almost daily basis by how sadistic medical treatment is these days. I've always known this was the case, but it does seem to be spreading to more and more doctors and specialities.
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