IS buying over the counter in Greece still possible?

[Whereislola21]

I’ve just had my brother in law go to a pharmacy for me in mainland Greece and he’s been refused - they said you can no longer buy t3 over the counter in Greece without a prescription? Does anyone else have experience of this? Very sad about this

[SeasideSusie Remembering]

Whereislola21

This was reported a few years ago and even residents had to show their prescription. However, some members have reported that it is possible but depends on the pharmacy, some will oblige, some wont, and often it can result in a lengthy trudge around many different pharmacies to find one who will sell you some. Even then they may be willing to only sell one or two boxes.

My daughter went to one of the Greek islands last year - Zante - and there was one pharmacy in the area where she stayed. She went in, showed a box of Unipharma T3 and asked if they had any. They produced one box. She asked if she could have more and came away with 6 boxes for me. Pure luck and much to my surprise.

So if your brother in law tries other pharmacies he may be able to obtain some, but he could be spending a lot of his time away looking for pharmacies.

[Whereislola21 in reply to SeasideSusie]

thank you so much for the info, that’s so helpful. I’m going to ring around some pharmacies in his area and see if we get different responses 🤞🏼It’s interesting - I bought some last year from a pharmacy on mainland Greece and they said to me I could have as many as I wanted. I assumed at the time this would be the case all over Greece, but I obviously just got lucky without realising it!

[RedApple Administrator]

Whereislola21, I know you're specifically asking about buying in pharmacies in Greece itself, but this will not stop unscrupulous fake forum members from sending you messages about how you can buy from them instead. Please be wary. More info in this post healthunlocked.com/thyroidu...

[Whereislola21 in reply to RedApple]

Thank you, I will be wary. X

[helvella Administrator]

I've replied to similar questions before - the official documentation for levothyroxine and liothyronine, in Greece, so far as I have been able to read it, says they are prescription-only.

I don't know why so many have previously been able to buy without a prescription. Maybe there is some discretion for pharmacists. (We do have a few in the UK which rely on that. Even emergency dispensing of a few levothyroxine tablets, for one example.) Maybe the enforcement simply doesn't happen. I don't know.

Nonetheless, worth trying elsewhere.

[SarahJane1471]

My friend walks into pharmacies in Athens and buys it with no questions asked 🤷‍♀️

[Blissful]

Both T4 and T3 are prescription only. Currently the (on-going shortage) of many drugs here means Greek residents are finding it difficult to get prescribed medications.

The recently re-installed PM, Kyriakos Myxomatosis, is addressing this issue:

"Ban on exports is a measure that is applied temporarily and selectively with the aim of securing the needs of patients.

Pharmaceutical companies will significantly increase the quantities of drugs circulating in the Greek market in the next period of time, which is also their obligation.”

Pharmacies are obliged to declare their sales and stocks. For this reason, a special platform will be put into operation within the week.

Administration of medicines that are in short supply or limited availability will be made by pharmacies to patients only if they have been prescribed electronically."