Out of pocket drug prices in Portugal & Doctor visit prices

A private medical consultation costs between 90 and 150 euros.

You can look for the price of medicines in this excel, search by active substance (substância ativa):

https://www.infarmed.pt/web/infarmed/se … edicamento

(Download the excel by clicking on the icon in the bottom right corner, then search it in the 2nd column)

As soon as you arrive here get a local phone number, download the Continente app on your phone and enrol.

Having the Continente card you are automatically enrolled in the KeepWeells Zero health plan.

You will be able to see a Cardiologist, for example, for anywhere from 35 to 57 euros, plus you get 10% discount on the Continente card against your purchases in their stores.

Definitely not the 90-150 euros quoted above.

I have even seen a dermatologist not accepting the KeepWells plan and I only paid 66 euros.

As for medications, they are a lot cheaper than in the US or Canada, even with no insurance or prescription from a physician (I still remember how shocked I was when I first purchased my medication without a prescription and I saw how cheap it was compared to what I used to pay in Canada).

@ctomac I think over the counter medicines are very expensive compared with UK, though.

Example: A few months ago I visited a pharmacy as my partner had a lip sore.

Zovirax, an international brand was offered and paid for.  I recall the charge was €27 or so.

A quick check online to find price in UK, it ranged from £5-10, when even in store Boots Pharmacies charged £10 (around €12).

That wasn't an extreme example.

One of the medications that my husband is on is very expensive here €70 for one months supply he is on them forever that €70 is what we would have to pay if it was not for us being residents & having a utente number now the same medication cost €20 a month a big difference, also he is on 9 different meds so our medication bill each month would be well over a €100 by registering with the Portuguese national health & having a utente number you get a % off prescriptions.

some meds you have to have a prescription from a doctor & some meds you can get over the counter, we paid €40 to see a private doctor.

I hope you get sorted with your meds while you are over here good luck.

jean

@slugsurmamates I was not talking about OTC medicines, but prescription. The person who asked the question said that they're taking 4 medications, and I am pretty sure they are not OTC.

Yes, OTC medications may be, some of them, more expensive than in other parts.

But so far in my experience prescription meds are a lot cheaper in Portugal than in North America. I don't know anything about the UK prices and they are not really relevant to the question initially asked.

@ctomac Part of the question is whether drugs are expensive or not in Portugal. That's subjective and a personal assessment.

Yes, whether they are more expensive than in N America was the core issue, yet an appreciation of whether Portugal is more or less expensive is still relevant, IMHO.

The thread would have been of interest to others that aren't solely interested in N America.

Hi,

the point is if the author of the message is not registered as resident with a "utente" number and with a portuguese prescription he will have to

• visit a private doctor to get a prescription and pay him the full price (40 to 50€)
• pay the full price in pharmacy, the list given by JohnnyPT can be used as reference but the price to pay will be the column "Preço" and not "Preço utente"

@ctomac I think over the counter medicines are very expensive compared with UK, though.
Example: A few months ago I visited a pharmacy as my partner had a lip sore.
Zovirax, an international brand was offered and paid for. I recall the charge was €27 or so.
A quick check online to find price in UK, it ranged from £5-10, when even in store Boots Pharmacies charged £10 (around €12).
That wasn't an extreme example.
-@slugsurmamates

There are several Zovirax, some are non-prescription and others are reimbursed and paid by customer at the same price as the one you mentioned.

https://www.infarmed.pt/web/infarmed/se … edicamento
(Download the excel by clicking on the icon in the bottom right corner, then search it in the 2nd column)
-@JohnnyPT

Thanks for that. Very helpful (as usual )

@JohnnyPT That site doesn't seem legit. No offense. And its not in an language I know.

@JohnnyPT I am hoping that a doctor will just give me  a few months worth of my scrips so I don't have to continue going back to see doc and having to pay

@JohnnyPT That site doesn't seem legit. No offense. And its not in an language I know.
-@J N1

The mentionned site is the official one from the health care service of the Portuguese government, so, yes it is legit.

For the language, you can install a tool to translate to yours in your web browser.

But you also have to take into account that in Portugal they do speak Portuguese and not English, this is a fact you will have to deal with.

@JohnnyPT That site doesn't seem legit. No offense. And its not in an language I know.
-@J N1

Your reply speaks for itself.... 

Apart from not being able to thank you for the information, it seems to me that you are not prepared to be an expat. You should stay in the US...

I prefer not to add anything else so as not to make you feel offended. Have a nice day