Mailing medication from US to Europe while traveling

Maybe you have already inquired about this but I had to contact my insurance company and they were able to provide the pharmacy with a vacation over ride.

Yes, I’m looking into this but believe it’s not an option for this particular drug. They may allow a 2 month supply but not 6. Thanks

Check the European prices -- they may be unworkable but my husband has an eye medication that is $400 for a tiny bottle in the US and about 15 Euro in France. We found a pharmacy that would accept a US prescription. With a chemo drug this may not be feasible, but I would at least find out.

Thanks. It’s a very expensive drug in Europe.

It is illegal. You face the risk of not only havng it confiscated but criminal prosecution as well.

My suggestion is contacting the closest French consulate to see if they know of any way to do this. There may be some special customs rules we are not aware of.

But if the drug is available in France, then I would think they would just say buy it there.

But it doesn't hurt to ask. The consulate would know more than we would.

My recommendation would be to look at Costco or Mark Cuban's company as alternative providers. Costco sells me my cancer drug at a price that Medicare plans can't match, and Cuban's price is nearly as low. Costco sells me as much as my prescription allows, since they don't seek reimbursement. I brought 9 months' supply with me.

Medicare price over $1,000/mo copay; Costco less than $150/mo. Says something about the US medical system and its out-of-whack incentives and procedures. BTW, I can't get it this cheaply in France, which I also find interesting.

Have you asked your oncologist for a longer prescription? Not exactly the same situation, but my Partner's consultant can be quite flexible on dates etc.

The consulate would know more than we would.

Frank II nailed it

On a side note, how are you dealing with the 90 day Schengen rule?

Answering Fredonia, it’s not necessarily illegal. ChatGPT has found an EU document saying you can import for personal use. I will verify with the French government. Still, I need to verify and someplace to mail too.
Answering SoCsl, and LinC, this drug is only prescribed in 1 month allotments for a reason. They like to see a blood test each month before the next allotment.
Regarding Schengen - we will apply for a VLS-T which is a long stay visa which is for 6 months.
Also, there is the bilateral agreement which allows a 90 day stay that doesn’t count against your Schengen allowance.

You will need a prescription for the monthly blood test from a French-practicing MD. The out-of-pocket cost is about 20€. Finding a generalist taking new patients can be difficult, but for your needs an online physician may be able to write the prescription. I’ve used Docariv.fr for an online appt when my generalist is on vacation. Your local pharmacy or a large one could have a contract with a virtual service and have a space in the pharmacy for the virtual visit.

I know nothing about the legality, but I wouldn’t rely on the post office for an important pharmaceutical. Instead send it by UPS or FedEx. We send nothing back and forth between France and the US by mail. Once when we were visiting for 6 months, a colleague brought a package of medicine for us at the 4- month mark. Maybe you’ll have family visiting.

It will be very risky to depend upon mailing medication from the US to France. The French have curtailed mailing a number of items from the US to France and the reliability of packages arriving from the US has been uneven. Even if it is legal to do, and I am not convinced that it is, you should sign up for a free Doctolib.fr account, find an oncologist in France, and have them prescribe an appropriate medication. A visit to a specialist will likely cost your no more than 90€. You will want to take all of your pertinent heath records with you.

On the whole, medical costs in France are a fraction of what they are in the US.

Assuming you have a US passport, you may stay in the Schengen zone for 90 days in any 180 day period. If you want to stay longer than that in France, you will need to start the process for a TLS well before you depart the US. If you have a TLS from France, you are still limited to 90 days in any 180 day period when traveling to other Schengen countries. The period of time you spend in France will not count against the 90 day limit for staying elsewhere in the Schengen zone.

Regarding Tocard’s response. I wish you had some personal experience on this as I believe you are incorrect. UPS to France appears to be very reliable. It does appear to be legal according to posted documents.
I still have the problem of where do I ship it. I suppose a hotel might hold it for me if I have a reservation.

Tocard didn't mention anything about UPS to France as far as I can see.

And his information is absolutely reliable, I would trust anything he said about France.

. But France (and other countries) allows carrying medication in but not mailing it in.
( from original post)

and this

ChatGPT has found an EU document saying you can import for personal use. I will verify with the French government.

Let us know how it works out. Hope you are able to find a solution.

Folks asking about taking meds to or obtaining them in Europe is a topic that recurs on this forum. Any info you can add to the 'library' could be a help to others.

Joe32f - I’ll summarize what I’ve found after speaking with French authorities. So far this seems pretty good. The documents are in French language so this is the AI summary:

The French Customs/ANSM guidance specifically addresses a private individual importing prescription medicine by postal or express shipment.

For a medicine coming from a country outside the EEA, such as the U.S., no prior ANSM import authorization is required if BOTH of these conditions are met:
1. The medicine is authorized in the country from which it is being shipped, and
2. The recipient can present a copy of a prescription from a physician established in that country.

That is stated in an ANSM practical guide on medicine imports.

Both those conditions apply in my case.

It’s probably accurate but my spouse and I have had some squirrely results with A.I.

Could you reverify with Google translate.
Or cut and paste the Fr documents and I’ll read them tomorrow.

I believe you are not allowed to mail in medication from home. We send students on a 12 month exchange to multiple countries including France, and our advice to them is to get a local doctor and get a prescription from them. Pharmacies in France are also not allowed to accept prescriptions from foreign countries. Let's say you rely on the fact that a given pharmacy might just accept a US prescription; what if you get there and no-one accepts your script? A scenario I would not like to face. The French consulate might have some advice for you about sourcing medical assistance.

I also hope you have sorted out your visas also. Travelling within Schengen for 6 months would not be possible without applying for a visa.

Lavandula