My husband needs to see a doctor in Verona. Although his asthma has been in remission for years, it has been acting up here, and the albuterol inhaler he brought does not seem to be enough. We need to get a prescription for a steroid.
Does anyone know what we do in this case? Thank you.
I would first go to the nearest Farmacia, and ask them to recommend a doctor. Or, they may be able to give him something without a prescription.
Or ask at the hotel reception if they can recommend an English speaking doctor.
Actually, we are being hosted by a house exchange partner In Montericco, 20 minutes outside of Verona. This morning we went to the local farmacia and they did not have anything without a prescription. They sent us to the local hospital where there seemed to be a long wait and we weren’t sure if they would be able to help us in the end, The house exchange partner sent us the name of a clinic in Verona. I tried calling, but don’t speak Italian. Trying to decide if we should just drive in there to see if they will see us without an appointment.
There is a list of English speaking doctors on the website for the US Embassy in Italy.
Check your inhaler and make sure it is not out of date (should have date on label), if it is then the local pharmacy would probably sell you a new Albuterol inhaler. If not out of date then your correct, a steroid would be best.
Try another farmacia. I once needed a Ventolin inhaler while staying in Pienza. The elderly pharmacist spoke no English, and I didn't have enough Italian, but using sign language I got across the word "inhaler," and since you could hear me wheeze from across the room, she went straight to the drug cabinet and produced a Ventolin inhaler for less than 5 euro!
If you’ve not found a doctor yet, take him to the nearest Emergency room.
Your host should be able to give you a referral.
Here’s a google search: Verona Hospitals
Take his Albuterol with you and they should be able to help him quickly.
If he’s having trouble breathing, call 112 ( equivalent of 911)
Two cents from an Italian: first, do not stop at the first pharmacy. While pharmacists may be wary of selling too powerful drugs to unknown people, they may exercise some discretion; if the first pharmacist does not give you what you need, a second one may. Bring the drug you are taking with you and they may find an equivalent.
Second, if your search for a doctor fails, try an hospital emergency room. If your ailment is not life threatening, be ready to get assigned a low precedence code (for a exemple, a green or white code), wait several hours (five hours is quite standard, they will treat serious cases first), and be ready for a small payment.
Bugsy,
I hope your husband received the medical care that he needed.
Did you find a doctor, or did you end up taking him to the ER?
Wishing him a quick recovery.
bugsy,
As others have suggested, your hosts may know of an English speaking Doctor in Verona, so try that first. Trying another Farmacia may also work?
If your husband's condition worsens, you may have to go to an emergency room (Pronto Soccorso). If his condition becomes acute, you may have to call an ambulance (dial 112). Verona appears to have a number of different ambulance services, including Croce Verde and Croce Rossa. I'm not sure which one to suggest? The ambulance dispatchers may or may not speak English. In my experience, that's also true of the ER physicians.
I assume you have travel medical insurance?
Good luck!
Thank you to everyone for your help. In the end we put a band aid on the problem. Called the fabulous Blue Cross Blue nurse’s hotline back in the states, and were coached on how to make the albuterol inhaler work for the three remaining days here. The nurse did not feel my husband was at the emergency point, but we are grateful for all your information in the event it becomes more serious.
Bugsy,
Thanks for the update!
It’s good to hear that his symptoms didn’t warrant emergency care.
Make sure his doctor prescribes a course of steroids, with instructions, to take along on future trips. 😉
Enjoy the rest of your trip!
