I had brought medication prescribed in Japan, but the prescription had expired.
A valid prescription was also required when transiting through Dubai.
Going to hospital in Portugal is a bit of a hassle. But since it’s necessary, I looked into whether there might be a better way.
I tried searching on ChatGPT, but first off, I wondered whether they even speak English… I don’t know the specialist terms either… Is booking by email alright?… What should I do?… I was feeling rather stuck. Actually, I’d already been to hospital once and felt the difficulty of communication.
That’s when I found online consultations, so I thought I’d share.
I managed to renew it via online consultation!
Actually, telemedicine is quite widespread in Portugal.
Among these options, I decided to try viscura, which utilises English and offers a broad range of medical services.
Viscura provides comprehensive support for accidents during travel.
In my case, I first contacted them via WhatsApp.
What they informed me was that prescription renewals might be possible!
My exchange is below. Initially, I hadn’t thought prescriptions could be renewed via online consultation.
・Can I get a prescription during the initial consultation?
・Can the pharmacy dispense the medication?
・Is it acceptable for residents or travellers?
The conclusion was that all were acceptable. Truly a lifesaver.
At this point, I was asked:
・Whether I was in Portugal or Spain?
・The name of the condition being treated with the relevant medication?
・To send my previous prescription
・The patient’s ID (in this case, passport)
Providing this information allowed them to determine whether a remote consultation with a GP or specialist was necessary.
The result was that renewing the prescription was possible without a remote consultation.
I paid €17.50, and they emailed me the updated prescription as a PDF.
I’m grateful they handled everything via text messages alone within two hours. If such services spread globally, it would undoubtedly help many more people.
Summary
When I first arrived, I didn’t understand Portuguese and my English was rather poor. At that time, this service was a great comfort.
If you only need to renew a prescription, do try viscura.
