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Diabetes and living abroad

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Paiz14

Newbie
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Hi, I'm 18 years old and type 1 diabetic. I am moving to greece in 2 weeks for 5 months to work out there. I'm really worried about controlling my diabetes on my own without support of family and controlling it in a foreign country, but mainly having enough medication to last me. So I went to see my GP today to talk about getting a bulk perscription for the 5 months and she replied with a blatent "No, youl have to get it over there but i don't know, youl have to do some research" this has really upset me and totally knocked my confidence to even go at all now. Can anyone please help or shed some light on how to get insulin/perscriptions in another country? Do you have to pay for it? Or should I just keep handing in repeat perscriptions between now and when I fly and just take what I can get from that?

Any help would be appreciated, thank you
 
She is right you have to do your research. It isn't just a case of prescriptions you need do know what you are covered for ...and that you are covered for any eventuality from DKA to a road accident.
Initially you should be able to use a EHIC for these but this is actually intended for visitors rather than workers.

As Greece is in the EU if you are working then you will have the same rights to healthcare . I note reading the links below that you have to make sure that your employer is indeed paying contributions and that you have to have worked for a period before you are entitled to benefits (EHIC may work here) As in many other EU countries you may also have to pay part of the cost of prescriptions/treatment.
Pragmatically the health care provided may be affected by Greece's precarious economic position.
Here are a few starting sites, no guarantee of the accuracy of the information . You need to do lots of checking and double checking.
http://www.in2greece.com/english/factst ... orking.htm http://athens.angloinfo.com/countries/g ... curity.asp
http://www.allianzworldwidecare.com/hea ... -in-greece
also:
http://www.nhs.uk/NHSEngland/Healthcare ... broad.aspx
 
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