About Moving to Spain – Spanish Dentists and Farmacias

Dentists in Spain

When moving to Spain you will find that Spanish Dental Practitioners are usually excellent. There are many working in towns, cities and many health centres in villages throughout Spain. You can find a long list of dentists (dentistas) by looking in the Spanish Yellow Pages (Paginas Amarillas) or simply by asking your neighbours or looking along your local town street. In fact, you will often find a dentist in the large Spanish supermarkets.

You will often find much better dental care in Spain than with NHS dentists in the UK. However, Dentists in Spain are not part of the Spanish National Health Service with regards payment. They often work within the Spanish health system, but when it comes to paying them, they are paid as private practitioners. Nevertheless, the cost of private dental treatment in Spain is considerably lower than in the UK and compares well to NHS charges.

You can get emergency dental treatment in Spain at your local hospital, but expats have had mixed reactions to the practitioners who work in the Spanish dental emergency profession, but this, I suggest, is not different from reactions to emergency dental treatment in the UK.

If you prefer, you can go to a private Spanish dentist for your treatment. You can find many private practitioners in most Spanish Cities and large towns. It will cost you a little more than at your local health clinic, but prices are still lower than in the UK.

Spanish Farmacias (Chemists)

When moving to Spain, one of the first things you will notice is the abundance of Farmacias. You will notice them by the large green crosses displayed outside (many with additions of time and local temperature). You can find farmacias on most major streets in large Spanish cities and at least one in almost every town and large village in Spain. Even if you live in a remote Spanish village, you should be able to get to a farmacia without too much difficulty. In many ways they are the backbone of the Spanish health service.

The law in Spain states that farmacias must operate on a rota system so that there is always one open. Your local Spanish press will carry details of the duty farmacia. Details are also posted on the door of the farmacias and often outside your local town hall.

Spanish farmacias will give you basic medical advice and prescribe some forms of medication as they are trained to do so.

When you move to Spain, what you will also notice about Spanish farmacias is that they dispense many medicines without prescription which are not available under the same terms in the UK. For instance, if you arrive in Spain and have forgotten to reapply for a prescription for an inhaler or for birth control pills, if you take the item along to your local farmacia, they can often either find the medication for you, or find a medication very similar. Antibiotics are also usually dispensed by the Spanish farmacia without prescription as are some forms of pain killers which are not available without prescription in the UK.

If you suffer from any health problems, it is most advisable to consult your doctor before you move to Spain. He or she can give you a prescription to cover you for your first month in Spain at least, and can also write down the generic name of the medication you are taking, so that you can show this to the Spanish farmacia and local doctor and the Spanish equivalent can be found quickly. It is also advisable to take old copies of your prescriptions with you when you move to Spain, so that these can also be referred to by the farmacia if necessary.

The cost of medication in Spain is usually lower than in the UK when sold privately by the farmacia, and if you are registered under the Spanish Social Security system, you can take along your prescription and get a substantial discount on the cost (or pay nothing if you are a pensioner).

Alternative Health Care in Spain

There are also alternative chemists such as Chinese clinics and herbal clinics. They are rapidly growing in popularity and most of them speak English. If you look along the streets of most Spanish cities and some major towns, you should find a range of alternative health practitioners.

Overall, when moving to Spain you will find that the healthcare here is excellent and offers you a variety of choices. So, as long as you make sure you are prepared with paperwork or private insurance, you should find no problems here. And so you can get on with all the good things about moving to Spain, without worrying about how you will deal with your health.