Getting Your Prescription Medications in Mexico, Portugal, and Thailand

Your medications are available, often cheaper, and sometimes easier to get than in Canada. But each country has different rules.

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If you take daily medications — blood pressure pills, cholesterol medication, thyroid hormones, diabetes drugs — the question isn’t whether you can get them abroad. You can. In all three countries.

The real questions are: do you need a local prescription, how much will it cost, and what should you bring from Canada? The answers are different in each country, and some of them will surprise you.

Important: This guide covers medication availability, costs, and logistics — not medical advice. Always consult your doctor or pharmacist before making changes to how or where you obtain your medications. Medication names, formulations, and availability can differ between countries. Verify your specific medications with a local healthcare provider after you arrive.

What to Do Before You Leave Canada

Regardless of which country you’re headed to:

• Get a detailed letter from your doctor listing every medication you take — generic name, brand name, dosage, frequency, and the condition it treats. Have it translated into Spanish (Mexico) or keep it in English (Portugal and Thailand both accept English medical documents).
• Bring a supply with you. Pack medications in original pharmacy-labelled containers, in your carry-on luggage. Mexico and Portugal allow up to 90 days. Thailand allows only 30 days — plan accordingly.
• Don’t ship medications from Canada. Customs routinely seizes mailed prescriptions. Controlled substances cannot be mailed internationally. Bring what you need when you travel, and source the rest locally.
• For insulin or refrigerated medications: Carry in your carry-on with a cooling case. Opened insulin lasts 28-56 days at room temperature depending on the type. All three countries have insulin available locally at a fraction of Canadian prices.

Mexico: Easiest and Cheapest

Mexico is the most straightforward country for accessing medications. Most common prescriptions are available over the counter — no prescription needed. Prices are 50-90% lower than Canada.

Do You Need a Prescription?

For most daily medications: no. Blood pressure medications, cholesterol drugs, thyroid hormones, diabetes medications, proton pump inhibitors, and many antidepressants are all available over the counter at major pharmacy chains.

Prescription required for: Antibiotics (since 2010), controlled narcotics, and psychotropic medications. Pseudoephedrine and codeine are outright prohibited in Mexico.

If you do need a prescription: Walk-in doctors at Farmacia Similares charge about $3 USD for a consultation. Farmacia del Ahorro often provides free doctor consultations. You walk in, describe your condition and show your Canadian doctor’s letter, and walk out with a Mexican prescription. The whole thing takes 15-30 minutes.

What It Costs

Prices are approximate and vary by pharmacy, brand, and quantity. Farmacias Similares offers 25% off on Mondays.

Where to Buy

Stick to major pharmacy chains:

• Farmacia del Ahorro — 1,600+ locations, free doctor consultations at many locations
• Farmacias Similares — 9,600+ locations, $3 doctor visits, 25% discount Mondays
• Farmacias Guadalajara — 1,700+ locations
• Farmacias Benavides — 700+ locations
• Farmacia San Pablo

Safety warning: The U.S. Embassy has issued warnings about counterfeit medications — including pills laced with fentanyl — sold at non-chain pharmacies, particularly in border and tourist areas. Always use established chain pharmacies. If a price seems too good to be true at a small independent pharmacy, it may be a counterfeit product.

Portugal: You Need a Local Prescription

Portugal is the most process-oriented of the three countries for medications. Your Canadian prescription will not be accepted — you need a Portuguese doctor to write you a new one. But once you have it, medications are affordable and government-subsidized.

Do You Need a Prescription?

Yes — strictly enforced. Portugal follows EU pharmaceutical regulations. Common daily medications require a valid prescription from a Portuguese-licensed doctor. Canadian prescriptions are not accepted (EU cross-border rules cover EU/EEA countries only).

Plan for this before your Canadian supply runs out. See a doctor within your first few weeks in Portugal.

Getting a Local Prescription

Public system (SNS): A GP visit costs about EUR 5 if you’re registered in the public system (requires a NIF and residency registration). Wait times can be several weeks for a first appointment. Good for ongoing care, not for urgent prescription renewal.

Private clinics: EUR 40-100 at CUF, Hospital da Luz, or Lusíadas. English-speaking doctors available. Much shorter wait times — often same-week appointments. This is the practical option for your first prescription in Portugal.

Bring your Canadian doctor’s letter. The Portuguese doctor will review your history and write local prescriptions covering 3-6 months of refills for chronic medications.

What It Costs

The Portuguese government has frozen prices on essential medications (under EUR 30/pack) through 2026. SNS subsidies apply to registered residents — D7 visa holders are eligible.

Where to Buy

Look for the green cross — it marks licensed community pharmacies. Portugal has over 2,800 pharmacies, and they’re well-regulated. Farmácias Portuguesas is the largest network. Wells stores sell OTC products only (no prescriptions).

Thailand: Nearly as Easy as Mexico

Thailand’s pharmacy culture is similar to Mexico — many common medications are available over the counter at low prices. The biggest difference: Thailand has a strict 30-day import limit that catches many retirees off guard.

Do You Need a Prescription?

For most common daily medications: no. Blood pressure drugs, thyroid medications, antidepressants, diabetes medications, antibiotics, and allergy medications are all commonly sold over the counter at pharmacies.

Walk into a Boots or Watsons, tell the pharmacist what you need (bring your Canadian doctor’s letter), and they’ll sell it to you directly.

If you need a formal prescription: An independent clinic visit costs 250-500 THB ($10-20 CAD). Private hospitals charge 800-1,500 THB ($30-60 CAD). International hospitals are more expensive — 1,500-5,000 THB ($55-185 CAD).

The 30-Day Import Limit

This is the rule most people don’t know about. When entering Thailand, you can bring a maximum 30-day supply of medications. This is stricter than Mexico or Portugal (both 90 days).

What this means practically: if you’re arriving for a 3-month stay, you can’t bring 3 months of medication. Bring your 30-day supply and plan to source locally for the remainder.

Keep medications in original containers with pharmacy labels, carry your doctor’s letter, and pack everything in your carry-on luggage.

Controlled Substances — Take This Seriously

Thailand has very strict rules about certain medications that are common in Canada:

• Amphetamines (including Adderall): Category 2 narcotic in Thailand. Requires a Thai FDA permit before entering the country.
• Benzodiazepines: Require a Thai FDA permit.
• Codeine: Requires a permit (Form IC-2).

Apply for permits at least 2 weeks before travel through the Thai FDA permit portal. Arriving in Thailand with these medications without a permit can result in serious legal consequences. This is not a rule you can ignore.

What It Costs

Hospital pharmacies charge significantly more than retail pharmacies. Buy at Boots, Watsons, or Fascino stores for the best prices.

Where to Buy

• Boots — international chain, reliable, widely available
• Watsons — widely available in malls and shopping areas
• Fascino — another reliable chain
• Hospital pharmacies — most reliable but most expensive option. Use for specialized or hard-to-find medications.

Insurance and Prescriptions Abroad

Most travel insurance (including SafetyWing Nomad Insurance) covers only emergency prescriptions — not your ongoing daily medications.

Comprehensive expat insurance plans like Cigna Global can include outpatient prescription coverage as an add-on. SafetyWing’s Remote Health plan offers prescription coverage up to $5,000 as part of its outpatient add-on ($150-300/month extra).

Here’s the practical reality: with medications costing 50-90% less abroad, many Canadian retirees find it cheaper to pay out of pocket than to add prescription coverage to their insurance plan. A blood pressure medication that costs $40/month in Canada might cost $5/month in Thailand. Paying $150-300/month for insurance that covers $5 prescriptions doesn’t make financial sense.

The exception: If you take expensive specialty medications, prescription coverage may still be worth it. Calculate your expected monthly medication costs abroad before deciding.

For more on choosing health insurance abroad, see our health insurance guide for Canadian expats.

The Bottom Line

Your medications are available in all three countries — and almost certainly cheaper than what you’re paying in Canada. The biggest variable is process:

• Mexico: Walk into a pharmacy chain, buy what you need. Most meds are over the counter. If you need a prescription, a $3 doctor visit gets you one.
• Portugal: See a local doctor first (your Canadian prescription won’t work). Once you have a local prescription, medications are subsidized and affordable.
• Thailand: Similar to Mexico — most meds over the counter at pharmacies. But only bring 30 days of supply when entering the country, and get Thai FDA permits for any controlled substances.

The Canadian retiree spending $200-400/month on medications at home may spend $20-80/month abroad for the same drugs. That’s $1,500-3,800/year back in your pocket — real money that offsets other costs of living abroad.

Just bring your doctor’s letter, pack your first supply in carry-on, and visit a local pharmacy within your first week. You’ll be surprised how straightforward it is.

For healthcare beyond medications, see our health insurance guide or our provincial health coverage guide.

This guide covers medication availability, costs, and logistics — not medical advice. Medication formulations, names, availability, and legality differ between countries and change over time. Always consult your doctor or pharmacist before obtaining medications in a new country. Verify that any medication you purchase abroad is the correct formulation and dosage for your needs. This guide reflects publicly available information as of early 2026.