Ran Out of Medication in France? Here Is What You Can Do
Running out of prescription medication while travelling in France is a common problem, and in most cases it can be resolved the same day. I am Dr Simon Gordon, a British GP (MB ChB) trained at the University of Glasgow, registered with both the GMC and the Ordre des Médecins, and based in Valbonne on the Côte d’Azur. I have over 20 years of experience in general practice across the UK, Israel, and France, including time at the London Clinic on Harley Street. The office I work in has been providing English-speaking medical services in the South of France for over 30 years.
After a video consultation, I can email you a French prescription (ordonnance). You can then take that prescription — shown on your phone or printed out — to any French pharmacy and collect your medication immediately. French pharmacies dispense directly from an emailed prescription. There is no need to call ahead.
Unlike anonymous telemedicine platforms, you know exactly who you are speaking to: a named, locally-based GP with a verifiable background and a longstanding practice in this region.
How it Works
You book a video consultation using the link below. During the consultation I will take a medical history, confirm your medication and dosage, and where appropriate issue a French prescription by email. You then go to any pharmacy — in Cannes, Nice, Antibes, Juan-les-Pins, Grasse, or anywhere else in France — show the prescription, and your medication is dispensed on the spot. The whole process typically takes less than an hour from booking to prescription in hand.
What I can prescribe
I can assess and prescribe a wide range of commonly used medications including those for blood pressure, cholesterol, thyroid conditions, asthma, diabetes, anxiety, depression, and many other ongoing conditions. Each case is assessed individually. Prescriptions are issued in accordance with French medical regulations and the deontological rules of the Ordre des Médecins.
If your medication is known by a different brand name in France, I will advise you — the active ingredient will be the same and the pharmacist will dispense the French equivalent without any difficulty.
About the Author
This page was written by Dr Simon Gordon MB ChB, a British-trained GP registered with the General Medical Council (UK) and the Ordre des Médecins (France). Dr Gordon trained at the University of Glasgow and has over 20 years of experience in general practice across the UK, Israel, and the French Riviera, including time at the London Clinic on Harley Street. He is based in Valbonne on the Côte d’Azur, in a practice which has been providing English-speaking medical services for over 30 years.
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