Before you go further, retrace your steps. Lost medication often turns up in the hotel safe, the airline lost-and-found, or the rental car. A phone call to the hotel front desk, the airline luggage line, or the car rental office is worth ten minutes before you spend EUR 50 on a doctor.
If retrieval is not possible:
- Open your US pharmacy app on your phone. CVS, Walgreens, Kroger, or whoever you use - the app usually has a complete prescription history including drug name, dose, frequency, and prescriber. This is the single most useful piece of evidence you can produce.
- Take a screenshot of each relevant prescription in your app. If your phone is lost too, log into your US pharmacy account on a borrowed device or the hotel computer.
- Call your US doctor's office. They can email you a letter confirming what you take, often within an hour during US business hours. Time zones may mean waiting overnight.
- Photograph any boxes or bottles you still have. Even one bottle confirms a regimen.
Once you have evidence of what you take, the rest of the path is clearer.
If you have lost any of the following medications and have less than 24 to 48 hours' supply, this is not a wait-it-out situation.
- Insulin or other diabetes injectables
- Anti-rejection medication after an organ transplant
- Seizure medication, particularly with a history of recent seizures
- Heart-failure or angina medications
- Severe psychiatric medication where abrupt stopping is dangerous
- Long-term opioid pain medication - withdrawal develops rapidly
- Oral steroids taken for more than three weeks
For any of these, the right next step is Urgencias (the ER) or a private clinic the same day. For insulin, ADHD medication, and other controlled substances, our online service cannot help - you need in-person care.
Any Spanish doctor writing you a prescription will need evidence of what you take. The more evidence you have, the smoother and faster the consultation.
- Screenshots from your US pharmacy app showing the prescription, dose, frequency, and prescribing doctor
- A photograph of the medication bottle if you still have one
- A letter or email from your US doctor confirming the regimen (most US offices will email this within hours)
- Your insurance card if your travel insurance might reimburse
- Photo ID (your passport)
If you have none of the above and cannot contact your US doctor or pharmacy, an in-person Spanish doctor's appointment is the most realistic route. They can make a clinical assessment without paperwork in a way that an online consultation cannot.
Public emergency room (Urgencias)
For genuinely urgent situations, Urgencias will see you regardless of insurance status and can write you a Spanish prescription on the spot. English availability varies - large city hospitals usually have at least one English-speaking clinician on shift.
Private in-person doctor
A private doctor's appointment costs EUR 50 to EUR 150, usually same-day in major cities. Best when you have multiple medications, need an examination, or your situation is borderline urgent.
Online private consultation
For routine refills of established medication where you have US prescription evidence, an online consultation is the fastest route. The Holiday Doctor reviews your request the same day; if appropriate, you receive an electronic Spanish prescription via REMPe valid at any Spanish pharmacy.
- Thyroid medication, common antihypertensives, statins, common antidepressants (SSRIs), asthma inhalers, birth control continuation, insulin continuation for adults already established on the same regimen
- Controlled substances - ADHD stimulants, opioid pain medications, benzodiazepines, prescription sleep medications
- Insulin starts and complex diabetes regimen changes
- Anti-rejection medication
- Anti-coagulants and other medications requiring regular blood monitoring
- Anything new (no new starts)
- Anything requiring physical examination to assess safely
For situations outside our scope, an in-person clinic or Urgencias is the right route. The consultation form tells you at no charge if your situation does not fit.
Most US travel insurance policies cover prescription replacement when the loss was unforeseen. The reimbursement is usually after-the-fact, so keep every receipt and document the loss.
What to document
- The loss itself. A police report (denuncia) at the nearest Policia Nacional or Guardia Civil station is the gold standard. Many insurers require it for theft; some require it for any loss.
- The consultation receipt from any Spanish doctor
- The pharmacy receipt for any medication purchased
- The Spanish prescription document itself (you can print this from REMPe)
- Photos of medication packaging as proof of what you bought
What is typically covered
- Emergency medication replacement when the need was unforeseen
- The doctor's consultation fee for an emergency or urgent appointment
- Translation costs if required
What is typically not covered
- Routine refills if you simply did not bring enough
- Pre-existing condition medication if not disclosed when buying the policy
- Elective wellness consultations
File your claim within the time window your policy requires (usually 30 to 60 days). Keep digital copies of all receipts and documents - paper receipts in Spain can fade.
Important. If a medication you take is time-critical and you have lost it, do not rely on online consultations or insurance procedures. Go to Urgencias or call 112 immediately.