3 replies to this topic

[lourdaud]

I hope I'm not braking any rule by posting here, I just I couldn't think of any better place to ask.

Here's the deal: I'm planning on taking a trip to St Petersburg sometime this autumn. Russia has always fascinated me, especially St Petersburg with all its history.

While I'm there, I want to profit from all the low prices on otherwise rare and expensive nootropics.
The problem is that these drugs (Cerebrolysin, Selank, Semax, Phenylpiracetam, Adaptol etc) are prescription-only. But, from what I've gathered, you can still get hold of them fairly easy.

So, my question to you is simply: How should a non-Russian-speaking tourist do to buy (quite a lot of) prescription drugs?

Thanks!

[Highlander]

Let me know if you need any help... (I am in Moscow though)

[Logic]

Hmmm....

Id be most interested in the history of this place:
http://eng.gerontology.ru/

[Olga Lynx]

1. You write the names of all these drugs on the paper with Latin letters (do not torture yourself with the cirilic alphabet), go into closest  Pharmacy. The most of things, which even claimed as Rx you can buy (most antibiotics for example). Try to find out the difference between "we do not have it" and "we are not permitted to sell you" (take a local friend for example). I am sure, you can buy the most of your list. For example Piracetam you can buy without a prescription, it is almost "vitamin lollypop" there.

 

2. If something is really Rx (not only named like this, do not surprise this that, it is a lot of things like this. There is a difference between "really-really prohibited" and "actually prohibited, but is OK if we not follow". It is something like "parking here is prohibited, penalty 5$/day    ). As you are not a citizen there, you need to go to the doctor for $$$ (private practice, not government clinic) and ask to write a prescription for you. Now you have a task to find a doctor who speaks English enough to understand you or a friend there who can bring you to the doctor and explain what you want.

Just in case, most of the people in Russia read English much better than listen, so write if people do not understand you.

Edited by Olga Kondrashina, 26 January 2018 - 08:55 PM.