Hello,
I'm in Canada at the moment, but, live in Helsinki permanently. My trip here initially was to share time with my mother in Northern Ontario and then visit my sister and brother-in-law in Calgary. Before I left Helsinki on Dec. 15, 2013, my mother was transferred from a hospital to a nursing home. As a result, I have had to get rid of stuff, etc. in her house. Not easy and it takes time. I'm sure some of you out there can relate to this.
Fortunately, I took an extra amount of epilepsy medicine which will last until the beginning of April. I was supposed to return to Helsinki on Feb. 3, 2014. There is a good chance that I will have to be here in Canada for a longer period of time. As a result, my medications will not suffice.
Is there a way to have KELA send me a fax allowing me to get a prescription here? This sounds like a long shot but I don't feel like travelling to Finland to simply get some more medications and return here to finish business.
Also, I have dual citizenship: Finnish and Canadian. How long can I be out of the country of Finland?
Any information would be deeply appreciated.
Bluesky
Prescriptions
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Hämeen Hitain
- Posts: 128
- Joined: Fri Mar 19, 2010 9:18 am
Re: Prescriptions
Go to a Canadian doctor and get a Canadian prescription.
Re: Prescriptions
Thanks for your reply. I don't think that plan is possible. Here's a story:
I moved back to Canada for 4 years in 2007 after living in Finland for 10 years. It took 3 months until I could be under the OHIP (Ontario Health Insurance Plan) plan again and receive coverage for medications. I made sure that I had enough medications before I left Finland in 2007. BTW, I returned to Finland in 2011.
Bluesky
I moved back to Canada for 4 years in 2007 after living in Finland for 10 years. It took 3 months until I could be under the OHIP (Ontario Health Insurance Plan) plan again and receive coverage for medications. I made sure that I had enough medications before I left Finland in 2007. BTW, I returned to Finland in 2011.
Bluesky
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Flossy1978
- Posts: 1395
- Joined: Tue Oct 09, 2007 3:38 pm
Re: Prescriptions
If you have dual citizenship between the two countries, you have to be out of the country for quite a while before you need to start over again in Finland. You aren't going to be gone long enough. My feeling is it's years you have to be gone for you to have to start over again here, credit wise etc.
It's possible you could call your doctor if it's the same one you've been getting your medicine all this time. But I don't think Canada is going to accept a prescription from Finland.
Just pay a private doctor to get the prescription. Don't you have travel insurance? Maybe that would help cover some of the cost? I know my union will cover any travelling costs like needing to see a doctor if it's needed. Granted yours is an ongoing condition. Different thing maybe.
And KELA works in some countries. You need to contact KELA and ask if this would fall under an "emergency". Then you might get KELA to cover some of your payment. Once you are gone from Finland for over three months any benefits you were receiving from Finland will cease, which will mean KELA help will too I assume.
KELA works in Australia. I was there with my son when he was a baby and he picked up Rota Virus. It was very hot and a bad case of it, so he had to be admitted to emergency at a hospital. They saw my son was Finnish and said "nevermind, this is taken care of by KELA". We never saw a bill, or any paperwork about it. But again, it was an emergency and we were in Australia for a month.
It's possible you could call your doctor if it's the same one you've been getting your medicine all this time. But I don't think Canada is going to accept a prescription from Finland.
Just pay a private doctor to get the prescription. Don't you have travel insurance? Maybe that would help cover some of the cost? I know my union will cover any travelling costs like needing to see a doctor if it's needed. Granted yours is an ongoing condition. Different thing maybe.
And KELA works in some countries. You need to contact KELA and ask if this would fall under an "emergency". Then you might get KELA to cover some of your payment. Once you are gone from Finland for over three months any benefits you were receiving from Finland will cease, which will mean KELA help will too I assume.
KELA works in Australia. I was there with my son when he was a baby and he picked up Rota Virus. It was very hot and a bad case of it, so he had to be admitted to emergency at a hospital. They saw my son was Finnish and said "nevermind, this is taken care of by KELA". We never saw a bill, or any paperwork about it. But again, it was an emergency and we were in Australia for a month.