So just a little bit of background, I have anxiety and try to use my Alprazolam responsibly. However in the country I live in, I get 15/year and I've tried to get more a few times and it's a hard no. They make me feel like an addict every time I go in and try to get more. In my home country, my childhood physician gives me 60/year. She trusts I use my medication responsibly, but she's also made it clear she won't give me more than that. And the way she talked to me last time about long term side effects of benzos, I'm worried she's going to cut me off one day.

I heard it was pretty easy to get in Portugal. I went to 5 pharmacies and asked if they would accept my home script given that it was from another EU country. 4 asked me what medication it was for and as soon as they heard Alprazolam they said no we need a portuguese script for that. One other said she would accept my home script, but it expired, and my home GP would have to write me a new one. So I thought maybe it won't be that easy after all.

Then I went to a walk in international clinic. Got seen within 20 minutes. She was an old lady. She didn't even ask to see my script. She asked how much I got. I told her a box of 60 of 1mg, which isn't even true. I get 0.5mg but I thought if I take 1mg, it'll last me twice as long. Then she asked 1 or 2 boxes. I was so stunned by this question that I went silent for 10 seconds, I thought but I just told her I get 1 box of 60 a year so why would she ask if I wanted to 2 boxes, but then I snapped out of it and went: oh yeah, 2 should be enough thanks. I was in there for 2 minutes, walked out with a script for 120 Alprazolam at double my dose. That should at least last me for a while, in case my GP decides to stop prescribing them. I honestly don't think she cared whether I was an addict or not. She must have thought she paid for it, I'll give her the script.

No idea why it's so easy in Portugal. But I had heard from a lot of people that you can get a scrip for it here no problem. Guess that was true!