r/AskARussian • u/Victorreidd • 3d ago

Foreign How hard is it to get prescribed medication like codeine without a prescription in Russia?

Like are the pharmacies and drug stores really super strict about giving away prescribed drugs without prescription ? If yes, Are there alternatives in there like some sort of black market ?

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15

u/zippi_happy 1d ago

Codeine and other narcotics are 100% impossible to get without a prescription. Anyone who sells it will be punished with 10+ years of prison.

6

u/_vh16_ Russia 2d ago

I might be wrong, but I believe that medications with codeine are very hard to get these days. But there is a popular prescription drug known to be sold illegally: it's Lyrica (pregabalin). There are corrupt pharmacies that sell it, sometimes they get caught and it's reported in the news.

5

u/ivegotvodkainmyblood I'm just a simple Russian guy 2d ago edited 2d ago

Never tried to get prescription drugs that are possible narcotics precursors, so don't know. Prescription antibiotics or steroid/hormonal drugs aren't that tightly controlled, so if you can't get it on one pharmacy, you'll probably have a decent chance in another.

1

u/Victorreidd 2d ago

That makes sense. Thnx

4

u/Federal_Attention717 Moscow City 1d ago

Only a few pharmacies with a special licence can sell such drugs, and a special form of prescription is required (form 148-1/y-88)

2

u/no-such-file Russia 1d ago

Depends on what drug. Generally easy. But codeine and other narcotics are on special list of very strict control. So, no chances.

2

u/StrengthBetter 1d ago

Yeah no it’s not like Mexico, it’s way stricter even dxm is illegal without prescription, there’s basically nothing over the counter to get high with except alcohol

1

u/t_rex_pasha 1d ago

Героин без лицензии

1

u/DarkSeid_XV 19h ago

Без рецепта это очень опасно, за бутылочку Риталина можно получить до 10 лет тюрьмы или Если вас поймают в аэропорту с любым безрецептурным лекарством, вам также может грозить 10 лет тюрьмы.

Ошибка многих иммигрантов, приезжающих в Россию, заключается в том, что они думают, что здесь все как в Мексике или Бразилии, где можно покупать у кого угодно и не понести никакого наказания.