Being sick while traveling or living abroad can be stressful. The information below is based on the real-world experience of healthcare professionals in Brazil, combined with daily feedback from visitors and expats who rely on medication access while away from home. This insider perspective helps clarify how pharmacy delivery in Brazil actually works for foreigners.

Pharmacy Delivery When You’re Sick Abroad: Convenience Matters

Getting sick in a foreign country can make even simple tasks difficult. Commuting, navigating unfamiliar neighborhoods, and communicating in another language are especially challenging when you’re not feeling well. In this context, pharmacy delivery becomes more than a convenience — it is often the safest and most practical option for visitors and expats who need medications delivered directly to their hotel, apartment, or residence.

Pharmacy Delivery for Foreigners: Language, CPF, and System Barriers

Although searching for “pharmacy delivery near me” may sound simple, the reality in Brazil can be more complex for foreigners. Most online pharmacy Brazilian platforms and delivery apps require prior registration and a Brazilian identification document known as CPF, which visitors usually do not have. In addition, many medications have different commercial names or formulations compared to other countries, creating another communication challenge when trying to request the correct medication and dosage.

Easy Rx Delivery in Brazil: Understanding Prescriptions

Brazil has strict medication regulations, particularly for prescription drugs. Many medications — including all antibiotics — require a medical prescription, although in most cases a digital prescription issued by a local doctor is accepted. However, certain controlled substances such as sedatives, anxiety medications, some opioids, and ADHD treatments require a physical prescription issued on a special government-provided form, which can only be supplied by a licensed Brazilian physician.

Pharmacy Services and Telemedicine: The Best Path for Prescription Medications

If you need a medication that requires a prescription, the process can be more complicated for foreigners. Brazil operates a mixed public and private healthcare system that is not easy to navigate without local knowledge. In these situations, one of the most efficient solutions is using a telemedicine service such as My Brazilian Doctor. Through a video consultation, patients can be evaluated by a licensed doctor in Brazil and receive a digital prescription immediately after the appointment, often with same-day availability.

Pharmacy Delivery Concierge: How My Brazilian Doctor Helps

For medications that do not require a prescription, My Brazilian Doctor offers a pharmacy concierge service. Clients inform us (below) of the medication they need and their location. Our team will identify the equivalent drug available in Brazil and check whether same-day pharmacy delivery is possible and estimated cost of the medication. The concierge and delivery service fee is USD 25 and it is paid when we confirm that it can be delivered.

In case the medication requires a prescription, we inform the client and indicate the earliest available slot for a video consultation, which is usually available on the same day or early morniing of the following day.