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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

Is this dodgy?

75 replies

Picklypickles · 30/09/2021 09:58

My oh has an older brother who lives in Australia, we are in the UK. His brother has asked him to buy and send him several boxes of Nurofen Plus tablets. Apparently he has been prescribed these tablets by his Doctor in Australia, despite the fact that they are not actually available to purchase in Australia?!

OH did what he asked, then got a message from his brother saying that the parcel of pills had been seized by Australian Customs and he wasn't allowed to have them because the relevant paperwor wasn't in the parcel and asked OH to buy more pills and resend - this time with a prescription printed out and included in the package. He has now got back to him again saying the package is lost and he hasn't got it and wants OH to send ANOTHER package.

This is all sounding increasingly strange to me, I don't understand why an Australian Doctor would prescribe a patient drugs that they can't get in their country. I may be being paranoid, I don't know! I do not trust OH's brother as far as I could throw him, he is known for being something of a con artist and my OH has HFA and ADHD and tends to take people (especially his beloved brothers) at face value and I don't trust his brother not to take advantage of him.

Any ideas?

OP posts:

ssd · 30/09/2021 10:01

Nah, he's up to something. Tell him to eff off.

Soubriquet · 30/09/2021 10:01

That does sound very dodgy.

A doctor wouldn’t prescribe something that they can’t get.

PinkFootstool · 30/09/2021 10:02

Nurofen Plus is a combination of paracetamol and codeine.

Codeine is an opiod derivative, and Aus are very hot to trot on things like that and it's a prescription only medication there, even if we do sell it over the counter in the UK.

Codeine can be highly addictive.

Sounds like your BIL has an issue. It's available on prescription so if he needs it his GP will be able to prescribe it and a pharmacy can fulfill it. Seems to me he's hiding a problem.

UltimateBugKilla · 30/09/2021 10:04

Nurofen plus contains codeine, which is an opiate and can become addictive.
This is prescription only in Australia because it is an opioid and the number of overdoses recorded.

Id be more concerned your harbouring you DH brothers addiction.

UltimateBugKilla · 30/09/2021 10:07

Harbouring wasn't the right word sorry, long night shift, but supplying drugs to an addict.

Original poster

Picklypickles · 30/09/2021 10:08

So if he has a prescription from his Doctor he should be able to get his prescription fulfilled at a pharmacy in Australia? It's just not available over the counter there?

OP posts:

CheddarTheDog · 30/09/2021 10:10

He’s addicted, or he’s selling them. I wouldn’t get caught up in this.

I have a grandparent who always wanted us to bring back stuff from Europe that’s not available here. Would never do it, it wouldn’t be them that got in to trouble.

Original poster

Picklypickles · 30/09/2021 10:15

I've not been happy with my OH doing this for his brother at all, I thought it sounded dodgy right from the first time he asked OH. OH worships the ground both his older brothers walk on and will always do whatever they ask, maybe because they are so fucking horrible when they don't get what they want. I'm sat here telling OH how dodgy this all is and he is getting upset and saying he's being attacked from all directions. Sigh.

OP posts:

GianaSister · 30/09/2021 10:17

@Picklypickles

So if he has a prescription from his Doctor he should be able to get his prescription fulfilled at a pharmacy in Australia? It's just not available over the counter there?

OP: This is from an Australian Health Website:

Brand name: Nurofen Plus
Do I need a prescription?
This medicine is available from a pharmacist and requires a prescription. It is Schedule 4 : Prescription Only Medicine

Prescription only medicine – Medicines which must be prescribed by an authorised healthcare professional (such as your doctor). They may be supplied in hospital or bought from a pharmacy with a prescription.

www.healthdirect.gov.au/medicines/brand/amt,28771000168109/nurofen-plus

ScaredOfDinosaurs · 30/09/2021 10:19

Codeine addiction, for sure.

Orla1970 · 30/09/2021 10:25

Hi OP. Nurofen Plus is ibruprofen and codeine. The story does stink a bit. As others have said a doctor in Australia would not prescribe something that wasn’t available. Also the brother is asking for a prescription to be included in the next parcel. You don’t have a prescription if you’re buying these in the UK over the counter for him. Bizarre request. I wouldn’t do it x

Original poster

Picklypickles · 30/09/2021 10:47

@Orla1970

He has emailed a copy of a prescription and asked OH to print it out and include it in the package of pills, I have seen the prescription but still something about all of this just isn't sitting right with me!

OP posts:

CounsellorTroi · 30/09/2021 10:50

If he has a prescription why doesn’t he just take it to the pharmacy and get it himself?

PinkFootstool · 30/09/2021 10:51

Nah he can piss off to a pharmacy and get it himself.

A scanned copy? Sounds like it will be a fake one.

TheLovelinessOfDemons · 30/09/2021 10:51

Dodgy as fuck.

Original poster

Picklypickles · 30/09/2021 10:52

There is certainly a family history of addiction problems, with the oldest brother its cocaine, they also had an alcoholic grandfather. Their mother was on the highest dose of DHC for many years for arthritis, slightly different I know as she was prescribed them by her GP but she was a huge fan of popping pills for the slightest twinge or ailment - she once gave SIL DHC for sunburn!

OP posts:

Original poster

Picklypickles · 30/09/2021 10:54

@PinkFootstool

Nah he can piss off to a pharmacy and get it himself.

A scanned copy? Sounds like it will be a fake one.

Well yes! Exactly!

OP posts:

HollaHolla · 30/09/2021 10:55

I've had Nurofen Plus on prescription in Australia, when I hurt my back quite badly whilst on holiday. It's not that hard to get.
Your BIL is up to something well dodgy, and I would be very clear with your DH on what the impact on him could be legally, as his 'supplier', essentially.
Can he make an excuse that he's found out he could be in a lot of trouble, and can't do it?

TherapistInATabard · 30/09/2021 11:19

Very worrying that your OH can’t see how dodgy this is. He’s being taken advantage of and could get into trouble.

Original poster

Picklypickles · 30/09/2021 11:30

@TherapistInATabard

Very worrying that your OH can’t see how dodgy this is. He’s being taken advantage of and could get into trouble.

Yes it is. My OH is very intelligent (IQ of 158) but also has Autism and ADHD and lacks common sense at times. The brother who wants the pills is also smart but with no learning difficulties and is quite accomplished academically and career-wise, he is an insufferably condescending piece of work who seems to truly believe he is better and smarter than everyone else and that his younger brother and any other relatives are his puppets to manipulate for his own ends. In the past I've sat and listened to this guy boasting about his scams and cons, for example getting loads of parking/speeding tickets in Australia or on his travels to other countries but then giving the authorities his mums details in the UK and said that she was driving (she never stepped foot in Australia!) because apparently the authorities wouldn't bother chasing someone so far away!

I have told my OH I don't want him doing anything else now until he can get some proper, official advice from someone who definitely knows for sure whether or not he should be doing this.

OP posts:

FangsForTheMemory · 30/09/2021 11:34

Suggest to your OH that he tell the brother he has sent the pills, but not send them. Two can play at that game.

Original poster

Picklypickles · 30/09/2021 11:39

@FangsForTheMemory

Suggest to your OH that he tell the brother he has sent the pills, but not send them. Two can play at that game.

Nice idea but he wants them sent by recorded delivery that he can track from the UK to Australia!

OP posts:

Fink · 30/09/2021 11:48

Nice idea but he wants them sent by recorded delivery that he can track from the UK to Australia!

Can he send an empty envelope by recorded delivery? And then it looks like the authorities have seized the contents. I mean, it's not ideal. It would be far better if he could just refuse. But if that doesn't seem possible then I would be looking at ways to avoid sending the drugs without confrontation.

Gruffalosgrandma · 30/09/2021 11:48

It's possible that your DH isn't the only person sending him pills.

GoldenOmber · 30/09/2021 12:00

He can probably recognise at some level that it’s dodgy because it is so obviously dodgy, but won’t want to think about that because of what it implies about his brother.

So I would avoid saying anything to him along the lines of “your brother is a lying con artist” and stick to “but he CAN get it on prescription in Australia, look, it says so here.” Easier to accept, harder to ignore.

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