Continuing biologic treatment after moving to the UK

Katerina Galkina · EN · 07/10/2026

Arrange transfer early

Biologic medicines need specialist prescribing and monitoring. Register with a GP and explain the condition, next dose date and remaining supply. Request the relevant service: rheumatology, dermatology, gastroenterology or another specialty according to diagnosis.

Do not wait for the last syringe. An NHS biologic service ↗ describes medicine-specific assessment, monitoring and supply arrangements. Continuing overseas treatment is not simply exchanging a paper prescription.

Prepare a clinical summary

Include the diagnosis and supporting evidence, past medicines and reasons for stopping, response to current therapy, exact substance and brand, dose, administration dates, adverse reactions and infection-screening results. Add monitoring plans and the previous team's details.

Obtain an understandable English summary and original investigation results. Ask the prescribing team and manufacturer about storage and transport; do not guess permitted time outside refrigeration.

What the UK specialist decides

The team checks safety, indications and applicable NHS criteria before agreeing treatment, monitoring and supply. Some pathways require specific funding decisions. A North East London psoriatic-arthritis pathway ↗ illustrates overseas-transfer arrangements; it is a local diagnosis-specific document, not a universal biologic rule.

Ask who is responsible while you wait and what happens if a dose falls before assessment. Do not stop treatment or change intervals independently.

Agree the practical arrangements

Clarify hospital-pharmacy supply, home delivery or infusion appointments, training, supplies and tests. For private care, establish medicine and long-term monitoring costs rather than only consultation fees.

Obtain instructions for infection, reactions and missed doses for your actual medicine. A documented transfer of responsibility is more useful than an assumption that the GP will prescribe later.