My father suffers arthritis and friends in the US have advised him
towards Vicodin. How could he obtain it in the UK, preferably legally
although Dad does smoke marijuana for the pain and that bears risk in
itself.

Any help would be gratefully appreciated by us both.

Kind regards!

Vicodin is not legal in the UK. Because of this we cannot assist you
in obtaining it by other means. Would you be interested in a legal
medical alternative similar to Vicodin as an answer to your question?

Regards;
tutuzdad-ga

Vicodin (hydrocodone and acetaminophen) is a synthetic opiate similar
to codeine, for the most part.  While it appears that vicodin is not
legally available over-the-counter in the UK, codeine and
acetaminophen preparations are available which should be fairly
comparable in efficacy (although there are some side-effect profile
differences).

As an aside, your father should seek the advice of a treating
physician to insure that whatever medications he takes are proper for
his conditions - there are other options available to treat arthritis
pain that do not have some of the pitfalls of the opiates and may
better treat the inflammation that makes arthritis symptoms and pain
worse.