Cost of Prescription Meds

[jerryjan]

I have just moved to Thailand and discovered that the medications I take will cost me over $500 per month here - in the U.S., the meds cost about $50 per month because all the meds are available in generic form. Please note, I do not take any controlled substances - two of the meds are anti-depressants but certainly are not narcotics.

I have looked into buying the meds online but that may not be an option as so many of the online pharmacies are not trustworthy. In addition, the meds online are still expensive.

Does anyone have this same problem? If so, what have you done, if anything, to get your meds at a reasonable cost? I am willing to go anywhere in Thailand or any of the surrounding countries to purchase meds (from a trustworthy source) at an affordable amount.

I cannot stay in Thailand and pay $500 per month, so after just arriving one month ago, I will have to leave and I have no idea where to go next. I am heartbroken!

Thanks for any help you can offer.

[joseph44]

One solution may be: Go to the nearest respectable pharmacy and ask for cheaper alternatives.
Then you send a mail to the people in the US, asking if the alternatives are acceptable.

My (3rd hand) experiences are, that medication in hospital-pharmacies are way over the top. Can be bought much cheaper at local pharmacies.

You state that USD 500 is a reason for you to leave Thailand and return to the US, but what about the general cost of living? That must be a lot cheaper than in the US. Doesn't that equal somehow?

[jerryjan]

Originally Posted by joseph44

One solution may be: Go to the nearest respectable pharmacy and ask for cheaper alternatives.
Then you send a mail to the people in the US, asking if the alternatives are acceptable.

My (3rd hand) experiences are, that medication in hospital-pharmacies are way over the top. Can be bought much cheaper at local pharmacies.

You state that USD 500 is a reason for you to leave Thailand and return to the US, but what about the general cost of living? That must be a lot cheaper than in the US. Doesn't that equal somehow?

I only said that I would leave Thailand - not return to the states. Don't know where I would go if I have to leave here.

I'm going to see a doctor tomorrow and find out if there are alternatives to at least some of the meds I'm taking.

Thanks so much for your suggestions!

[ratsima]

Do not buy your meds in the hospital pharmacy! Tell the doc you are on a budget and ask for a note of the required meds to buy elsewhere. Local pharmacies certainly are cheaper but in each district you will find at least one "wholesale" pharmacy. There is one eg at the Sukhumvit end of Onnut. The one I use is right on the Klong Dan junction (junction of Petchaburi, Pridi, Patanakan and Rankampeang Roads). Much cheaper than local pharmacies for brand name drugs and way way way cheaper than hospitals.

[jerryjan]

Originally Posted by ratsima

Do not buy your meds in the hospital pharmacy! Tell the doc you are on a budget and ask for a note of the required meds to buy elsewhere. Local pharmacies certainly are cheaper but in each district you will find at least one "wholesale" pharmacy. There is one eg at the Sukhumvit end of Onnut. The one I use is right on the Klong Dan junction (junction of Petchaburi, Pridi, Patanakan and Rankampeang Roads). Much cheaper than local pharmacies for brand name drugs and way way way cheaper than hospitals.

Thank you so much for the information. I don't guess that you know of any wholesale pharmacies in Chiang Mai, or how I could find wholesale pharmacies here? If I can't locate wholesale pharmacies here, I wouldn't have a problem going to Bangkok for meds if I could save enough money.

I know it might be difficult but is there any way you could be more specific about the location of the pharmacies? I might not be able to find them without more specific addresses.

Thank you so much.

[ratsima]

Hi addresses I don,t know but the phone no of the Klong Dan pharmacy is 02-314-1394. NB I say "wholesale" but they do individual orders too, maybe not a single pack of paracetamol tho

There is a good thread about Chaing Mai pharmacies on ThaiVisadotcom in the Chiang Mai forum, Prescription Medicines section.
Hope this helps.

[jerryjan]

Originally Posted by ratsima

Hi addresses I don,t know but the phone no of the Klong Dan pharmacy is 02-314-1394. NB I say "wholesale" but they do individual orders too, maybe not a single pack of paracetamol tho

There is a good thread about Chaing Mai pharmacies on ThaiVisadotcom in the Chiang Mai forum, Prescription Medicines section.
Hope this helps.

Yes, it definitely helps. I'll go to the thread right now. Thanks so much!