meds anyone?

[kentfx]

I'm moving to Hua Hin from Los Angeles next week, for a year. Question: how does one go about getting meds? I (very annoyingly) have to take several common ones every blooming morning -- plavix, diovan, lipitor being the most expensive. In L.A. they cost about $700 a month, so I'm getting them from Canada where they cost $64 a month. But I've been warned not to have this stuff shipped to Thailand -- often doesn't arrive or is encumbered with insane duty fees. Can you just go to a pharmacy with a prescription and buy them there? What are costs like? Thanks for anyone's help...

[hhfarang]

You can just go to the pharmacy and buy most meds here even without a prescription but some of them are very expensive.

[margaretcarnes]

The more common meds which you mention shouldn't be a problem over the counter. I can't comment on prices for them in LOS but it shouldn't be high. I used to buy my Hormone Replacement therapy meds there from 2000 to 2004 at a cost of about 400 baht a month. The price hardly changed in 4 years, although some pharmacies charged more than others for the same thing.
What I would suggest though is that you take out a reasonable supply to start with. Maybe 6 months. Which will be OK if it is labelled for your personal use by a pharmacist or covered by a prescription from your doctor.
Also research the generic drug names and ask your doctor for suitable alternatives in case you are unable to find the exact same name in LOS. The main manufacturers of pharmaceutical drugs sold in LOS seem to be Bayer or Glaxo Smith Klein. All major drug companies produce basically the same meds but use slightly different brand names.
Having a supply to start with will give you time to check what is available in LOS and to contact your doctor in the States for advice if necessary.

[Nereus]

I cannot comment on a couple of the drugs you have asked about, but Lipitor (atorvastatin), is very costly in Thailand. One 40mg tablet is over 100 Baht, and that at the biggest and most competitive pharmacy in Bangkok. When I said I needed 80mg the response was a typical Thai remark: "just take 2 x 40mg"!

There are several other generic names of this drug, best check with your Doctor before you come here. I carried 12 months supply in with me recently, and have done several times. Never been checked, but carry a certificate from your Doctor just in case. It is not advisable to have any of these drugs posted to you.

[hhfarang]

The more common meds which you mention shouldn't be a problem over the counter. I can't comment on prices for them in LOS but it shouldn't be high.

Also research the generic drug names and ask your doctor for suitable alternatives in case you are unable to find the exact same name in LOS.

My BP med is 2000 baht for a one month supply here. My Asthma meds (2) are also a combined total of around 2000 baht per month. When I came I was taking Zocor for cholesterol and it also was expensive but I was able to find a generic for it so that one is only around 300 per month now for the generic. I checked the others and there is no generic for them. Medications here (at least the newer ones) are on par with U.S. prices (which I believe are some of the highest in the world).

Also, if they are newer meds (last ten or fifteen years) like both my BP and Asthma meds, they can be hard to find in Hua Hin. When I first came I could not get them here at all (I actually spent two days going to every pharmacy in town as well as the two hospitals!) so I had to go to Bangkok every couple of months to stock up. Now there is one pharmacy (a few doors down from the old Hua Hin shopping mall that carries them all but his prices are some of the highest). Tesco will order them for me and they are about 15% cheaper there but it takes a few days to get them so I have to plan ahead if I don't want to run out. They are also cheaper at some pharmacies I've found in Bangkok so I still stock up every time I'm up there too.

Additionally, check the expiration dates when you buy packaged meds here. It is not beneath a pharmacy to slip a two (or more) months expired med into your bag.

[kentfx]

Thanks to everyone for these very useful replies.
Kent

[margaretcarnes]

Must admit I'm amazed at some of the prices now for what are fairly common meds dished out in the UK. Helps explain maybe why the NHS is in such a mess?
The meds I used to get in HH were also fairly new at the time, and I was quite surprised to find HRT there so easily. Thinking about it though - maybe it's used a lot by Khatoys! Supply and demand...

[MrPlum]

kentx. If you pm (private message) huahinian he may have some suggestions for you on cheaper substitutes that worked for him. He was able to drop four meds? I believe altogether. The same goes with 'richard' and 'huahinsimon'.

[Mr T]

The high prices are true of anything that has to be imported not only meds I have found.
I guess all of you have tried looking through a pharmacists suppliers book with the chemical name to see if there is a Thai manufacturer, this really does slash prices.

[sandman67]

A word on personal importation - Thai customs law follows US FDA guidelines...you are only supposed to carry 3 months supply.

Its a dumb rule but it is still there.

Saying that Ive never known anyone to get stopped at customs here...they are usually too busy looking at the paper or ceiling or calling people on their mobile to stop anyone

If you do buy locally use a legit pharmacy. Lipitor is still being counterfeited in Mexico and China....and some of it does leak into the supply chains. Check what you buy.