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Stunning! Thailand cheapest place for medicines in the world, says survey


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3 hours ago, Sheryl said:

 

Either your doctors have you on very new versions of these drugs that are still under patent (and often little different/no better than older formulations) or you're going to the wrong pharmacies. 

 

Cheap genetic equivalents of statins and anti-hypertensives are readily obtained here.

 

I asked my cardiologists (here and in the US) about my two spendiests (Effient/Pasagruel and Crestor/Rouvestatin) and both told me that for my specific condition (disgusting fatbody with 90% on the widowmaker and stenting thereof) I should suck it up and take the newest and/or most effective.

 

When I first bought the effient (2400B a month) and then compared prices on the net, I thought I would get screwed back in the USA and when in went back in April, 2019, I traveled with 60 days worth. Imagine my surprise when I went to Duke Univ in May 2019, had my treatment here totally approved, my scrips renewed and then see that Effient was the eqiv of 900B a month. Party. So in July, before I came back here, I stocked up with a 90 day supply.

 

Standard or common drug prices have been dropping for cash payors in the USA. One of the things that skews the statistics are those new, low production, obscure condition, niche meds. I picked up one of them (some monthly diabetic med) for an elderly friend and without her medicare, the cash cost (with discount coupons) was like $2400. The other thing that skews the stats is the desire of docs to use the newest and "best". Effient/Prasagruel for example, is marginally better than other older meds in drug eluting stent situations...but that does not mean that the older ones dont work, tons of folks walking around with cheap generic Plavix in their blood and a drug eluting stent. In fact my cardio here will be seeing me one year after insertion and said that if all looks good, he will give me the alternative of taking Plavix, which is totally cheap everywhere.

 

Just my observations based on my own situation.

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5 hours ago, Sheryl said:

 

Either your doctors have you on very new versions of these drugs that are still under patent (and often little different/no better than older formulations) or you're going to the wrong pharmacies. 

 

Cheap genetic equivalents of statins and anti-hypertensives are readily obtained here.

 

Indeed. I buy statins from GPO...about 2 baht a day.

 

Rooster

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6 hours ago, ThreeEyedRaven said:

They may well have not taken into account the dual pricing here, which means farangs pay a whole heap extra for anything to do with medical care. 

Thai people have free medicine and medical care.

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Lol, what utter rubbish. Even looking at the 6 examples they went from 30+ ~ 4th big? I used to get my morphine medicine from a government hospital (private not allowed to sell it) cost me about £125 every 2 months. People I new who would go back to oz a couple of times a year always stocked up on meds while in oz to bring back to Thailand. 

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7 hours ago, ripstanley said:

They must have not checked the Pharmacies at Private Hospitals.

It’s bs last week I went to 2 pharmacies in Chiangmai to buy some medicine that I used in Vietnam it was three times the price here, so I buy it when I’m back in Vietnam soon.

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7 hours ago, law ling said:

Not exactly my experience - I haven't found here the much cheaper generic brand statins (for cholesterol) and hypertension meds - only have here the more expensive brand-name versions.

You need to look further afield!! So cheap over here, but again at the right pharmacy!! Nexium £80+ cost to pharmacy UK, 500 baht here. Omeprazole 20 baht for 10!

Last time in hospital here I was quoted 8,000+ baht for prescription meds. 1650 baht at the pharmacy.

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8 hours ago, darksidedog said:

i guess the survey didn't go and check out prices in Cambodia, which pretty much across the board are way lower than here.

 

ditto vietnam, and sri lanka.

 

imo and experience india is also cheaper than thailand.

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1 hour ago, DPKANKAN said:

You need to look further afield!! So cheap over here, but again at the right pharmacy!! Nexium £80+ cost to pharmacy UK, 500 baht here. Omeprazole 20 baht for 10!

Last time in hospital here I was quoted 8,000+ baht for prescription meds. 1650 baht at the pharmacy.

 

where is omeprazole 20 baht for 10 capsules?

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8 hours ago, ThreeEyedRaven said:

They may well have not taken into account the dual pricing here, which means farangs pay a whole heap extra for anything to do with medical care. 

Maybe in the city/tourist area. I am a little embarrassed buying from our local pharmacy as the prices are so cheap.

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1 hour ago, observer90210 said:

Quite surprising.....as India is actually the global market for world class generics production....even the Chinese go to India to buy huge stocks of cancer treatment generics and sneak them back home

India is most certainly cheaper than Thailand for most generics. 

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9 hours ago, law ling said:

Not exactly my experience - I haven't found here the much cheaper generic brand statins (for cholesterol) and hypertension meds - only have here the more expensive brand-name versions.

Sorry mate. I get mine from the local hospital (who found out my hypertension and high cholesterol when I went for my driving license medical paper) I don't think I have paid more than 250Baht for 3 months supply of each. Try them 500 Baht (liver, kidney and blood sugar included) for the blood test and nearly <deleted> all for the meds. Takes about 4 hours but <deleted> are we that busy. 

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  I take a generic brand of Micardis , used to reduce high blood pressure . Right now here in Australia , one month's worth costs $6 . A few years ago the cheapest I could get in BKK was the equivalent of $28 . That comparison is as bad as wine and cheese , both of which I also need .

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9 hours ago, law ling said:

Not exactly my experience - I haven't found here the much cheaper generic brand statins (for cholesterol) and hypertension meds - only have here the more expensive brand-name versions.

I live in rural Khampaeng Phet and I order my meds by email from a pharmacy in Nakhon Sawan. order one day, transfer the money and the meds arrive the next day by EMS for 50 baht.

 

You need to go online and type the name of the drug and check for a genetic version. Sometimes you won't find the generic name and will have to buy the original. Then go and check the prices at 4 or 5 pharmacies to get a feel for a reasonable price. See if they have all the meds that you need, and if they will send by EMS, and play it by ear from there.

 

I used to buy mine from BKK until I came up here

 

I take

Co-Diovan 80/125 mg cost 598 per pack of 28 and I take 1/2 tablet per day.

Dilatrend 25 mg cost 280 for 10 take 1 tablet daily

Bestatin 20 mg cost 155 for 100 take 1 tablet daily

Orfarin 3 mg cost 475 per 100 take 1 1/2 tablet daily

Orfarin 5 mg cost 550 per 100 take 1/2 tablet daily

Glucophage 500 mg cost 27 strip of 10 take 2 tablets daily

 

I have been using them for over 10 years now with no ill effects

 

 

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10 hours ago, saengd said:

Yes, as long as you buy from the internet, not from the local pharmacy.

Not completely true as I buy from a pharmacy in Nakhon Sawan and I ALWAYS get what I order and pay for. In addition if I have a problem I can always visit the pharmacy which you can't do off the internet,

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10 hours ago, ezzra said:

most medicines sold in Thailand are of an inferior qualities either manufactured here or imported from neighbouring countries with more filler material than the medicine compounds needed,

That is a remarkably bold suggestion, do you actually have any evidence to support it?

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44 minutes ago, billd766 said:

Not completely true as I buy from a pharmacy in Nakhon Sawan and I ALWAYS get what I order and pay for. In addition if I have a problem I can always visit the pharmacy which you can't do off the internet,

As said three times already: The study in the OP is based on internet pharma. prices, google the survey name and look at their methodology to see how they arrived at their conclusions. 

 

MEDBELLE "2019 Medicine Price Index".

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1 hour ago, gimo said:

  I take a generic brand of Micardis , used to reduce high blood pressure . Right now here in Australia , one month's worth costs $6 . A few years ago the cheapest I could get in BKK was the equivalent of $28 . That comparison is as bad as wine and cheese , both of which I also need .

Look at the label on the box. It usually tells you what the true price is. The PBS subsidised price is a lot less and the pensioner price less again, maximum $2:50 from memory.

You aren't getting the subsidised price in Thailand.

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10 hours ago, Jessi said:

Cambodia is 1/2 the price compared to Thailand, even the meds made in Thailand are cheaper in Cambodia.

They come out with some B/S surveys.

Same in India 50% less and the best part is that a lot of the meds here come from India ... Was quoted 18,000 Baht (Sri Phat )  here for only a Breast MRI .... Did it in India for the equivalent of 4,500 Baht ( 2 MRI's...one with contrast and one without) and including an ultra sound and a urea and Creatinine test. Plus full report on a CD as well as x-rays... India has umpteen sophisticated Diagnostic / scan centers ... the one I used was in Bangalore and is Aarthi Diagnostic & Research centers... state of the art equipment and super efficient .... Amazing Thailand!! Pffff!!!

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11 hours ago, law ling said:

Not exactly my experience - I haven't found here the much cheaper generic brand statins (for cholesterol) and hypertension meds - only have here the more expensive brand-name versions.

Agree.

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