Buying medications in Thailand

[Shifty]

I take daily medications which include Tritace, Vytorin, Tenormin and Lexapro. Up till now I was returning to Australia every 6 months and getting 6 months supply of medications to bring back to Thailand. I recently had to buy Tritace from Udon Thani pharmacy which cost 1300 baht for 1 month supply compared to $7.90 in Australia. Do any TV members know if I can purchace cheaper generic or alternatives. Thanks in advance

[Sheryl]

Tritace = ramipril. Locally made brand name is Vaspril. There are also several Indian brands and a Czech brand. So if Vaspril is not available ask for any other brand of ramipril. Do NOT ask for Tritace by that name.

 

Tenormin = atenolol.  Many locally made brands including

Prenolol

Atenol

Betaday-50

Tenolol

Tenrol

and many others. This drug is extremely cheap. Again, do not ask by the imported brand name of tenormin. Ask by the generic or by the local brand names listed above.

 

Lexapro= escitalopram. Locally made  brand name is Esopam and there is also an Indian brand available called Esidep.

 

Vytorin is a combination of 2 drugs:simvastatin and ezetimibe. There is no other brand of these 2 drugs combined but t=simvastatin and ezetimbe can be bought seperately. You need to check your dosage, it will have 2 numbers. The first number is always 10 and is the ezetimibe dose. The second number can be anywhere from 10 - 40 and that is the simvastatin so taking separately you would need to match that dosage.

 

Simvastatin is readily available in locally made brands, including:

Bestatin

Lochol

Simvas

Torio

Simmex

Zimva

 

Ezetimibe is available only as imports but try for Ezentia brand which is made by Robaxy, an Indian company.

Since yo uwill have to buy 2 spearate drugs to equal the Vytorin you will have to see if it saves enough money ot dop so. On the other meds, sure it will cost you less to but generic equivalents.

 

I suspect your problems have been that you asked by the imported brand name rather than the generic.

 

Also be sure to go to a large Thai pharmacy and never a Boots or Watsons. they have very small selection an usually no local generics. In Udon there is a pharmacy with wholesale prices located on the Ring Road at the Sam Phrao intersection near Global House, try it - name is ธนพลเภสัช

https://www.google.co.th/maps/@17.4268488,102.8106393,19z

 

 

 

[Shifty]

Thank you Sheryl for you very detailed reply. I will definitely persue the lists you described. I will inform this forum how I got on so others may benefit.

Regards

[Spaniel]

I have recently been prescribed Hyzaar for high blood pressure.     I bought the first months supply at Bumrugrad for B 1,600.     I have since found them at the pharmacy on Sukhumvit near soi 2 for B950 for 30 pills.     I am hoping, like poster Shiffty, to find a cheaper price.     Does anyone know if their is a generic brand available?

Edited February 24, 2018 by Spaniel
Add info.

[Sheryl]

Hyzaar contains 2 drugs: losarten and hydrochlorthiazide.

 

There is no other brand comb9ning these 2 in one tablet but you can easily get each of its components in locally made form.

 

Too many local brands to list, just ask by the generic. 

 

Check the dosage on your Hyzaar, it will say either 50/12.5 or 100/12.5, the first number is the dose of losartan.

 

if you are on 100/12.5 you will need 100 mg losartan but it is cheaper to take 2 50's than one 100 mg tab (I take this med myself as does a relative so priced it).

 

Either way you need  12.5 mg of the hydrochlorthiazide but will need to get 25 mg scored tabs and take half each day.

 

Hydrochlorthiazide is dirt cheap. Losartan is more but still very affordable, certainly under 100 baht if 50 mg/day.

 

 

 

 

 

[Blue bruce]

does anyone know if omeprazole brand name Prilosec or allegra d is available in Thailand ?????? Thanks

[Sheryl]

Omeprazole is available here is many, many brand names but not the two you mentioned.

 

I can personally attest to the efficacy of locally made brands Miracid and GPO omeprazole, the others are also probably fine. And cheap.

[Oxx]

On 21/02/2018 at 5:17 PM, Sheryl said:

Simvastatin is readily available in locally made brands, including:

 

Simmex

A very minor point, but that should be "Zimmex", not "Simmex".

[InMyShadow]

I buy meds from India. If you purchase bitcoin and pay that way its a huge discount,

 

eg Lyrica here is 18k baht for 3 months. Generic from India is only 5k and excellent quality

 

https://coinrx-is.256bit-ssl-checkout.com/

[harrry]

I suggest going to a public hospital, seing a doctor and buying from them.  You will be charged a couple of hundred baht to see the doctor and the hospital fee but the prices you pay for the rest of the medicines, while fully paying the costs is much lower than most you get outside.  Buying direct from overseas risks losing the medicines to customs as you have no import permit and possible fines in some cases.

[InMyShadow]

1 minute ago, harrry said:

I suggest going to a public hospital, seing a doctor and buying from them.  You will be charged a couple of hundred baht to see the doctor and the hospital fee but the prices you pay for the rest of the medicines, while fully paying the costs is much lower than most you get outside.  Buying direct from overseas risks losing the medicines to customs as you have no import permit and possible fines in some cases.

Never had a problem with customs. Got pulled up once , went to customs and they asked me how much the meds were (no invoice..very clever) and told them 1k .

 

The trick is not to order massive amounts in one hit. just 3-6 months at a time.

[Shifty]

Went to the chemist warehouse in Udon Thani as well as a couple of other recommended pharmacies. Was told by all that vaspril is no longer available in Thailand and have no other rampril generic brands. They only offered tritace, (which I did not ask for) for 1100 baht for pack of 30 tablets. Tenormin was available and very cheap, about 100 baht pack of 30. Combination of simvastatin and ezetimibe (vytorin) cost 1200 baht for 1 month supply, again no other alternatives offered.

Observation : Unfortunately I found pharmacies in Udon Thani not interested in trying to help you with alternate generic brands.

Might try hospital next as one member suggests.

[Sheryl]

As explained, there is no other combination of simvastatin and ezetimibe but those 2 drugs can be bought and taken separately. All pharmacies have generic brands of simvastatin. Exetimibe is more difficult since there is only one alternati brveand so possible that a given pharmacy might nto have it.

 

Suggest you either call the distributorr of Ezentia, DKLL, and ask foir names of any pharmacies in Udon they have supplied to (or if none, then perhaps of some elsewhere in the region) OR call the manufacturer and see if they will sell you say a years supply at wholesale price

 

Distrbutor (warning: not easy to deal with on phone, need patience and a Thai speaker)

DKLL

2533 Sukhumvit Rd
Bangchak, Phrakhanong Bangkok 10260

Tel: (+66) 2301 5700

Email: [email protected]

 

Manufacturer:

Sun Pharma (Ranbaxy)

No. 31 Phayathai Bldg, 3rd Flr,
Room No. 313-317, Phayathai Rd.,
Thanon Phayathai Sub-District
Rajathevi Bangkok 10400

Tel: (+66) 2246 3300

http://www.sunpharma.com

 

No as for the ramipril, I suggest:

1. Call  Siam Pharmaceutical to verify if vaspril is truly unavailable, this is first I have heard of it being so.  Distributor will know if it has been supplied to anywhere in Udon. Manufacturer may be willing to sell directly to you at wholesale if you buy enough.

 

Siam Pharmaceutical

71/1-2 Soi Choke Chai
Ruammitr
Vibhavadi Rangsit Rd Bangkok 10900

Tel: (+66) 2625 9999

If it is no longer available in Thailand then there are 2 options: buy the Indian brand  (Ramicard) if you can find it , OR ask your doctor if there is any reason why you cannot change to enalapril, a drug in the same class with same mode of action that is readily available in locally made brands, very cheap. You have been put on the newest/most expensive  brand of everything. Enalapril will do just as well for the vast majority of people.

 

You did not mention the escitoplapram. Were you able to locate Esopam or  Esidep? If not same story:

 

Esidep - contact Sun Pharmaceuticals, details above

 

Esopam: 

Medline

30 Ladkrabang Rd.
Ladkrabang, Ladkrabang Bangkok 10520

Tel: (+66) 2026 3138 Email: [email protected]