Getting My Prescriptions In Thailand

[Nhscotsman]

I am considering moving to Thailand this summer from the USA and I am concerned because I take various prescriptions for pain management. I know I can't have the prescriptions shipped to me in Thailand (it's against the law), but to have all of my records shipped to Thailand and then finding another doctor to take on my case seems as though it would be very difficult to do. I get medicare & medicaide through the US and they pay for all of my meds, so I would need to keep that going too. Has anyone else been in a similar situation and what did u do about it. I am engaged to a Thai woman and though it would be more convenient to bring her here to live, I suspect getting her out of Thailand would be as difficult as getting my prescriptions in Thailand. Every way I turn, I seem to hit a road block of some kind.....This is a very difficult country to deal with, yet I love it soooo much.

Any information you can give me would be appreciated.

Chu Chu

//Edit: bold format of entire text removed. Maestro

[Prakanong]

If you list your prescriptions I am sure someone will know if they are available

Thailand has a MIMS (Monthly Index of Medical Specialties) which will list all drugs approved in Thailand - any decent pharmacist will have this. You may not be able to get them OTC at the pharmacy though but might need to have them dispensed at a hospital.

I do not know if I have the Thai one in the office or I could check for you on Monday - I am sure someone can help as this question is raised every so often

Sorry to be of no more help at the moment

[Mobi]

Without wishing to be rude, it mystifies mn why you think that your drugs, or their generic equivalents would not be available in Thailand, and why you you think you would not find a suitable specialist who could look after you.

Virtually every drug is available here. OK if they are imported they can be expensive, but maybe not more than you would pay in the USA. There are also many drugs that are made under licence in Thailand under the supervison of the major drug companies.

When checking out drug availabilty don't forget that the same drug is marketed under different brand names in different countries - the internet is very helpful here.

I personally take over eight drugs every day of my life for a number of complaints, and have never had any problems finding what I need - even here in Pattaya.

I am absolutely positive you will find all the drugs you need in Thailand for your pain management, and if you check out the likes of Bumrungrad, BNH, Samitivej hospitals to name but 3, you will find excellent, English speaking doctors , many of whom have trained and /or practised in Europe or the USA.

Thailand may be a 3rd world country, but in Bangkok you have access to 1st world doctors and drugs.

[Maestro]

I am considering moving to Thailand this summer from the USA and I am concerned because I take various prescriptions for pain management

As Prakanong says, list the medicines here, or better perhaps in the “Health, Body and Medicine” Forum, and you will find that they are all available in Thailand.

--

Maestro

[tolsti]

Time for a Troll Alert methinks!!!...

Nhscotsman???... No NHS in Seppoland and probably very few Scotsmen (if they have any sense!!).....

Then again... typical Septic attitude...nowehere else in the world could possibly have any real medication!!

I came to Thailand from France with the specific approval of the chief nephrologist at the American Hospital in Paris that I would be very well looked after. I found no problems getting the BP and kidney medicines that I needed.

People seem to forget that wherever you are in the world, there are ill people. They need tp be treated and unless you are really in the back of beyond there will be medical professionals who will treat you to the very best of their ability. The drug companies understand this and ensure that their drugs are availaible... it's in their interest after all.

OK, you may initially have to visit a few pharmacies to get what you need but once you are settled in a particular neighbourhood the local pharmacy will always endeavour to get the drugs you need simply because you are will be a regular customer.

What you must do is write down the chemical name of the drug you need and it's strength, NOT just the marketing name.

[Tywais]

Try contacting a couple of the major hospitals and send your list of medications you need. More direct then trying to get accurate responses here.

http://www.bumrungrad.com/htm/eng/main.asp...eng/contact.asp

http://www.bnhhospital.com/contact.php

[popshirt]

My apologies nhScotsman for what I think have been a few rather mean-spirited replies. No one seems to realize that obtaining medications through Medicare and Medicaid is vastly different from paying "over-the-counter" prices, even Thai prices.

I also use Medicare Part D for medications, have a friend call in refills regularly in the US, and either send them over with someone coming to Thailand or simply mail them. If they are mailed, the customs declaration clearly states "Prescription Medications." I have never had any problem with this. I certainly have not heard it is illegal. And even if it is, the prescriptions are in my name and are legally dispensed; if Thai Customs wants to seize them, ok with me.

[Nhscotsman]

This prescription issue doesn't have a thing to do with whether I think I can get them or not, it's an issue or whether someone uses Medicare or medicaide.......My meds are 3,000.00 US per month and my insurance pays for them in full. Plus, if I thought Thailand was so behind with everything or if I thought so little of Thailand, I wouldn't be moving there. I was asking if meds were hard to get......it was a simple basic question and what people did to get them. I have folders and folders of files detailing my injuries and I didn't know what the process was to get established with a physician in regards to pain management. My own physician here didn't know what the process would be in Thailand. My meds have to be available to me or I am hospitalized, it is that plain and simple, but trust me, I think Thailand is every good medically as the USA or any place else, I was just asking if anyone made the transition from the USA to Thailand with the insurance and the meds.

Also Popshirt, thanks for the info, I will contact customs and try and find out if they can just be prescribed here and mailed monthly. I have family here and if I had to come home every 6 or 10 months for a meeting with my doctor, that would be fine too....Thanks Again!

Nhscotsman

Edited February 14, 2007 by maestro
Size format removed for better readability

[ProThaiExpat]

I was under the impression that Medicare and Medicaid is not available for people living outside the United States and the poster who circumvents this by having a friend obtain them by proxy is circumventing the law.

If you want to be law abiding, the very first thing you need to do is go to your local social security office and determine if your meds are reinbursable if bought overseas. I doubt it.

Certainly, your medical costs while living overseas are not reinbursable by Medicare.

[popshirt]

I was under the impression that Medicare and Medicaid is not available for people living outside the United States and the poster who circumvents this by having a friend obtain them by proxy is circumventing the law.

If you want to be law abiding, the very first thing you need to do is go to your local social security office and determine if your meds are reinbursable if bought overseas. I doubt it.

Certainly, your medical costs while living overseas are not reinbursable by Medicare.

Bad advice Khun Pro.

Medicare Parts A & B and Medicaid are ony available if you seek treatment IN PERSON (and are eligible) in the United States.

Medicare Part D (medications) is farmed out to third party insurance companies and the only requirement other than paying the insurance premium is that the medications are mailed to your "home" address. I maintain a home in the United States. And that is where the meds are sent first. I assume the same applies to the New Hampshire Scotsman. We are simply talking about forwarding the legally prescribed and dispensed and covered-by-insurance medications to Thailand. That's all.

Of cocurse meds are not reimbursable if bought overseas. Duh.

[LivinLOS]

I had a need for real pain management for somone.. I found a croaker who would literally give vial of morhine once I demonstrated knowledge of dosaging and showed him I was competant at administering injections.

As for medicare and medicaid.. I pay my own way in life.. Never claim anything. I dont think Thailand is going to give you any free ride. Will your US system reimburse you ?? No idea.. all part of the choices you must make when considering cost of living.

Meds are easy to get.. Certainly any legit complain will be listened to in my opinion.. But you will have to pay for them is my guess.

Edited February 14, 2007 by LivinLOS

[Nhscotsman]

Hi,

Popshirt you understand fully what I mean. I do not try to offend anyone, I just wanted to know if getting my meds via mail would be the best way to do it or if my insurance would be workable in Thailand. I was under the impression I couldn't mail meds via the mail, but I do own my own home and have a permanent address here in New Hampshire. Popshirt, good call on the NH = New Hampshire......not many, u are the only one who has ever actually said they knew what the NH stood for.... ^5 to you!!!

I am currently engaged to a Thai and am tired of her living in Surin and me here in the states and I either need to get my butt back to Thailand and live there or get her over here with me, but it's a custody thing with her 4 year old son and getting the paperwork done to get her over here which I will do when I go back to Thailand April 16th for a month. Actually I may just marry her while I'm over there this time, at least this way it will probably help with my getting her over here if I'm married to her. This living apart is VERY difficult and if the issue of meds is not figured out, it makes things even harder. I can't be without the meds and if I have to fly back to the states every 6 months to redo the meds and see the doctor, so be it. Time will tell what I can do about the new Mrs. Nhscotsman.

But I do thank you all for your input, it's GREATLY appreciated!!!!

Chu Chu

[Mobi]

Hi nhscotsman,

My apologies for being a little offhand in my earlier post. Not being an American, I hadn't picked up on the insurance issues properly, so sorry for the patronising attitude.

As I said previously, I have no doubt that you can get all your medication here, and you may well find it is a lot cheaper than in the USA. It might be worth you sending a list to a friend in LOS and have him go to one of the larger drug stores, and get it priced up. It may even work out cheaper than flying back to the States every 6 months.

For what it's worth, as a diabeteic I used to get ALL my drugs compeletely free when I lived in the UK, but since I moved to Thailand, I have to pay - over 100 pounds a month. But it's worth it, and my overall expenses, including the drugs, are still way less than living in England, so as others have said, you have to weigh it all up and decide.

None of my business, and tell me to get lost, but speaking as one whose been there - many times- I would strongly advise against marriage until you have both lived permanently together for at least a year, either in Thailand or the USA. I'm not suggesting anything untoward, but it's better to be safe than sorry. These days, marriage - even in Thailand - is a big step to take.

Good luck on everything, and take care.

Edited February 17, 2007 by Mobi D'Ark

[Maestro]

Thailand has a MIMS (Monthly Index of Medical Specialties) which will list all drugs approved in Thailand

Today, I found that Thailand’s drug index is now online, here.

--

Maestro

[Maizefarmer]

You are asking specifically about pain management - which if I read correctly in the context of your first posting means narcotic pain management.

Let me comment on this, with the hindsight of current experiance: i.e. I have just come out of hsopital and am currently slowly coming off diamorphine - and have to consider access to ongoing narcotic pain managemnt when I get back to Thailand in March - as I am likely to be on the stuff for the next 6 months at least.

Firstly - you can and wil be able to get just about any narcotic pain killer in Thailand - it's all avaliable. There is absolutely no sense in brining it from the USA (and if you wish to speak to me in person about this - I am currently in California - send me a private message with your tel number , and I'll be more than happy to give you a call and discuss the matter in detail).

Whatever you are taking now will be avalible for far less cost in Thailand, with possible exception for a few (and I emphasize possible - because purchase from a state hospital and it wil be cheaper, but purchase from a private hospital and the choices wil be greater but it will be more expensive). Nothing to stop you seeing a doctor and/or getting your medication at a state hospital.

The really powrful narcotic pain killers prescribed for outpatients in Thailand (outpatient - not inpatient) are:

Fentynal patch - in all dosages (no restrictions)

MST Continous - but I beleive only up to 50mg and 100mg and 200mg not avaliable

Both are continous release - the first through the skin in patch form, the second orally as a slow release tablet, which needs to be taken 2 or 3 times a day.

Intravenous and/or subcu slef medication of narcotic pain killers is not presecribed for outpatient use - no doctor will do it in thailand.

There are not many genrics, but whether is it oral/Intra/subcu - generics exists for all forms.

Prescriptions - Thai doctors will & do recognise USA doctors persrciptions, but a pharmacy wil not. Take your perscription to a Thai doctor who will rewrite it for you using his Thai registration authority to issue a narcotic perscription (or any perscription for that matter) - and if he hasn't got exactly the same stuff, you can be pretty certain he'll be able to perscribe an alternative - even if it is a generic.

Yes - you can bring in with you narcotic perscriptions - just carry a letter with you from your doctor stating why you are taking the stuff - there'll be no problem then if you are asked. Truth is, to a customs officer it wil be medication. But the quantity is restricted to what you reasonably need for the period of time you are staying in Thailand, and if permanent then sooner or later you will have to get it replaced localy with a Thai perscription. Again, no problem.

There are written max limits on what you can bring in with you - off the top of my head I think it is 3 months supply (but do not quote me on this as I could be wrong).

Standalone pharmacies/chemist shops do not stock any narcotics as a rule - that said I do know of some that break this law and will issue narcotics without a prescription e.g. I had killer toothache once and went to a chemist - the guy pulled out a strip of Temgesic and sold it to me with no warning about how much to take. Sure deal't with the toothache!!

But hospitals do stock narcotic pain killers and you shouldn;t have to wait more than a few minutes to get them hnded over on perscription.

Thats about as much as I know on the subject

Maizefarmer

Edited February 20, 2007 by Maizefarmer