Cost of medicines in Canada vs. Thailand

[OzMan]

Is there much difference in the cost of medicines in Canada vs. Thailand? A relative in Canada had a kidney transplant and needs to take some expensive medicines every day. Is it likely to be cheaper to buy them here?

[OzMan]

Ignore this post. I just read that Canadian residents cannot import pharmaceuticals under any conditions.

[utalkin2me]

Don't you all get all that for free? 

[Oxx]

In any case, the medicine in Thailand will almost certainly have been imported, making it very expensive here.

[VocalNeal]

6 hours ago, utalkin2me said:

Don't you all get all that for free? 

It is not FREE. Everyone who works pays in.

 

Not all medicines are covered. A large tube of antibiotic ointment for a facial condition is about $250 in Canada. Here is about $25.

[Sheryl]

For a foreign made drug the same brand will cost more in Thailand than Canada due to import costs and tariffs.

The only situation in which Thailand would be cheaper would be if there were a Thai made generic equivalent.

Sent from my SM-J701F using Thailand Forum - Thaivisa mobile app

[jerojero]

Nope. Free only if adminstered when you're in hospital. Otherwise pay.

Don't you all get all that for free? 

[utalkin2me]

9 hours ago, jerojero said:

Nope. Free only if adminstered when you're in hospital. Otherwise pay.

Go to hospital. Administer there. Free. 

[uhuh]

On 5/16/2019 at 9:10 AM, Sheryl said:

For a foreign made drug the same brand will cost more in Thailand than Canada due to import costs and tariffs.

The only situation in which Thailand would be cheaper would be if there were a Thai made generic equivalent.

Sent from my SM-J701F using Thailand Forum - Thaivisa mobile app
 

Actually,  many imported medicines in Thailand are cheaper than in the Western countries they are imported from. Antibiotics from Austria, morning-after pill from Hungary, antibiotic cream from Denmark used to be examples. 

 

But nowadays,  most medicines are manufactured in China or India by multinationals or by companies like Teva from Israel, who sell them all over the world at very different prices,  in Thailand obviously cheaper than in Canada.