Generic (Local) v European Tablets

[LoeiI]

Hi all just wondering whether the generic (local) tablets are equivalent to the ones i would get in the UK, I went to the local pharmacy with a list of my meds and he was really helpful the only ones he said couldn't be sourced via the main hospital (Khon kean) were the statin,  the Insulin and ozempic first time I've tried to get the tablets here in Thailand  thanks in advance

 

Should add the Insulin and ozempic are injections not tablets 

Edited November 4, 2021 by LoeiI

[Salerno]

5 minutes ago, LoeiI said:

wondering whether the generic (local) tablets are equivalent to the ones i would get in the UK

Yes.

[Sheryl]

If same generic, then yes.

 

Ozempic though has no locally made form.

[brommers]

Generics are generally well formulated when made by reputable organisations. However even known manufacturers can sometimes produce faulty tablets. When I was working for a global drug manufacturer we tested generics of our brands & on occasion found the tablets had been stamped at too high a pressure. This meant that while they were chemically sound they would pass through the gut without being fully absorbed. So it is worth knowing the manufacturer & avoiding any that you cannot trace as well as trusting the regulatory environment of the country of manufacture.

[Tubulat]

1 hour ago, brommers said:

Generics are generally well formulated when made by reputable organisations. However even known manufacturers can sometimes produce faulty tablets. When I was working for a global drug manufacturer we tested generics of our brands & on occasion found the tablets had been stamped at too high a pressure. This meant that while they were chemically sound they would pass through the gut without being fully absorbed. So it is worth knowing the manufacturer & avoiding any that you cannot trace as well as trusting the regulatory environment of the country of manufacture.

That is very interesting so the next question: can we trust drugs from GPO, because it is al made by the Thai government?

[LoeiI]

1 hour ago, Tubulat said:

That is very interesting so the next question: can we trust drugs from GPO, because it is al made by the Thai government?

GPO ?

[LoeiI]

3 hours ago, brommers said:

Generics are generally well formulated when made by reputable organisations. However even known manufacturers can sometimes produce faulty tablets. When I was working for a global drug manufacturer we tested generics of our brands & on occasion found the tablets had been stamped at too high a pressure. This meant that while they were chemically sound they would pass through the gut without being fully absorbed. So it is worth knowing the manufacturer & avoiding any that you cannot trace as well as trusting the regulatory environment of the country of manufacture.

Thanks for the info another potential problem regarding checking the country of Manufacturer etc is that in the UK the tablets come boxed in packs of 28 with the information leaflet not sure thats the case in Thailand from what I've seen the ma in laws tablets just come in a little plastic bag saying how many and when to take I suppose there could be 500 tablets in the original box at the pharmacy / hospital 

[Tubulat]

1 hour ago, LoeiI said:

GPO ?

Yes GPO, it stays for Government Pharmaceutical Organization, and is responsible for many drugs that you can buy in this country.

You've never heard of that?

[Burma Bill]

On 11/4/2021 at 10:22 PM, LoeiI said:

couldn't be sourced via the main hospital (Khon kean) were the statin,  the Insulin and ozempic

Thank you for your post and I presume you are a diabetic like me (Type 2 insulin dependent?). During my 20 years living in Thailand, right from the start I registered with the diabetic clinic at my local Thai Government Hospital. It provided most of the medications I needed - Amlodipine, Losartan and Zimvastatin (all GPO). Initially I could not get Mixtard Insulin which I had to purchase privately on prescription from the RAM Hospital in Phayao, but this soon ceased when insulin (still on prescription) became available at the Government Hospital and I was then able to purchase all my medications and undergo the periodic blood and eye tests there.  I had no hassle and the medical staff were very helpful. The only regular problem was the long wait (sometimes almost 6 hours) to see the doctor for a check and to sign the prescription.  I now live in Siem Reap (Cambodia) and the recommended system is entirely different and hassle free! My regular local friendly private pharmacy provides ALL my medication, including Mixtard insulin without a prescription (insulin can be bought over the counter here!). For the blood and eye tests I go to a private clinic. The Government Hospital in Siem Reap is, with due respect, not as modern as the Thai one I used and is not recommended (other than for COVID-19 vaccinations). Yes, the cost is more expensive but is very convenient.  I hope this information is of use to you and I wish you continued good health with your treatment.

[NancyL]

A good pharmacist can tell you which Thai meds are as good as the foreign brands and which you should stay away from.  This is especially true with nutritional supplements and vitamins, etc, that are not made by the Thai GPO.  

 

Problems can happen even with GPO meds.  A couple years ago my blood pressure meds stopped providing good control and my cardiologist recommended switching one from the generic GPO to the European-produced brand name.  He is a retired university professor and said that some of his former colleagues and students had noted a problem with this med, but they weren't able to prescribe the brand name drug at the university hospital.  They were interested in his opinion since he was now practicing at a private hospital and had seen this same problem with other patients on this same med and he had the freedom to prescribe brand-name drugs to his patients.

 

A friend of mine, a retired U.S. doctor, was having the same problem, but being a doctor (and cheap) rather than switching to the brand name drug, he simply switched himself to another GPO generic with the same mode of action and solved the problem.  I passed this along to my cardiologist to share with his friends who had to prescribe GPO meds to their patients.

[LoeiI]

4 hours ago, Burma Bill said:

Thank you for your post and I presume you are a diabetic like me (Type 2 insulin dependent?). During my 20 years living in Thailand, right from the start I registered with the diabetic clinic at my local Thai Government Hospital. It provided most of the medications I needed - Amlodipine, Losartan and Zimvastatin (all GPO). Initially I could not get Mixtard Insulin which I had to purchase privately on prescription from the RAM Hospital in Phayao, but this soon ceased when insulin (still on prescription) became available at the Government Hospital and I was then able to purchase all my medications and undergo the periodic blood and eye tests there.  I had no hassle and the medical staff were very helpful. The only regular problem was the long wait (sometimes almost 6 hours) to see the doctor for a check and to sign the prescription.  I now live in Siem Reap (Cambodia) and the recommended system is entirely different and hassle free! My regular local friendly private pharmacy provides ALL my medication, including Mixtard insulin without a prescription (insulin can be bought over the counter here!). For the blood and eye tests I go to a private clinic. The Government Hospital in Siem Reap is, with due respect, not as modern as the Thai one I used and is not recommended (other than for COVID-19 vaccinations). Yes, the cost is more expensive but is very convenient.  I hope this information is of use to you and I wish you continued good health with your treatment.

Many thanks for the detailed reply and kind words, yes Type 2 insulin dependent, when i said couldn't be sourced at the main hospital in Khon kean i meant the generics, the European manufactured Atorvastatin, insulin (Novo rapid and Levemir) and Ozempic can be sourced but are pretty expensive. I didn't consider registering with a diabetic clinic i will inquire at the local hospital but from what I've seen (I live in Issan) most of the people i meet or the Mrs knows who are diabetic dont test (No testing kits) and only get a blood test every 3 months so god knows how they manage their glucose levels, the Thai doctors seem very reticent to prescribe meds that in the west would be considered normal to prescribe (I have met a lot of Thai people with gout who cant even get Allopurinol prescribed) , i intend to return to the UK a couple of times a year and hopefully get blood and eye tests flu jab covid booster done whilst there  

[Deerculler]

One thing I have noticed here in Thailand.

Doctors will give you coloured pills with no brand name or saying what the pills are or what they are supposed to do.

I call them candy pills because they never seem to help.

 

 

[tonray]

21 minutes ago, Deerculler said:

One thing I have noticed here in Thailand.

Doctors will give you coloured pills with no brand name or saying what the pills are or what they are supposed to do.

I call them candy pills because they never seem to help.

 

 

You need to ask them what they are. Thai patients are trusting of professionals and usually don't want to know. When my GF sees a doctor for something, I ask her what the verdict was and she invariably sends me a pic of some pills in her palm ...."doctor gave me pills so all is good". and this is an educated professional woman ...they just are conditioned to believe that if a professional says take it they should.

[Sheryl]

2 hours ago, Deerculler said:

One thing I have noticed here in Thailand.

Doctors will give you coloured pills with no brand name or saying what the pills are or what they are supposed to do.

I call them candy pills because they never seem to help.

 

 

This sounds like doctors in small upcountry clinics.

 

Almost always best avoided.

 

Hospitals and private  pharmacies will always label meds. For that matter, they usually come in labelled blister packs.