Inexpensive substitute for atorvastatina 40mg in Thailand?

[pub2022]

Dear all,

 

I'm cardiopatic with a stent since 2020, I take atorvastatina 2x40mg every day to control cholesterol.

In my homecountry I'm getting it almost for free, but I'm afraid in Thailand it's going to cost me few thousands baht each month.

Do you know of any possible inexpensive alternative available in Thailand so that I can talk to my doctor about it, before coming there?

 

Thanks a lot

[ThailandRyan]

Check with the Pharmacy named Fascino....they can help put a price on the medication you need.

[Upnotover]

You might find something useful in this 4 year old thread;

 

[pub2022]

16 minutes ago, Upnotover said:

You might find something useful in this 4 year old thread;

 

Thank you, lots of useful info

[ozimoron]

Probably simvastatin. I take rosuvastatin which is expensive and sometimes they don't have a generic at Boots. Crestor costs about 1100 for a pack of 15.

[ThailandRyan]

I take Atorvastatin and it runs 45 baht a tablet. I get a 90 day supply from the Pharmacy and it runs just around 4100 baht for my 3 month supply.

 

[gargamon]

Find a local pharmacy you trust. Avoid fascino, boots, and the rest of the high-end pharmacies as they will be pushing the most expensive(high profit) brand names.

 

Ask the local pharmacy which statin that Thais use. This will likely be a generic, and probably cheap.

 

Educate yourself. Here's a link to a consumer reports article on statins. They are all essentially the same.

https://www.consumerreports.org/cro/2012/05/our-advice-on-statin-drugs-to-treat-high-cholesterol/index.htm

[pub2022]

From the previous thread dated 2018, I see there's a Thai atorvastatin 40mg named Chlovas.

That could be a good option for me, as I'm taking 2x40mg/day.

Does anybody know if it is a good quality brand?

 

[partington]

44 minutes ago, gargamon said:

Find a local pharmacy you trust. Avoid fascino, boots, and the rest of the high-end pharmacies as they will be pushing the most expensive(high profit) brand names.

 

Ask the local pharmacy which statin that Thais use. This will likely be a generic, and probably cheap.

 

Educate yourself. Here's a link to a consumer reports article on statins. They are all essentially the same.

https://www.consumerreports.org/cro/2012/05/our-advice-on-statin-drugs-to-treat-high-cholesterol/index.htm

Absolutely ridiculous. That is the opposite of what this report actually says! Did you even read it??

 

It carefully points out the different medical conditions that each variant statin is most suitable for!

 

This report states clearly and directly that statins are NOT all the same!

 

Here is a direct quote:

"There are seven statins, but they're not all the same. Some deliver a greater reduction in cholesterol than others. In addition, some statins are backed by stronger evidence that they reduce the risk of a heart attack or death from heart disease or a stroke."

[ThailandRyan]

As I said a good starting point would be Fascino as they are one of the cheapest pharmacies, at least in Bangkok.  There are many others you can also obtain your meds from and no one is trying to get you to buy the high priced medications as the previous poster alludes to. If you know what you need you can order it even on-line and have it shipped to your residence.  So many medications can also be ordered OTC here.  As a diabetic my medications run me 10% of what I would pay in the US, and about the same as my prescription plan for my Medical Insurance's co-pay in the States. I buy my meds 90 days at a time, and I know that that seems weird to some, but when in the US my on-line pharmacy sends out a 90 day supply to me as it saves money rather than going to a local pharmacy and I can then have my meds on hand not worrying about running to the local pharmacy every month.  I wish my Thai Health Insurance had a prescription component to it but no Insurance in Thailand covers medications unless you are hospitalized.

[chicowoodduck]

Wow, medical advice from this forum? Bit risky on many levels…perhaps brain surgery advice will be next? 

[ThailandRyan]

6 minutes ago, chicowoodduck said:

Wow, medical advice from this forum? Bit risky on many levels…perhaps brain surgery advice will be next? 

Always has been sage advise on here as far as where and who to order from as far as medications.  @Sheryl is normally also posting when someone asks a medical question as far as medications and such are posted.  My advice is based upon my experience and from past OP's as well.

[IAMHERE]

OP ; google up the 7 most used statins. Check their prices & availability using 

https://bangkokdrugstore.com/

Figure which you can afford and then ask your doctor.

I'm using simvastatin(Bestatiin)  30 baht for strip of 10 @ 20mg.

Chlovas is a brand name for Atorvastatin.

 

[DineshR]

Here in Korat, at a local no name pharmacy, I get Atorvastatin 10 mg 30 tabs for 510 baht - 17 baht/tab. Lipitor runs 1250 for 30 tabs - about 42 baht/tab.  Not what you are looking for but thought I would give you an idea of pricing. As other posters have recommended, do check the local pharmacies. While living in Bangkok, I used to go to the pharmacies opposite Siriraj Hospital and I found that generally they do have the best prices on most medications and you can find almost any medication there. There are a lot of pharmacies there on one side of the street. Just walk down that street and ask for prices.

[ozimoron]

1 hour ago, chicowoodduck said:

Wow, medical advice from this forum? Bit risky on many levels…perhaps brain surgery advice will be next? 

Pretty sure the medical advice was ask for medical advice.

[ozimoron]

In my own experience, my GP was pretty open as to the generic statin I took. Originally I was prescribed atorvastatin but later read that my favourite foods (pomelo and grapefruit) were off the list for that drug but ok for rosuvastatin. My GP was fine with changing which happened many years ago and recently, when I asked another GP if I should switch statins he told me that rosuvastatin is generally the best tolerated. If you are on a high dosage it may well be advisable to ask about this.

[Twod0gs]

I was fitted with a stent 18months ago and have been ordering SANDOZ ATORVASTATIN 40MG online (via Line app) from a company called Medisafe. They charge 820 baht for 30 x 40mg tabs. I order 3 months at a time, delivery is 30 baht. Drugs arrive by courier within 2 days. I have never had a problem with them.

[Duke007]

I have used local brand of atorvastatin named Lipostat 40 mg. 1 month supply is 400 baht at local pharmacy.

[lopburi3]

Another local brand of Atorvastatin is Xarator. 

 

Lipostat is pravastatin sodium on most sites but box says atorvastatin - confused to say the least.

[briofoz]

11 minutes ago, Duke007 said:

I have used local brand of atorvastatin named Lipostat 40 mg. 1 month supply is 400 baht at local pharmacy.

Lipostat made by Siam Pharmaceutical. Under 400 baht for 30. SP also manufacture Ezetimibe with name Mi Beaz. Around the same price

[Henricus]

Thai brand Atorvin 40 Mg box 10 x 10 tablet 1500 THB  Facino

[sirineou]

36 minutes ago, briofoz said:

Lipostat made by Siam Pharmaceutical. Under 400 baht for 30. SP also manufacture Ezetimibe with name Mi Beaz. Around the same price

 I really don't know much about these things , I an just repeating what I read. 

 

Is that crystallin or amorphous calcium Atorvastatin?  (it should say on the box) 

According to a study I read about, the crystallin form is more affective. 

https://li01.tci-thaijo.org/index.php/SRIMEDJ/article/view/187217

I did not know that, and I was taking the amorphous, and last I checked my cholesterol a month ago I did not see any change in my numbers.  I think the study says that you need more of the amorphous to achieve the same results as the crystallin, perhaps I was taking too much of the crystallin in the past. 

 

[fittobethaied]

8 hours ago, ThailandRyan said:

I take Atorvastatin and it runs 45 baht a tablet. I get a 90 day supply from the Pharmacy and it runs just around 4100 baht for my 3 month supply.

 

A 40mg Atorvastatin tab cost me only 15 Baht at the local Army Hospital in Udon Thani. Simvastatin is dirt cheap.

[ThailandRyan]

Just now, fittobethaied said:

A 40mg Atorvastatin tab cost me only 15 Baht at the local Army Hospital in Udon Thani. Simvastatin is dirt cheap.

Thats nice to hear they are cheaper elsewhere for the OP's purpose.  My insurance in the US refunds my costs after I supply them with a claim and why I buy from the hospital which does charge more.

[ThiAmo]

Sandoz 10mg 19 Baht per pill pharmacy in Ubon.

[skatewash]

1 hour ago, Twod0gs said:

I was fitted with a stent 18months ago and have been ordering SANDOZ ATORVASTATIN 40MG online (via Line app) from a company called Medisafe. They charge 820 baht for 30 x 40mg tabs. I order 3 months at a time, delivery is 30 baht. Drugs arrive by courier within 2 days. I have never had a problem with them.

I second the recommendation for Medisafe.  You can get a quote now by using the Chat/Messenger function in facebook.    I have my meds shipped from Bangkok for about 40 baht, never any problems so far.

https://www.facebook.com/Medisafe.Pharmacy.Rama4

[arithai12]

8 hours ago, ozimoron said:

Probably simvastatin. I take rosuvastatin which is expensive and sometimes they don't have a generic at Boots. Crestor costs about 1100 for a pack of 15.

I take 1 rosuvastatin / day, 10 mg. one pill translates to 52 B at Bangkok Hospital, where I also get other medicines prescribed so it's handy.

 

My insurance refunds 80% on prescriptions. So I spend effectively 312B out of my pocket each month on rosuvastatin. I can deal with that.

[wwest5829]

First: not a Doctor but a heart patient. Second: 5 by-passes in 2005, additional stent and two angioplasties in 2015. My Cardiologist here in Chiang Mai has me on Atorvastatin 40, plus Ezetrol 10 daily. Atorvastatin = 1000baht, Ezetrol = 1200baht ... per month. Local pharmacy.

[superal]

8 hours ago, pub2022 said:

From the previous thread dated 2018, I see there's a Thai atorvastatin 40mg named Chlovas.

That could be a good option for me, as I'm taking 2x40mg/day.

Does anybody know if it is a good quality brand?

 

That is the brand that I take and prescribed by my local hospital doctor . It cost me around 500 baht for a box of 30 tablets which are 40 mg .

 

[Sheryl]

9 hours ago, ozimoron said:

Probably simvastatin. I take rosuvastatin which is expensive and sometimes they don't have a generic at Boots. Crestor costs about 1100 for a pack of 15.

Simvastain, atorvastatin and rosuvastatin are all different drugs.

 

Crestor is a brand of rosuvastatin.

 

OP is asking about atorvastatin.

 

@pub2022 Locally made brands of atorvastin are:

Atorsan

Atorvin

Chlovas

Lipostat

Tovastin

 

No need to discuss with your doctor as these are all atorvastatin. Just local brands of it.  I do not know the exact cost but I think under 1,000 baht a month.