The pharmacist will see you now: Has Thailand found cure for hospital overcrowding?

[herfiehandbag]

42 minutes ago, phetpeter said:

Our Thai government hospital is good, sure if you turn up at 6am in the morning , peple believe they will get sooner, you have to remember that Thais may live a long way from the hospital. They have a system where blood etc, can be taken a week before your appointment. so no need to turn up until after lunch. But you will be seen by the Doctor. and if extra check ps by another department are usually arranged the same/next day or with a very short time frame and not in 2 months time as in the UK. operations or surgeical investiation are normally done within days.and if you have joined the social sercuity scheme approx 400 baht a month, its all free. I had heart attack, hospital, stent placement, and all 3monthly check ups and drugs Free 

So, what are the requirements for membership of the Social Security Scheme?

[Ralf001]

1 minute ago, herfiehandbag said:

So, what are the requirements for membership of the Social Security Scheme?

For me, it came with employment.

I assume same for everyone else, best part is if I leave my employment I can pay the monthly fee and maintain it.

[sandyf]

20 hours ago, Bangkok Barry said:

Register when you arrive, collect your medical records, check blood pressure (use a number of machines as, as mentioned above, they all give a different answer so what's the point? Check weight. Wait. See a nurse who asks if you have any problems like dizziness. Wait. Be called forward to queue to see the doctor. Wait. See the doctor for three minutes to say there's nothing wrong. Take medical records to another desk with the list of drugs prescribed. Wait. Be called forward after they've listed the info into a computer. Go to the dispensary. Wait.

 

Why the doctor can't just send the list of prescribed drugs directly to the dispensary, i have no idea. All the info about me and drugs prescribed are on the doctor's computer, so why does it have to be entered again? I swear that if Thailand introduced a time and motion study then at least half the people would lose their job. Maybe that's why they don't. Maybe they will, as labour becomes more expensive.

Find another hospital.

When I go i go straight to the outpatients, show my appointment card and told to take a seat in the waiting room. It is an appointment system and only those close to time are allowed into waiting room, as it comes to your queue number you are called forward to sit bt the doctors door. You go in and see the doctor who checks your records on the computer. If medication is required it is entered on the computer for the dispensary.

You then go to make next appointment, then the cashier and then collect medication, no paperwork, other than a receipt, or anything to sign.

My routine medication from the hospital is about 30% cheaper than any pharmacy in the area. Only one I have a problem with is Apixaban.

[BugJackBaron]

1 hour ago, sandyf said:

Research on what exactly. All the lifestyle changes in the world are not going to reverse conditions that have developed.

If I hadn't been on drugs, I wouldn't have had to take stroke prevention drugs for the last 15 years and may well be a cabbage or pushing up daisies.

Only one result that means anything to me.

 

Of course this is  a good philosophy and nobody is saying that there is no place for drugs, especially in emergency situations.

  As for "conditions that have developed" not being reversible by Carnivore/Ketogenic or other dietary changes as well as other lifestyle changes, I beg to disagree though of course it depends on what that condition is. You might be surprised to see obesity

and even heart disease being reversed(the later is very difficult but possible) by dietary change (leading to weight loss). Just search on YouTube.

[Bangkok Barry]

1 hour ago, sandyf said:

Find another hospital.

Not easy if you live in the countryside. It is what it is.

[Ralf001]

21 hours ago, Bangkok Barry said:

Register when you arrive, collect your medical records, check blood pressure (use a number of machines as, as mentioned above, they all give a different answer so what's the point? Check weight. Wait. See a nurse who asks if you have any problems like dizziness. Wait. Be called forward to queue to see the doctor. Wait. See the doctor for three minutes to say there's nothing wrong. Take medical records to another desk with the list of drugs prescribed. Wait. Be called forward after they've listed the info into a computer. Go to the dispensary. Wait.

 

Why the doctor can't just send the list of prescribed drugs directly to the dispensary, i have no idea. All the info about me and drugs prescribed are on the doctor's computer, so why does it have to be entered again?

I go once a month, never have I been given my medical records.

 

Nurse does give a slip of paper to take to cashier and pharmacy though... meds are ready waiting after the bill is squared away.

[billd766]

2 hours ago, superal said:

Impressive readings and same as a youths b/p . Am I right in assuming you are taking b/p medication and if so , would you mind sharing the info ? 

I am taking 2 x Tocarlol 6.25 mg after breakfast and 2 x Tocarlol 6.25 mg plus 1 x Simvastin 20 mg or Eucor 25 mg plus 1 x Orfarin/Morfarin 5mg tablet in the evening as the doctor recommends. All supplied by the local state hospital.
 

[billd766]

2 hours ago, Xonax said:

Increase the fee for visiting a government hospital from 50 Baht to 200 Baht and immediately the congestion will disappear!

The congestion is NOT caused by farangs but by Thais who have little money. Increase the price and yes, the congestion will decrease, but more people will die through not being able to afford to go to hospital.

[Pink Mist]

Troll post removed 

[sandyf]

21 hours ago, Bangkok Barry said:

Not easy if you live in the countryside. It is what it is.

Satisfaction is never easy, but then complaining is easier than putting yourself out.

We live in the country and my wife and her sister go to a hospital in Bangkok, an hour and a half away. I am not quite so far with Bang Saen, would have to be an emergency to use the nearest.

[sandyf]

22 hours ago, BugJackBaron said:

Of course this is  a good philosophy and nobody is saying that there is no place for drugs, especially in emergency situations.

  As for "conditions that have developed" not being reversible by Carnivore/Ketogenic or other dietary changes as well as other lifestyle changes, I beg to disagree though of course it depends on what that condition is. You might be surprised to see obesity

and even heart disease being reversed(the later is very difficult but possible) by dietary change (leading to weight loss). Just search on YouTube.

Height of arrogance and presumption to keep telling people what they need to do.

[actonion]

Pharmacy shops  in Thailand are  Two a Penny, and most are staffed by  a  Girl that was  last seen working in 7/11.. I use a variety of Pharmacies  in East  Pattaya, most don't  know a Blood thinning pill from a  Paracetamol, especially the 24 hour  ones,  so  how can they ever  help reduce hospital lines, with staff not knowing  much, if anything, about  the Medications they are selling, It's dangerous  having  untrained staff  selling drugs...The actual Pharmascist  works Monday to Friday  9-5

Edited July 10, 2023 by actonion

[sandyf]

21 hours ago, billd766 said:

The congestion is NOT caused by farangs but by Thais who have little money. Increase the price and yes, the congestion will decrease, but more people will die through not being able to afford to go to hospital.

I usually see about 1 foreigner on a hospital visit on the odd occasion maybe 2.

Those that talk about congestion seem to think it is everywhere when it is not. The Thais are a morning people and they want to go first thing but hospitals that have put in place an effective appointment system have overcome that.

The only congestion I get is at the cashiers but we can overcome that by going to a different floor. They didn't think it through for the cashier on the outpatients floor. There is usually about 6-8 doctors working outpatients and only 2 cashiers, at the speed the cashiers work it was inevitable a backlog would develop as the morning progressed.

Bit frustrating when after having seen the doctor you have to wait even longer to leave the building.

[sandyf]

13 minutes ago, actonion said:

Pharmacy shops  in Thailand are  Two a Penny, and most are staffed by  a  Girl that was  last seen working in 7/11.. I use a variety of Pharmacies  in East  Pattaya, most don't  know a Blood thinning pill from a  Paracetamol, especially the 24 hour  ones,  so  how can they ever  help reduce hospital lines, with staff not knowing  much, if anything, about  the Medications they are selling, It's dangerous  having  untrained staff  selling drugs...The actual Pharmascist  works Monday to Friday  9-5

The pharmacy is at fault, I think by law the pharmacist must be present at all times medication is sold.

A while back I went to the pharmacy counter in Tesco and tills were closed because the pharmacist had gone to the toilet. The staff were there but couldn't sell anything. I only wanted Fishermens Friend and was told to take them to the store checkout.

I have used many a back street pharmacy and can't ever remember a pharmacist not being present, invariably they were the only one that could speak  English.

[Bangkok Barry]

1 hour ago, sandyf said:

Satisfaction is never easy, but then complaining is easier than putting yourself out.

We live in the country and my wife and her sister go to a hospital in Bangkok, an hour and a half away. I am not quite so far with Bang Saen, would have to be an emergency to use the nearest.

Thank you for your comment. My local village hospital is excellent and 10 minutes away. It's just that they take a very circuitous route to achieve what should be a simple routine.

[huangnon]

On 7/8/2023 at 9:19 AM, Denim said:

I changed my diet and cured my arthritis. Didn't give anything up , just added every anti inflamatory food I could find.

Same with gout for me. (Gout is a form of arthritis). Fixed for good without requiring any (sometimes toxic) meds at all.

[sandyf]

3 hours ago, Bangkok Barry said:

Thank you for your comment. My local village hospital is excellent and 10 minutes away. It's just that they take a very circuitous route to achieve what should be a simple routine.

Glad to hear you have good facilities, that is the main thing. When it comes to admin it would appear that some hospitals are much more advanced than others. That is almost certainly due to funding and it shouldn't be forgotten that the Thai GDP per capita is a fraction of the English speaking countries.

[Bangkok Barry]

1 hour ago, sandyf said:

Glad to hear you have good facilities, that is the main thing. When it comes to admin it would appear that some hospitals are much more advanced than others. That is almost certainly due to funding and it shouldn't be forgotten that the Thai GDP per capita is a fraction of the English speaking countries.

I happened to be there when they did their once a year practise drill for an emergency situation. Ambulances arrived and volunteers covered in 'blood' and bandages were wheeled in with various degrees of injury. Quite impressed with the way it all played out. Especially for a village hospital.

[BugJackBaron]

10 hours ago, sandyf said:

Height of arrogance and presumption to keep telling people what they need to do.

What a reactionary comment. I simply presented the option of a path  so people can do their own research.

[actonion]

22 hours ago, sandyf said:

The pharmacy is at fault, I think by law the pharmacist must be present at all times medication is sold.

A while back I went to the pharmacy counter in Tesco and tills were closed because the pharmacist had gone to the toilet. The staff were there but couldn't sell anything. I only wanted Fishermens Friend and was told to take them to the store checkout.

I have used many a back street pharmacy and can't ever remember a pharmacist not being present, invariably they were the only one that could speak  English.

Good to know  that  , but it is certainly not the case   in many Pattaya  Pharmacies

[actonion]

23 hours ago, sandyf said:

I usually see about 1 foreigner on a hospital visit on the odd occasion maybe 2.

Those that talk about congestion seem to think it is everywhere when it is not. The Thais are a morning people and they want to go first thing but hospitals that have put in place an effective appointment system have overcome that.

The only congestion I get is at the cashiers but we can overcome that by going to a different floor. They didn't think it through for the cashier on the outpatients floor. There is usually about 6-8 doctors working outpatients and only 2 cashiers, at the speed the cashiers work it was inevitable a backlog would develop as the morning progressed.

Bit frustrating when after having seen the doctor you have to wait even longer to leave the building.

Cashiers seem to have so much paperwork  to clear once  you've paid your  bill, government hospitals, and private hospitals, not to mention Immigration departments

[sandyf]

16 hours ago, Bangkok Barry said:

I happened to be there when they did their once a year practise drill for an emergency situation. Ambulances arrived and volunteers covered in 'blood' and bandages were wheeled in with various degrees of injury. Quite impressed with the way it all played out. Especially for a village hospital.

Good to hear. Personally I would prefer that what funding was available was put into operational procedures rather than paperwork. 

Although the bureaucracy at time can be a bit tedious, time is not really a major issue.

[sandyf]

14 minutes ago, actonion said:

Cashiers seem to have so much paperwork  to clear once  you've paid your  bill, government hospitals, and private hospitals, not to mention Immigration departments

Not really the problem, it's the ratio of cashiers to doctors for outpatients when they both take about the same time to process a patient. The majority of outpatients are in and out in a few minutes.

 

[sandyf]

13 hours ago, BugJackBaron said:

What a reactionary comment. I simply presented the option of a path  so people can do their own research.

There it is, the presumption that people haven't done there own research.

[ignis]

I have blood work done 1x a year, so really only need to go to the Hospital once a year, yet must go every 3 months to see the Dr and get a another repeat prescription .. total time at least 6 hours, at the local Government Hospital  10 mins away..

 

Very Large waiting room with 4 Drs rooms, + at the end in another room with 2 Dr's. here we are all Diabetic. there is always 100's of people. but fairly fast as most are just repeat prescriptions only...  

 

Med's are a lot cheaper at Government Hospitals. + around where I live NO Pharmacy sells Insulin....

 

Few years ago used to use 'Chula' Red Cross, [Leave home 4:30 rarely back before 16:00] stopped going there because of travel + Covid.  but did go across to road Rama 4 to the cheaper Pharmacies to ask the price,  cost 1,200 baht more expensive every 3 months.

 

Hospitals just need to find a way to issue repeat prescriptions, would cut the waiting/people down a lot

 

 

[BugJackBaron]

2 hours ago, sandyf said:

There it is, the presumption that people haven't done there own research.

Based on the comments in the thread about conditions being irreversible , it was clear that there was some research people probably weren't aware of.

[billd766]

17 hours ago, BugJackBaron said:

What a reactionary comment. I simply presented the option of a path  so people can do their own research.

Thank you for the option that you presented, but did it not occur to you that many people have already done their research, and found that your suggestion does not work for them.

[BugJackBaron]

7 minutes ago, billd766 said:

Thank you for the option that you presented, but did it not occur to you that many people have already done their research, and found that your suggestion does not work for them.

Of course it did. But I was replying to a specific poster not talking about how many  know about this or that or who has tried this or that

[GarryP]

On 7/8/2023 at 3:40 PM, Ralf001 said:

Have both private insurance and SS.

Private covers my meds, not sure if SS would.

SS would, provided that the meds are on the Thailand National List of Essential Medicines.  

Edited July 11, 2023 by GarryP

[GarryP]

On 7/8/2023 at 6:51 PM, Muhendis said:

Recommendation for heart and many other ailments is not only diet but also exercise.

Trouble is there are occasions when medication is absolutely necessary.

 

My diet is good, I don't drink much alcohol and I exercise very regularly, but I can't get my BP down so will remain on 5mg amlodopine. Have seen a reduction in resting heart rate though. I think it is pretty much genetic. Father ate very clean, next to no alcohol, and regular exercise. Still had high blood pressure. He also had a low HR. So genetics seem to be a deciding factor. Like you infer, medicines may be necessary no matter how well you look after yourself.