Kidney transplant cost of Meds in thailand

[nomad2019]

Hi all

I have kidney transplant 

Recently.   I want stay in thailand on a longer term basis therefore I need my meds. Anti rejection. 

 

1. Mycocenalate CELLCEPT 500mg and 250 mg. ( 750mg twice daily) 

2. Prograff 0.5 mg

3. Prograff 1mg ( 1.05 twice daily) 

4. Predisnalone 2.5mg ( once daily) 

5. Amlodapine 10.mg

 

Anyone on same boat can advise me where to buy, cheaper the better not bkk pattaya hospital. 

 

Wondering could I get health insurance, I doubt it very much. 

 

Thanks in advance 

Edited February 27 by nomad2019

[ChaiyaTH]

China

[Sandboxer]

Several of those are available at SUPERCHEAP pharmacies. The bigger the store, the more likelihood of all being in stock.

[Sheryl]

Amlodopine is available at any pharmacy and cheap.

 

All the other drugs on your list can only be gotten at a hospital. (Note that you have misspelled several of them. Be sure you get a list from your doctor and by generic, not brand, name as brand names will differ here).

 

You will need to be under the care of a nephrologist trained in transplant medicine.  This is necessary nto only to get the medications but also to monitor your condition and adjust meds as needed. I am not aware of there being any in Pattaya (which sounds like where you plan to live) , as no hospital there performs transplants.  You would need to go into Bangkok for this and frankly would be much, much wiser to live in Bangkok than Pattaya with your medical history.

 

In Bangkok  the least expensive option -- but very time consuming and with formidable red tape - would be the public channel of either Chulalongkorn or Ramatibodhi hospital. Both are government teaching hospitals which perform transplants.  Better option but costing a bit more would be the after hours clinics at either of these two places.

 

You will not be able to get health insurance that covers you in Thailand (other than accident insurance). To be adequately self insured you need an absolute minimum of 1 million baht, preferrable more, set aside and immediately available -- and a means of replenishing it as used.

 

Frankly I would advise against a transplant recipient such as yourself from moving to Thailand. Medical care costs are likely to easily offset the lower cost of living and you may face difficulty getting the level and quality of care you need.

 

 

 

[Sheryl]

2 hours ago, Sandboxer said:

Several of those are available at SUPERCHEAP pharmacies. The bigger the store, the more likelihood of all being in stock.

I am quite sure Supercheap pharmacies - and any pharmacy fo  that matter - do nto carry anti-rejection medications. These are restricted to hospitals and with very, very good reason.

 

The only drug on that list he can get at a pharmacy is the amlodopine.

[Sandboxer]

50 minutes ago, Sheryl said:

The only drug on that list he can get at a pharmacy is the amlodopine.

As well as prednisolone.

 

You are correct about the other rejection drugs.

[Sheryl]

2 hours ago, Sandboxer said:

As well as prednisolone.

 

You are correct about the other rejection drugs.

Prednisolone is a "special controlled" drug in Thailand. Requires a prescription and is usually unavailable in pharmacies (referring to oral form. Topical forms are OTC). 

[doontp]

11 hours ago, Sheryl said:

Amlodopine is available at any pharmacy and cheap.

 

All the other drugs on your list can only be gotten at a hospital. (Note that you have misspelled several of them. Be sure you get a list from your doctor and by generic, not brand, name as brand names will differ here).

 

You will need to be under the care of a nephrologist trained in transplant medicine.  This is necessary nto only to get the medications but also to monitor your condition and adjust meds as needed. I am not aware of there being any in Pattaya (which sounds like where you plan to live) , as no hospital there performs transplants.  You would need to go into Bangkok for this and frankly would be much, much wiser to live in Bangkok than Pattaya with your medical history.

 

In Bangkok  the least expensive option -- but very time consuming and with formidable red tape - would be the public channel of either Chulalongkorn or Ramatibodhi hospital. Both are government teaching hospitals which perform transplants.  Better option but costing a bit more would be the after hours clinics at either of these two places.

 

You will not be able to get health insurance that covers you in Thailand (other than accident insurance). To be adequately self insured you need an absolute minimum of 1 million baht, preferrable more, set aside and immediately available -- and a means of replenishing it as used.

 

Frankly I would advise against a transplant recipient such as yourself from moving to Thailand. Medical care costs are likely to easily offset the lower cost of living and you may face difficulty getting the level and quality of care you need.

 

 

 

Sheryl, thank you for the info.  You have been on this platform for many years.

 

I am currently in the US waiting for a kidney transplant.  I am a Thai/American dual citizen with plans on returning to Thailand post-transplant.

 

The original poster asked about the cost of those post-transplant meds. 

 

(1) How can I find out a rough monthly cost of those meds in Thailand?

 

(2) Will those meds be cheaper for me as a Thai National?

 

I am not paying anything for my kidney transplant and dialysis treatment here in the US because I have good health insurance.

 

I will be 50 this year and a cadaver kidney is not expected to last me the remainder of my life.

 

I read that a kidney transplant wait time at Bumrungrad Hospital is not too long.

 

(3) Assuming I'll need another kidney transplant in the future, roughly what is the cost for a kidney transplant in Thailand? 

 

I am fortunate to be able to do my hemodialysis in the comfort and privacy of my home.  

 

(4) Is home hemodialysis available in Thailand?  I appreciate your time.  Thank you in advance.

[doontp]

15 hours ago, nomad2019 said:

Hi all

I have kidney transplant 

Recently.   I want stay in thailand on a longer term basis therefore I need my meds. Anti rejection. 

 

1. Mycocenalate CELLCEPT 500mg and 250 mg. ( 750mg twice daily) 

2. Prograff 0.5 mg

3. Prograff 1mg ( 1.05 twice daily) 

4. Predisnalone 2.5mg ( once daily) 

5. Amlodapine 10.mg

 

Anyone on same boat can advise me where to buy, cheaper the better not bkk pattaya hospital. 

 

Wondering could I get health insurance, I doubt it very much. 

 

Thanks in advance 

Congratulations on your kidney transplant.  If I may ask, where did you get your transplant?  In Thailand?

[doontp]

Just now, doontp said:

Congratulations on your kidney transplant.  If I may ask, where did you get your transplant?  In Thailand?

Did you have a living or cadaver donor?  How long was the wait time?  

[brianthainess]

5 hours ago, doontp said:

 

(2) Will those meds be cheaper for me as a Thai National?

I would say yes if you use a Public Hospital. Bring your Prescriptions.

[Sheryl]

8 hours ago, doontp said:

Sheryl, thank you for the info.  You have been on this platform for many years.

 

I am currently in the US waiting for a kidney transplant.  I am a Thai/American dual citizen with plans on returning to Thailand post-transplant.

 

The original poster asked about the cost of those post-transplant meds. 

 

(1) How can I find out a rough monthly cost of those meds in Thailand?

 

(2) Will those meds be cheaper for me as a Thai National?

 

I am not paying anything for my kidney transplant and dialysis treatment here in the US because I have good health insurance.

 

I will be 50 this year and a cadaver kidney is not expected to last me the remainder of my life.

 

I read that a kidney transplant wait time at Bumrungrad Hospital is not too long.

 

(3) Assuming I'll need another kidney transplant in the future, roughly what is the cost for a kidney transplant in Thailand? 

 

I am fortunate to be able to do my hemodialysis in the comfort and privacy of my home.  

 

(4) Is home hemodialysis available in Thailand?  I appreciate your time.  Thank you in advance.

As a Thai National you will come under the Universal (AKA "30 baht" or "gold card" scheme. This will provide mostly free treatment at the hospital which covers the area where you are listed in a tabian ban (house book) or at a higher level facility that they refer you to.

 

It will therefore be very, very important where you live. The only  locations with government hospitals with expertise in managing transplants AFAIK are Bangkok, Khon Kaen, Chiang Mai and Songkhla.  Even there you might need referral from one hospital to another but at least it would be within province.

 

While care under the scheme is free, medications not on the Ministry of PH list are not. The most commonly used anti-rejection meds are on the list but the possibility exists you might need something not on it.

 

Should your kidney not last, getting a transplant through the government system is very, very difficult and waits are enormous. At a private hospital costs are  about the equivalent of USD $40,000. And unless you have a live donor lined up, waits also very, very long.

 

There is no home hemodialysis here. In fact even hemodialysis is not available under the government system unless there is a clear medical reason why peritoneal dialysis cannot be done. The government health cover basically relies on peritoneal dialysis. Hemodialysis can be done at private hospitals but costly, will tun you about USD $5,000 a month all in.

[doontp]

22 minutes ago, Sheryl said:

As a Thai National you will come under the Universal (AKA "30 baht" or "gold card" scheme. This will provide mostly free treatment at the hospital which covers the area where you are listed in a tabian ban (house book) or at a higher level facility that they refer you to.

 

It will therefore be very, very important where you live. The only  locations with government hospitals with expertise in managing transplants AFAIK are Bangkok, Khon Kaen, Chiang Mai and Songkhla.  Even there you might need referral from one hospital to another but at least it would be within province.

 

While care under the scheme is free, medications not on the Ministry of PH list are not. The most commonly used anti-rejection meds are on the list but the possibility exists you might need something not on it.

 

Should your kidney not last, getting a transplant through the government system is very, very difficult and waits are enormous. At a private hospital costs are  about the equivalent of USD $40,000. And unless you have a live donor lined up, waits also very, very long.

 

There is no home hemodialysis here. In fact even hemodialysis is not available under the government system unless there is a clear medical reason why peritoneal dialysis cannot be done. The government health cover basically relies on peritoneal dialysis. Hemodialysis can be done at private hospitals but costly, will tun you about USD $5,000 a month all in.

Thank you for the info and your time.  My wife listed me on the Tambian Baan at our Nonthaburi residence.  She mentioned not listing me on our Buriram residence.

 

We will always maintain our US residence.