Do You Have To Take Medication?

[Wellington]

I was not aware until this last week that International hospitals in Phuket mark up the cost to the patient of necessary and life saving pills. At least I had my suspicions but not that mark ups were as enormous as they seem to be.

Just as an example I need Apresoline for blood pressure control; I ran out carelessly last weekend and was forced to go to a hospital.as the Pharmacy had to order a new batch.

The tablets cost me, from the Phuket Town Pharmacy,............3.33bht each

from the Hospital.............................................................27.00bht each.

Anybody can do their sums,but I think this is too much.

There should be some control from source, ie the drug companies and the Govt.

[LivinginKata]

Do not, I repeat DO NOT buy anything form the hospital pharmacy, the mark-up is huge, at least 10 times compared with any local street pharmacy. If I happen to see a doctor at any of the big private hospitals in Thailand, it's automatic that mak mak pills are required. Ok I'll play that game, BUT ask for the details of medication, reject the automatic supply of pills, and push off to a wholesale pharmacy like Supercheap. Save loads of money for the same pills. The hospital don't like it, but can't refuse to give details of medication prescribed by doctor.

[ignis]

If you go to a little Thai Pharmacy most of there pills are in 500 or 1000 table tubs, if you buy or order a tub you get a discount on top of the every cheap price.

Lot cheaper than buying the single pills or the blister packs.

[ProThaiExpat]

My hospitalization last time went like this. Dr. forewarned to give me written script for any pill not available in local pharmacy. His medication order on my chart was "Only upon request".

I took in all my regular meds, on five now including blood pressure, gout and cholesterol. Dr. advised don't mention to hospital staff, just keep in night stand drawer for easy self use.

Send friend to local pharmacy to buy meds if stay in hospital is long. As a result, my bill contained one morphine injection and nothing else. I made sure their standard outrageous paracetamol dose was returned to hospital pharmacy and deducted from my bill.

I don't think hospital staff care a twit about this, they just go with the flow and I am sure they gossip at the nurses station that "the falang in room 702 is a but about costs so be careful what you charge him".

From a previous hospitalization I knew that a daily bill was available. When I asked a nurse for it, the reply was "only available when you leave". Of course I asked for the supervisor, she didn't show up but the bill did. It was a summary, so I asked for a detailed bill of every charge, and an hour later it arrived.

Since most hospitals accounting department have computerized records of your charges as they are incurred and the nurses station has a billing clerk who notes every item used by you, it is really no burden for them to print out a detailed bill everyday. Knowing you request this, they are more careful, in my view.

Asking for the amount of your surgeons operating fee before the surgery is a good idea as is letting anyone who might be connected to your billing know that you don't have insurance.

[geriatrickid]

I understand the problem with the hospital markup - the Thai hospie admins learned all their tricks from the American HMOs, but, be careful where you fill your prescriptions. There is counterfeit crap on the market. Strongly suggest you stick to a reputable chain or a pharmacist that's known in your community or that you can establish a relationship with. Pharmacists are your dispensing guardians, and if they have looked after you for a bit they will be able to keep an eye on contradicting medications or even adverse drug reactions. Some pharmacies are ok for OTC and basics, but specialty drugs = higher markups= greater incentive to cheat.

BTW there is a pricing scheme for some drugs, but I don't think you'd want in on the deal as they are for HIV.

Drug prices in Thailand for generics are comparable in pricing accessibility to generics elsewhere. The catch comes on those newer drugs that cost a few hundred million to R&D. The foreign pharma manufacturers and their owners (mutual funds, pension funds and general stock holders) need to recoup thoses costs somehow.

At least you aren't like some people that have to take 5 or more different multi doses.

[LivinginKata]

Last year my wife had a minor operation at Bangkok Phuket. Our health insurance picked up all the costs EXCEPT the cost for the small cups used when dispensing in-room mediaction.Yes, incredibly they also charge for the little cups, which are (I assume) thrown away after use. We wll never be caught up like that again, and supply own own cup....

[Wellington]

Last year my wife had a minor operation at Bangkok Phuket. Our health insurance picked up all the costs EXCEPT the cost for the small cups used when dispensing in-room mediaction.Yes, incredibly they also charge for the little cups, which are (I assume) thrown away after use. We wll never be caught up like that again, and supply own own cup....

And in my bill for 4 hours attention when my Aorta dissected last April was a charge for a whole box of rubber gloves when they used two pairs! Those four hours cost me over 70,000bht!!!!

[chiang mai]

Is anyone reading this thread buying Plavix, if so, where do you buy it from and how much do you pay, please? I usually buy it in Bangkok although prices for some strange reason are cheaper in Chiang Mai and I shall stock up later this month. Unsure why it's so difficult to find Plavix here in Phuket.

[Ping]

I understand the problem with the hospital markup - the Thai hospie admins learned all their tricks from the American HMOs, but, be careful where you fill your prescriptions. There is counterfeit crap on the market. Strongly suggest you stick to a reputable chain or a pharmacist that's known in your community or that you can establish a relationship with. Pharmacists are your dispensing guardians, and if they have looked after you for a bit they will be able to keep an eye on contradicting medications or even adverse drug reactions. Some pharmacies are ok for OTC and basics, but specialty drugs = higher markups= greater incentive to cheat.

BTW there is a pricing scheme for some drugs, but I don't think you'd want in on the deal as they are for HIV.

Drug prices in Thailand for generics are comparable in pricing accessibility to generics elsewhere. The catch comes on those newer drugs that cost a few hundred million to R&D. The foreign pharma manufacturers and their owners (mutual funds, pension funds and general stock holders) need to recoup thoses costs somehow.

At least you aren't like some people that have to take 5 or more different multi doses.

Maybe I am misunderstanding your post, GK, but generics in Th are far cheaper than elsewhere. (Example: generic penicillin [20 caps]; Th cB160, AU cB540)