Medication

[bjderb]

i will be retiring to live in Chiang Mai,what is the easiest way to get required medication

[tau8]

i will be retiring to live in Chiang Mai,what is the easiest way to get required medication

Thailand has a variety of medication aspects to it.

1. Take your passport to Wat Sundok Hospital on Suthep Rd and register to see a doctor - it is on the 13th floor. Show the Dr your current medication and he/ she can order and write a script for you.

2. many, many pharmacies are in Chiang Mai and depending upon the medication required you can mostly purchase them over the counter - believe me that prices vary at the different pharmacies - so shop around.

3. There are also many private GP's in Chiang Mai and if your medication requires a script the Dr will write you up one and indicate for you a pharmacy that carries this medication.

4. The most popular Hospital for Westerners is called - Chiang Mai Ram 1 - it is a very expensive Hospital - private cover and hig cost medications - but fast and service oriented.

5. If you need blood tests done also there are many private Labs within the city and for a far less cost you can go to them and have the tests undertaken and take them to the Dr for review.

should you require any further information post your question.

Happy retirement

[Bill97]

Because of government restrictions, some medications available elsewhere are not sold in Thailand. There is a lot available here and most people can easily get what they need at a pharmacy. If do not mind posting what it is you need then you may get some specific replies about availability.

[NancyL]

As mentioned above, the answer to the OP's question depends upon the medications involved. Also, it might be relevant to know how the medications are acquired in the home country. Is the OP still able to get prescription drug coverage in his/her home country after moving to Thailand? If so, the OP may want to arrange for someone in the home country to send the medications here.

My husband and I retired here about six weeks ago (...I'm steeling myself for the inevitable comments about how I have no right to post since I'm a newbie...) and here is my experience. We came two years ago to check out retirement options and I took all my medications (both prescription and non) plus vitamins and dietary supplements to Chiang Mai Ram and talked with a pharmacist. I learned that with one exception all the prescription drugs are available here. Yes, I know CM Ram is expensive. I don't plan to purchase them there, but I wanted to get a price quote since that's the most expensive place around and talk with a good pharmacist who spoke English.

The one drug I can't get here is a slow-release blood pressure medication but the older, not-slow release version of the same chemistry is available here. So, back in the States I worked with my internist to see if I could switch to the older version. It was a no-go, so I stocked up on that one before coming here. After arriving, my diet and exercise regime has improved, I've lost 5 pounds and am getting enough sleep. My blood pressure has dropped, so I've cut down on the dose of this impossible-to-get medicine to make my supply last longer, monitoring my blood pressure daily. My Thai internist thinks I could replace it with the not-slow release version if I take very small doses three or four times a day. I'll try that when my supply gets low, but hope it goes off patent soon so I don't have to mess around with taking a drug that frequently.

Some of the non-prescription vitamins and dietary supplements I take aren't available here, either. I've tried some substitutes suggested by the pharmacist and opened an account at Drugstore.com to purchase the ones I find I can't replace. That's helpful for other items I can't find, like the refills for the Reach Flosser. I have the Drugstore.com purchases sent to the professional mail forwarding service we use from Florida. They repackage them to reduce volume and include them in our monthly DHL shipment of magazines, US mail etc.

We didn't have prescription drug coverage in the US and my internist was very good at scoring samples from drug company sales reps, watching for internet offers and in general, trying to get free or discounted drugs for his uninsured patients. One of my medications is fairly expensive, but I rarely actually paid for it in the U.S. It's expensive here in Thailand, too. I discussed this with my Thai doctor but I don't think anyone's going to give me free prescription drug samples here in Thailand. Actually he had a good laugh about the concept of a Thai doctor giving free drugs to a westerner. Fortunately, that drug comes off patent soon, so I'm hoping the price goes down. Meanwhile, I stocked up as best I could in the States and am prepared to have our total cost for prescription drugs actually be a bit more here than it was in the U.S. once I have to purchase that drug.

[bjderb]

i will be retiring to live in Chiang Mai,what is the easiest way to get required medication

Thailand has a variety of medication aspects to it.

1. Take your passport to Wat Sundok Hospital on Suthep Rd and register to see a doctor - it is on the 13th floor. Show the Dr your current medication and he/ she can order and write a script for you.

2. many, many pharmacies are in Chiang Mai and depending upon the medication required you can mostly purchase them over the counter - believe me that prices vary at the different pharmacies - so shop around.

3. There are also many private GP's in Chiang Mai and if your medication requires a script the Dr will write you up one and indicate for you a pharmacy that carries this medication.

4. The most popular Hospital for Westerners is called - Chiang Mai Ram 1 - it is a very expensive Hospital - private cover and hig cost medications - but fast and service oriented.

5. If you need blood tests done also there are many private Labs within the city and for a far less cost you can go to them and have the tests undertaken and take them to the Dr for review.

should you require any further information post your question.

Happy retirement

Thanks a lot, very helpful. Bri.............

[Larry]

One of the best pharmacies I found in CM as to selection, price and helpfulness is the PharmaChoice on the basement level of Kad Suan Kaew (central). Gopp, the pharamcist who works there on Mondays to Saturdays, speaks excellent English, and goes out of her way to help.

[Ulysses G.]

My husband and I retired here about six weeks ago (...I'm steeling myself for the inevitable comments about how I have no right to post since I'm a newbie...)

We LIKE to help polite newbies such as yourself on the Chiang Mai forum.

[bjderb]

My husband and I retired here about six weeks ago (...I'm steeling myself for the inevitable comments about how I have no right to post since I'm a newbie...)

We LIKE to help polite newbies such as yourself on the Chiang Mai forum.

Thank you so much you sound like a lovely lady, god bless you both. Bri......

[Rasseru]

One of the best pharmacies I found in CM as to selection, price and helpfulness is the PharmaChoice on the basement level of Kad Suan Kaew (central). Gopp, the pharamcist who works there on Mondays to Saturdays, speaks excellent English, and goes out of her way to help.

Thanks for this tip, Larry. I acted on it today and am very glad I did. K. Gopp was very helpful.

[Blinky Bill]

My husband and I retired here about six weeks ago (...I'm steeling myself for the inevitable comments about how I have no right to post since I'm a newbie...)

We LIKE to help polite newbies such as yourself on the Chiang Mai forum.

Thank you so much you sound like a lovely lady, god bless you both. Bri......

UG ain't no lady BJ Derb. Nancy maybe a lady but like I said UG ain't.

BTW welcome, and come on down to Tuskers for the next casual meeting.

And on the side, bjderb, BJ is not the best way to start you handle, there are lots of nasties on this forum who may take advantage and use your nik or part of it to have a bit of a dig at you. Nothing malicious of of course.

[orang37]

Welcome to Chiang Mai Khun BjDerb and Khun Nancy L. !

I'd like to recommend the Green Pharma, in the basement level of the Kad Suan Kaew shopping center, just across from the entrance to the food court.

I have been going to Khun Somkuan there for many years; he speaks excellent English; is medically astute and techically informed, has the lastest pharmaceutical manuals at hand, and he has been always so helpful, concerned to make sure I got the right meds. He's gone out of his way to help me many times. I consider him a true friend.

regards ~o:37;

Edited March 13, 2009 by orang37

[elektrified]

Welcome to Chiang Mai Khun BjDerb and Khun Nancy L. !

I'd like to recommend the Green Pharma, in the basement level of the Kad Suan Kaew shopping center, just across from the entrance to the food court.

I have been going to Khun Somkuan there for many years; he speaks excellent English; is medically astute and techically informed, has the lastest pharmaceutical manuals at hand, and he has been always so helpful, concerned to make sure I got the right meds. He's gone out of his way to help me many times. I consider him a true friend.

regards ~o:37;

Indeed the Pharmacist that owns that Pharmacy is extremely well educated, informed and up to date, does speak fluent English, and is a downright nice guy. However his prices are absolutely the highest of any pharmacy in Chiang Mai. His prices on some common and readily available medications are 300%!! higher than any other pharmacy.

[orang37]

Indeed the Pharmacist that owns that Pharmacy is extremely well educated, informed and up to date, does speak fluent English, and is a downright nice guy. However his prices are absolutely the highest of any pharmacy in Chiang Mai. His prices on some common and readily available medications are 300%!! higher than any other pharmacy.

Sawasdee Khrup, Khun Elektrified,

Without contradicting you, or (I hope) starting an inane back-and-forth. I must say my experience has been different from yours in this regard. There are some medications at Green Pharma that are much more expensive there because they are imported and are not "generic" copies made in some other country. But Khun Somkuan has always been great about showing me both the imported and the generic versions, or even suggesting I can buy the generic elsewhere if I need to save money and he doesn't have the generic in stock.

Second, some of his vitamins and such are also expensive imported brands, and these will always be pricey.

Third, for me, paying 10% more for medicines that are, perhaps, more recently manufactured, from someone I trust, have known for years, and who I am confident "cuts no corners" is acceptable. There are faked drugs being sold in Thailand (surprise).

In any case, let the "buyer beware," and comparison shop. But I cannot agree with a "blanket statement" that his prices are 300% more expensive.

regards, ~o:37;