Are There Any Pharmacies In Pattaya That Have A Decent Stock Of Insulin?

[Mobi]

have been buying all my meds from Fascino in Pattaya Nua ever since I moved to Pattaya some 4 years ago. My monthly bill is in the order of 20,000 Baht, and everyone in the store knows me quite well, and is familiar with my monthly order, all of which is stored on their computers.

There have been odd occasions when they have been out of stock of a particular item, and it is usually no major problem, as I always re- stock before I am completely out, and in the past they have been very good at getting replacements in within a few days, and calling me to tell me when it has arrived.

Then one day I came in with my regular order, only to be informed that they no longer stocked my eye drops for glaucoma, as there was "insufficient demand". You can imagine I was pretty upset, as they knew I ordered the drops every month, so surely for a good customer they could keep it in stock – if only for me.. It was actually surprising as the eye drops in question are the most common brand used by people suffering from glaucoma, so I very much doubt if I really was the only customer.

I came to believe that the story about not stocking them any more was just BS, as about 3 months later they appeared back on the shelves, and they have had a stock there ever since. More likely some internal re-ordering incompetence which they tried to cover up with lies.

Then more recently I was told that test strips for my blood test meter to check my blood sugar levels were out of stock, and there were none available in the whole country. Again, I believe this story was BS, as I not only, are they the most widely used brand in Thailand , including all the major hospitals, but found them readily available in pharmacies in Bangkok, and also in another pharmacy in Pattaya.

Then yesterday I went in with my monthly order, only to be told that my insulin was out of stock. I was shocked, as I had inadvertently left the re-order to the last minute and I only had a couple of days supply left. They had never been out of stock before. I asked how long it would be before replacements arrived, and they came up with the same BS story – they didn't know – the whole country was out of stock. What they didn't know was that I heard a member of staff tell another that a farang had come in the previous day and purchased their entire stock of insulin.

Call me a cynic, but I now believe that they are told to give out this story about "the whole country being out of stock" to stop customers going elsewhere to buy their drugs, as they may never return.

You might have thought that as a major provider of drugs to the sick in Pattaya, they would be aware that a number of their diabetic customers relied on them to have their insulin in stock, and that it might have been prudent not to allow one customer to buy up their entire stock, and thus put other patients' health at risk. But maybe that's expecting too much.

In the UK, and I am sure elsewhere in the west, if a pharmacy hasn't got a particular drug in stock, they will nearly always have it delivered that same day, or at the very latest , within 24 hours. It is part of the responsibility and service that they provide – sort of goes with the moral territory of selling drugs to sick people.

OK, I never expected Fascino to have the same sense of responsibility, or to be as efficient in their re-stocking process, but to lie to me that there is none in stock anywhere in the country and to tell me they have no idea how may days or weeks it will be before they are able to re-stock, is to me pretty disgusting. Then, as if to add insult to injury, when I tried to tell them that the absence of insulin would endanger my health, they just laughed at me – not one but all of them. They all thought it was a big joke. After all, they had made a big sale on the previous day.

Rant over.

To save me driving all over this town searching, does anymore happen to know of a pharmacy that has a good, varied stock of the various types of insulin marketed here?

Edited January 12, 2010 by Mobi

[antony77]

Fascino charge nearly double what a wholesale Chinese pharmacy would in Bangkok. So why not make a trip to Bangkok every three months like we do and save Bt30,000. Insulin pens 700 baht, metformin Bt1 per 500mg . etc

mail me what diabetes drugs you need and I will tell you price and direction to these pharmacies.

Insulin is usually available at government hospitals and large private hospitals. You need to see the doctor first.

Edited January 12, 2010 by antony77

[petertucker48]

I know this is not you are asking for ,just thought you may be interested:

http://www.diabshop.com/en/

[Mobi]

Well it looks like I have to eat my words.

Yesterday evening I received a call from Fascino to advise me that my insulin was now in stock.

I wonder if anyone from there reads Thai Visa

Maybe in the circumstances the best idea would be to close this thread, as I hate to bad mouth anyone without proper justification - there's enough of that without me adding to it....

[Jimmyd]

If I were you, I'd still follow up on the cheap stuff in Chinatown. If it turns out to be legit and you can work out the logistics so it's not too much trouble, you might save a bundle.

[Rimmer]

Closed at the OPs request.

CLOSED