Help With Pills

[DudeNo1]

Where can my gf get birth control pills in Bangkok? Preferably Ortho Tricyclen-Lo or something similar? We already tried Boots, but no luck. Thanks!

[chachachacha]

all pharmacies have birth control pills but not sure if they have them particular ones . I am sure they will get them for you though . May have a generic

[Timthai]

Take an empty packet with you would be the easiest thing. Any Thai pharmacy will have them, and you can buy them over the counter.

[dotx]

Ortho Tricyclen-Lo is not available in Thailand. In fact, no European/US brands are. You'll need to find the closest equivalent. I used to take Ortho Tricyclen-Lo and take Mercilon here.

Edited April 7, 2011 by dotx

[RKASA]

I would recommend based on my experience as a patient in Thailand that you make an appointment in the outpatient area of a good private hospital and use their Pharmacy. The appoint won't cost that much and the Pharmacy costs are the same if not less then outside.

When was the last time she had a pap?

I have to take 8 pills every day and some are not cheap and have done my shopping. Even my regular check ups with a cardo doc don't cost more then a few hundred baht. I had diabetic complications just the other day and with a walk in - no appointment - I had lab work, check up, and treatment in less then two hours and it cost 2070 baht . You can't beat that.:jap:

They also write the reports in English for my insurance and take CC which makes record keeping easy for my claims.

Just walk in and get it done right. It won't cost that much and I am sure she must be worth it. The doc will know what the get for her.

[MegaRanter]

Don't trust all the birth control things you see here, some in fact aid and abet getting pregnant. Anyways, I have proof of one of those morning after pills that you have to take 12 hours apart.

[lopburi3]

The appoint won't cost that much and the Pharmacy costs are the same if not less then outside.

Not at any hospital I have used. There is always a markup and often this is considerable. But then again you can overpay at drug stores too.

[jdinasia]

The appoint won't cost that much and the Pharmacy costs are the same if not less then outside.

Not at any hospital I have used. There is always a markup and often this is considerable. But then again you can overpay at drug stores too.

I would concur specifically regarding his/her use of the words "private hospital." The cost of medication at some can be more that 200% of the cost at the pharmacy just outside of the hospital grounds.

[nocturn]

I would recommend based on my experience as a patient in Thailand that you make an appointment in the outpatient area of a good private hospital and use their Pharmacy. The appoint won't cost that much and the Pharmacy costs are the same if not less then outside.

When was the last time she had a pap?

I have to take 8 pills every day and some are not cheap and have done my shopping. Even my regular check ups with a cardo doc don't cost more then a few hundred baht. I had diabetic complications just the other day and with a walk in - no appointment - I had lab work, check up, and treatment in less then two hours and it cost 2070 baht . You can't beat that.:jap:

They also write the reports in English for my insurance and take CC which makes record keeping easy for my claims.

Just walk in and get it done right. It won't cost that much and I am sure she must be worth it. The doc will know what the get for her.

i believe the bold section above is just plain misinformation.

Private hospitals in bangkok make a large portion of their money on markup on the drugs they prescribe.

if you want to see the doctor, sure. If you want the convenience of picking the drugs up at the hospital sure, otherwise have your consult. write down the drug name and dosage and pick the meds up in a private pharmacy.

[tonititan]

Does your girlfriend have health insurance in Thailand? If so, depending on her coverage, it might be cheaper for her to go to the hospital. I sometimes go the hospital to see a doctor and get medicine. Sure, I could go to Boots and theoretically pay less for the drugs. Or, I can go to a private hospital and have my entire visit, including medicine, covered by insurance.

[Phil Conners]

Let's move this topic to the Health section. Maybe they'll be able to suggest generic/thai versions or alternatives.

[Sheryl]

All Thai pharmacies, including all Boots branches, sell birth control pills, they are usually displayed in the counter at the cashier. You must have asked for a foreign brand name.

The closest Thai brand to Ortho-Tricyclen-Lo is called Tricilest. It is not 100% the same in that it contains a slightly higher estrogen dose (0.35 mcg as opposed to 0.25) but the progestin content is the same and it is 3 phase. Actually Tricilest is identical to ordinary Ortho-Tricylcen, while Ortho-Tricyclen-Lo is a version with a lower amount of estrogen and that exact formulation is not available in Thailand.

Ask specifically for Tricilest. Writing it down will help as Thais often do not recognize words pronounced by foreigners, but they'll recognize it written down.

[BuckarooBanzai]

The appoint won't cost that much and the Pharmacy costs are the same if not less then outside.

Not at any hospital I have used. There is always a markup and often this is considerable. But then again you can overpay at drug stores too.

I would concur specifically regarding his/her use of the words "private hospital." The cost of medication at some can be more that 200% of the cost at the pharmacy just outside of the hospital grounds.

I was an in-patient at a private hospital and the hospital drug fees exceeded my insurance coverage - so I was footing the already excessive bill. The hospital was charging me close to 300% of what the drugs would cost at an external pharmacy. From that point on my wife brought in all the drugs I required from an external pharmacy (with the exception of the exotics that only the hospital could provide). There was not much the hospital could say except don't tell anybody as they wanted to continue to capture the room, board, and doctors charges which were still covered by insurance. It sure would have been simpler if they had just provided the drugs at a fair price!

[DudeNo1]

I would recommend based on my experience as a patient in Thailand that you make an appointment in the outpatient area of a good private hospital and use their Pharmacy. The appoint won't cost that much and the Pharmacy costs are the same if not less then outside.

When was the last time she had a pap?

I have to take 8 pills every day and some are not cheap and have done my shopping. Even my regular check ups with a cardo doc don't cost more then a few hundred baht. I had diabetic complications just the other day and with a walk in - no appointment - I had lab work, check up, and treatment in less then two hours and it cost 2070 baht . You can't beat that.:jap:

They also write the reports in English for my insurance and take CC which makes record keeping easy for my claims.

Just walk in and get it done right. It won't cost that much and I am sure she must be worth it. The doc will know what the get for her.

She got her pap Oct 2010 in Canada and was given Ortho-Tricyclen Lo for the 2nd yr.

[DudeNo1]

We'll be getting Tricilest as it's the closest one to Ortho-Tricylen Lo like Sheryl suggested. She only needs it this month as we'll be heading back to Canada by next month. Thanks for all the help!