Lipitor - Oh Where Can You Be?

[mamypoko]

Do any of you kind folks know if a. the generic form of Lipitor, or atorvastatin is available in Bangkok and b. where? I'm hoping to find a pharmacy that carries it as the price would likely be lower than any hospital.

Many thanks in advance!

[JohnC]

Facsino pharmacy

[AyG]

Atorvastatin is available in virtually every pharmacy. And yes, definitely cheaper than getting it from a hospital. Atorsan (brand name) is made by the GPO (government pharmaceutical organisation) and is probably the cheapest.

[mamypoko]

Thanks for the info! I'm off to check it out!

[cheeryble]

As a matter of interest I follow the US healthcare debate with great interest (and dismay).

One of my bits of ammo....yes I am on the pro universal healthcare side.....I just came across was that the bargaining power of the single payer British NHS, so maligned in the US despite performing so much better at way less cost, has brought the price of the average statin prescription per month down to 1.30

I didn't leave a nought out, that's about $2!

If you're American, just tell your congressman there's a simple solution to your very major crisis. Just copy the best of Europe...........if he isn't too busy counting his lobbying perks.

Edited August 26, 2012 by cheeryble

[mamypoko]

As a matter of interest I follow the US healthcare debate with great interest (and dismay).

One of my bits of ammo....yes I am on the pro universal healthcare side.....I just came across was that the bargaining power of the single payer British NHS, so maligned in the US despite performing so much better at way less cost, has brought the price of the average statin prescription per month down to 1.30

I didn't leave a nought out, that's about $2!

If you're American, just tell your congressman there's a simple solution to your very major crisis. Just copy the best of Europe...........if he isn't too busy counting his lobbying perks.

Regarding the healthcare situation in the US, I could not agree with you more! While in the States, I'm covered by the VA and it's often cited as a real success story with regards to being allowed to negotiate with its suppliers.

A friend of mine in California became dehydrated and had to go to the emergency room. There, he waited nearly two hours to be seen by a doctor and was finally given two bags of saline solution (drip). Total cost for this little misadventure - $4,300!

We pay more per person for healthcare. Many, many people have no or low coverage and many of the health programs in Europe beat us on many levels!

The whole situation disgusts me.

[mamypoko]

Thanks everyone for all of you replies.

Update:

I found generic Lipitor (Atorvastatin) by Sandoz, 40mg at 29 baht per.

I take 10mg per day, so that works out to just under US$100/yr.

[richard_smith237]

OP Lipitor is available at BOOT's Pharmacy (Emporium - I assume most branches carry it).

Its not cheap - I just purchased a box 10 strips (10 x 20mg tablets in each strip) for about 6600 baht - But it is cheaper than the hospital Pharmacies.

Or it is also available at 900 baht per strip (of 10 tablets)

I noticed boots also sell in 10mg, 40mg forms (and 60mg if I'm not mistaken).

[lopburi3]

That would seem a bit high price as I buy the 40mg at hospital and 3 weeks ago it was 6,600 for 60 (so could be split and get 120 for same price you paid at drug store for 100).

[cheeryble]

As a matter of interest I follow the US healthcare debate with great interest (and dismay).

One of my bits of ammo....yes I am on the pro universal healthcare side.....I just came across was that the bargaining power of the single payer British NHS, so maligned in the US despite performing so much better at way less cost, has brought the price of the average statin prescription per month down to 1.30

I didn't leave a nought out, that's about $2!

If you're American, just tell your congressman there's a simple solution to your very major crisis. Just copy the best of Europe...........if he isn't too busy counting his lobbying perks.

Regarding the healthcare situation in the US, I could not agree with you more! While in the States, I'm covered by the VA and it's often cited as a real success story with regards to being allowed to negotiate with its suppliers.

A friend of mine in California became dehydrated and had to go to the emergency room. There, he waited nearly two hours to be seen by a doctor and was finally given two bags of saline solution (drip). Total cost for this little misadventure - $4,300!

We pay more per person for healthcare. Many, many people have no or low coverage and many of the health programs in Europe beat us on many levels!

The whole situation disgusts me.

It's a testimony to the power of attritional conditioning, a term I just made up to describe the slowly slowly getting normalised to the status quo, that your friend could be asked for $4300 with a straight face. If this happened to a non-American they would have kittens before bursting their aorta in an apoplectic fit.

The Best In Healthcare is of course one of the American myths.

When I debate the subject I am regularly told that in Europe there is NO CHOICE (I copy the capitals of the last commenter a few days ago). Happily I have the fascinating OECD document to hand

http://www.oecd.org/economy/productivityandlongtermgrowth/46508904.pdf

Ignoring the awful figure 1 which show the US as an outlier exactly where it doesn't want to be (high mortality/double cost) it shows how Europe could save even more money averaging an astonishing 2% with skillful streamlining.

More to answering NO CHOICE out of the 29 advanced countries surveyed (the US chose not to take part) 24 including the UK were judged to have "ample user choice". Denmark is an example of "limited user choice". Ask a Dane where they would like to be sick for a comment on that.

This all of course assumes that there's a free market which there patently is not with limited skill supply/lobbying pharma/no time to choose in emergencies. One also wonders if it's a good idea for laymen to have choice about specialised subjects like medicine. The crash in US housing is a prime example of the layman's ability with judging another specialist subject, the financial environment.

Yes, the whole situation disgusts me too. This is a problem that's been fabricated by unskilful and unethical behaviour one brick at a time. The budget repercussions have the most enormous consequences.

Cheeryble

[mamypoko]

Update: I had a friend in India send me a years supply of generic Lipitor. Including shipping (regular post) I received 375 10mg tablets of Cipla manufactured atorvastatin...total landed cost US$52!

[cheeryble]

Long live Cipla.......wonderful that they actually fight the predator pharmas in the courts!

[finner]

In case anyone is interested, I just bought Atorvastatin today in Canada, 80mg @ B37 each. No drug plan or anything, just a walk-in. This seems cheaper than prices I've seen in this forum which really surprises me. Maybe I'll buy 6 months worth for when I return to Thailand (If it's allowed)

[Thanyaburi Mac]

Check out BESTATIN at your local pharmacy, really cheap. And, seems to work fine, too.

Mac

[meatboy]

Check out BESTATIN at your local pharmacy, really cheap. And, seems to work fine, too.

Mac

works fine for me to,150bht x 30tabs x 40mg.and they dont give you sore joints.

[Sheryl]

Bestatin is simvastatin, not atorvastatin. Different drugs although from the same family.

[meatboy]

Bestatin is simvastatin, not atorvastatin. Different drugs although from the same family.

same class of drug known as statins to lower blood colesteral,

[Sheryl]

Yes, same class, but not the same drug.

[Thanyaburi Mac]

Meatboy

"works fine for me to,150bht x 30tabs x 40mg.and they dont give you sore joints."

Looks like they saw you coming!

I stopped by my favorite pharmacy in the Rangsit market for some Bestatin 20 mg. Cost for 100 tabs (10 sheets of 10 tabs each) baht 150. The gal said usually baht 200.

Just out of curiosity, I asked about Bestatin 40 mg. She pulled down a box off the shelf, same size, 100 tabs, baht 470, altho today she said it'd be baht 400 for me.

She agreed, two boxes of the 20 mg would be cheaper than one box of 40 mgs, just double the dosage.

Let me know if you're in the Rangsit area, I'll point out the shop. Very large selection, I've been trading there for 15 years or so.

Mac

[finner]

Yes, Mac, you are correct that Bestatin is the Thai Statin most available, matter of fact I've been using exactly what you pointed out, 30 tabs, 40 mg bought at Fascino in Pattaya for B110 till the latest ticker problem recently in Canada. I'll probably transfer back to them from Atorvastatin (Lipitor) when I get back to Thailand. One thing to note about Lipitor -- NO grapefruit and limit the booze, don't know if Bestatin is the same but probably is.

finner

[meatboy]

Meatboy

"works fine for me to,150bht x 30tabs x 40mg.and they dont give you sore joints."

Looks like they saw you coming!

I stopped by my favorite pharmacy in the Rangsit market for some Bestatin 20 mg. Cost for 100 tabs (10 sheets of 10 tabs each) baht 150. The gal said usually baht 200.

Just out of curiosity, I asked about Bestatin 40 mg. She pulled down a box off the shelf, same size, 100 tabs, baht 470, altho today she said it'd be baht 400 for me.

She agreed, two boxes of the 20 mg would be cheaper than one box of 40 mgs, just double the dosage.

Let me know if you're in the Rangsit area, I'll point out the shop. Very large selection, I've been trading there for 15 years or so.

Mac

thanks for that mac,i only take 20mg a day so they will be fine,just showed mrs meat and she's not amused as we buy quite a lot from the same pharmacy[7diff.meds.]

[meatboy]

Meatboy

"works fine for me to,150bht x 30tabs x 40mg.and they dont give you sore joints."

Looks like they saw you coming!

I stopped by my favorite pharmacy in the Rangsit market for some Bestatin 20 mg. Cost for 100 tabs (10 sheets of 10 tabs each) baht 150. The gal said usually baht 200.

Just out of curiosity, I asked about Bestatin 40 mg. She pulled down a box off the shelf, same size, 100 tabs, baht 470, altho today she said it'd be baht 400 for me.

She agreed, two boxes of the 20 mg would be cheaper than one box of 40 mgs, just double the dosage.

Let me know if you're in the Rangsit area, I'll point out the shop. Very large selection, I've been trading there for 15 years or so.

Mac

are you getting distracted when she reaches up to the top shelf by her revealing her fine pins in that short white skirt,is thats why its your favourite pharmacy where she gives you preferential treatment,just saw a post nov.2010 where a tv.member pays

130-140bht.for 20 x 20mg.anyway i will be on the next bus hope she gives me the same service.meatboy

[Thanyaburi Mac]

Nah, but lots of the gals there, and in the other 2-3 outlets, speak pretty good Lao-Issan, so I have fun gabbing with them.

Re your pharmacy, if you'd like, send me a PM with a list of what you're buying, where ever you are, I'll price them at Rangsit, perhaps you can beat your outlet down a bit.

Mac

[ESDinBKK]

I might be wrong, but I remember reading recently that Lipitor had problems that physicians stopped prescribing in the states. My cardiologist took me off it over three years ago because of some adverse studies. Not sure what the problems were with the med.

[moe666]

My cholesterol is low around 130 which has its on set of problems. If you are over the age of 40 taking a statin just might increase your life span 3 to 6 months

[meatboy]

Nah, but lots of the gals there, and in the other 2-3 outlets, speak pretty good Lao-Issan, so I have fun gabbing with them.

Re your pharmacy, if you'd like, send me a PM with a list of what you're buying, where ever you are, I'll price them at Rangsit, perhaps you can beat your outlet down a bit.

Mac

thanks for the offer mac but being in korat its out of the way,did you miss the [r]out of gabbing.

[payanak]

MOE666

"If you are over the age of 40 taking a statin just might increase your life span 3 to 6 months"

Where did you get this from?

[hhgz]

"My cardiologist took me off it over three years ago because of some adverse studies."

The adverse effects are well known, and have been so for many years. Among the problems, Lipitor can cause a breakdown of muscle tissue (measured by the level of CPK).

[cheeryble]

MOE666

"If you are over the age of 40 taking a statin just might increase your life span 3 to 6 months"

Where did you get this from?

Actually a meta study has found that overall mortality is unchanged for women.....one may therefore wonder why they are prescribed for those simply with high cholesterol.

On reflection, it occurred to me that the women automatically included in a study as statin takers meant those women were the type who attend doctors for checkups including TC. One might expect that those outside this group....the less medically careful....would suffer higher mortality from all factors. But it doesn't seem so. (this may be moot if ALL women have TC checks, but I kinda doubt that).

It is a difficult to put a big picture together on this, yet I feel that....given that hospitals display at least some adherence to past mistakes given they still recommend starvation before Lipid testing which is now known to give LESS accurate results....and that PSA testing is now no longer recommended for symptomless men (met by gasps of horror in the hospital that you could be so ignorant as to thinks that!) ......I feel that one must make an attempt.

What seems to be fact is that :

1. Statin drugs do not reduce the risk of death in 95% of the population, including men with no pre-existing heart disease, women of any age, and the elderly.( this DOES NOT mean that 5% will die if they decline to take!).

2. Statin drugs do reduce mortality for younger men WITH diagnosed CHD (a small number in itself remember), but the benefit is small and other risks are introduced by the medication.

3. Aspirin may, repeat may, be an alternative..

Whilst the mathematician in me hates anecdotes as having an n of 1 I must say I picked up a friend at the airport recently and he came literally hobbling out. He told me he had seen a surgeon who recommended a knee operation and was about to consult with one in CM. As we were driving I suddenly remembered

"hey XXXXXXdon't you have high cholesterol? Are you taking statins?"

Yes.

I met him a week later.

He had tried stopped taking the statins and was walking 100% normally. Six months later he still is.

(Again, this is an anecdote not a study, don't stop taking statins based on it!!)

In conclusion, I am not the conspiracy theorist type and I am a scientist by training and usually trust other scientists, however for myself despite high cholesterol I decline to take statins.

Edited June 2, 2013 by cheeryble

[cheeryble]

Whoops.

Edited June 2, 2013 by cheeryble