Buying Ritalin from Thai hospital - how much should I be paying?

[batype]

I've been prescribed with Ritalin by my mental health professional at a reputable hospital in Phuket for a few months now. I was diagnosed and prescribed with Ritalin in my home country too - Ritalin is enormously helpful for me to cope with my ADD.

I am currently paying around 5000 baht/month for my monthly supply (4 10mg tablets a day, so approximately 120 10mg tablets a month).

I'm not unhappy with the price I'm paying, but I wondered if this was the normal price for Thailand. If another hospital would sell me the same medication for a lot less, I would possibly consider making the switch. If there isn't much difference then I would stay with my current doctor, who is excellent.

Does anybody have any opinions? (apart from "stop taking Ritalin" )

[jrtmedic]

If you live on Phuket island you have a choice of hospital ----The Bangkok hospital, the Phuket International or the Mission hospital .

You could, of course, also try the public hospital in Phuket town (Vachira)

[impulse]

5400 baht for 300 tablets, 10mg at Bumrungrad in BKK- in May, 2013. Novartis brand. That's from the actual invoice.

If I recall, they sometimes dispense Sandoz brand and they're more expensive, but not double.

Unfortunately, generics are not available at Bumrungrad, and I suspect in all of Thailand. Generics should cost about 4-6 baht each if they were available.

Edited June 22, 2013 by impulse

[Sheryl]

There are 3 brands of methylphenidate registered for use in Thailand: Ritalin by Novartis, Concerta by Janssen-Cilag, and and Methylphenidate Hexal by Salutas Pharma. All are imports and hence expensive, although there may be small price differences between them. Most hospitals will carry only 1 brand. There are no locally made brands.

Thai doctors tend to bevery reluctant to prescribe this (and all other controlled drugs) so if you are satisfied with your doctor I'd suggest staying with him.

[batype]

Very useful information - thank you! It sounds like Bumrungrad's prices for Novartis Ritalin are about 50% less than what I am currently paying. Interesting.

It could well be worth looking at the alternatives, although I am reluctant to leave my current doctor.

[amykat]

My daughter takes this, but only 10 mgs per day. If I multiply what I pay for her, by 4, I end up with the same price as you paid.

[kriswillems]

A pharmacist that was a classmate of my wife works in a famous private hospital. She said the medicines are much more expensive over there than outside.

If I need cheap medicines I usually go to the private pharmacist that works as a supplier for the local government hospital. Prices are indeed very different from the big private hospitals and even very different from all the other pharmacies around.

Retalin is not a very common medicine, so I am not sure can buy this "outside" the hospital, even with a paper from a doctor. Goodluck with your search.

Edited June 23, 2013 by kriswillems

[Maestro]

Some medicines are only allowed for sale by hospitals and I don't know if this is the case also for Ritalin and equivalents.

For prescription medicines that are available also at pharmacies, the price at the hospital pharmacy is usually considerably higher than at a regular pharmacy.

Based on my personal experience it is next to impossible to get a prescription from a hospital doctor in Thailand for the purpose of buying a medicine at a pharmacy outside the hospital.

Sent from my Nexus 4 using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

[Sheryl]

Ritalin is a strictly controlled drug and can only be obtained at a hospital pharmacy. Hospitals need to report all sales to the Thai FDA.

[kriswillems]

I found this article that says the Thai FDA set the price of riltalin starting from May 2552 to

900B for a box of 200 pills of 10mg (old price was 1400B for a box). So that is 4.5B per pill.

http://consumersouth.org/paper/346

I also found reports from Thai mothers on the internet that say they pay 6 baht per pill (which is in line with the price set by the FDA).

Post of 24 ส.ค. 2554 19:46

http://www.momypedia.com/index.php?op=webboard-detail&cid=&tid=765538

So, the price you're paying (40B/pill) is very high.

Edited June 24, 2013 by kriswillems

[kidcosmique]

On 6/24/2013 at 11:35 AM, kriswillems said:

I found this article that says the Thai FDA set the price of riltalin starting from May 2552 to

900B for a box of 200 pills of 10mg (old price was 1400B for a box). So that is 4.5B per pill.

http://consumersouth.org/paper/346

I also found reports from Thai mothers on the internet that say they pay 6 baht per pill (which is in line with the price set by the FDA).

Post of 24 ส.ค. 2554 19:46

http://www.momypedia.com/index.php?op=webboard-detail&cid=&tid=765538

So, the price you're paying (40B/pill) is very high.

Sorry for reheating an old post, but how can we expect to pay such low prices ? I've been quoted 25+ per 10mg pill minimum last week.

[Sheryl]

Those are prices for Thais at givetnment hospitals