Medicine prices in hospitals vs pharmacies

[craigt3365]

Bangkok Hospital in Pattaya is guilty of this. The orthopaedic surgeon I see there told me that he can give me a prescription for the (very common) medicine I needed and I could get it from the hospital pharmacy, but he said that they charge far too much and it was better for me if I went to an outside pharmacy as it would save money. Refreshingly honest.

Especially since there are two private pharmacies next to BPH on the same side of Sukumvit, to the South is a branch of Fascino and to the North is another private pharmacy

One of the best I've found is just past the flyover as you are headed south on Suk. Left side. A few hundred meters down from the flyover. I've found some items there are as much as 1/3rd less than Fascino.

I am trying to figure out where you mean.

Could you position it relative to Soi Siam CC Rd (lights) and Klang Junction?

It's just that it sounds like the place opposite Tesco there, turn left before Numchai at Bangkok Bank, which is a Fascino.

If you are coming from Bangkok, you come in on the highway and turn left on Suk, heading South. It's not the first set of buildings, but I believe the third. A long way before Siam CC Road.

12°56'31.60" N 100°54'14.04" E

[jacko45k]

One of the best I've found is just past the flyover as you are headed south on Suk. Left side. A few hundred meters down from the flyover. I've found some items there are as much as 1/3rd less than Fascino.

I am trying to figure out where you mean.

Could you position it relative to Soi Siam CC Rd (lights) and Klang Junction?

It's just that it sounds like the place opposite Tesco there, turn left before Numchai at Bangkok Bank, which is a Fascino.

If you are coming from Bangkok, you come in on the highway and turn left on Suk, heading South. It's not the first set of buildings, but I believe the third. A long way before Siam CC Road.

12°56'31.60" N 100°54'14.04" E

Got it, green colored place.

Right opposite where I bought my new Daikin AC from.

Must try that, always used Facino before (got a discount card) and surprised there is a cheaper place.

Thanks!

[Rimmer]

Bangkok Hospital in Pattaya is guilty of this. The orthopaedic surgeon I see there told me that he can give me a prescription for the (very common) medicine I needed and I could get it from the hospital pharmacy, but he said that they charge far too much and it was better for me if I went to an outside pharmacy as it would save money. Refreshingly honest.

Especially since there are two private pharmacies next to BPH on the same side of Sukumvit, to the South is a branch of Fascino and to the North is another private pharmacy

One of the best I've found is just past the flyover as you are headed south on Suk. Left side. A few hundred meters down from the flyover. I've found some items there are as much as 1/3rd less than Fascino.

I am trying to figure out where you mean.

Could you position it relative to Soi Siam CC Rd (lights) and Klang Junction?

It's just that it sounds like the place opposite Tesco there, turn left before Numchai at Bangkok Bank, which is a Fascino.

He is talking about D Pharmacy it is on the southbound carriageway of Sukhumvit just where the exit ramp from the new highway joins Sukhumvit, Kind of next to the ARC shop

[KittenKong]

Actually it's not the same thing at all. No matter where you buy the medicine from it is exactly the same and comes in the same plastic wrapper created by the manufacturer. A hospital has no more costs selling it to you than a pharmacy in the street outside does. There is no nicely chilled clean glass: just the same cheap plastic bag. Therefore a large extra markup seems entirely unreasonable.

As I said, 30% or even 50% could be considered acceptable but not 639%.

His analogy was a good one, he meant the hotel room minibar. I stayed at the Dusit Thani and the mark-up on canned sodas was greater than 639%.

I think the analogy is quite good.

At the hospital the medications have been prescribed by one of their doctors and is enclosed in the package including the doctors services.

(And in some instances likely being picked up by insurance).

Some medications may not be available outside.

I thought I had pointed out very clearly that these medicines were totally ordinary and delivered in a perfectly ordinary plastic bag, just they are in any pharmacy. They were handed to me over the pharmacy counter in the hospital, just as they were in Facino. No prescription required. I was not provided with any special service of any type. It's just a pharmacy shop that happens to be inside a hospital and run by the hospital and for that they charge 639% extra.

The doctors and nurses fees etc. are billed entirely separately (and are not low either).

[jacko45k]

Actually it's not the same thing at all. No matter where you buy the medicine from it is exactly the same and comes in the same plastic wrapper created by the manufacturer. A hospital has no more costs selling it to you than a pharmacy in the street outside does. There is no nicely chilled clean glass: just the same cheap plastic bag. Therefore a large extra markup seems entirely unreasonable.

As I said, 30% or even 50% could be considered acceptable but not 639%.

His analogy was a good one, he meant the hotel room minibar. I stayed at the Dusit Thani and the mark-up on canned sodas was greater than 639%.

I think the analogy is quite good.

At the hospital the medications have been prescribed by one of their doctors and is enclosed in the package including the doctors services.

(And in some instances likely being picked up by insurance).

Some medications may not be available outside.

I thought I had pointed out very clearly that these medicines were totally ordinary and delivered in a perfectly ordinary plastic bag, just they are in any pharmacy. They were handed to me over the pharmacy counter in the hospital, just as they were in Facino. No prescription required. I was not provided with any special service of any type. It's just a pharmacy shop that happens to be inside a hospital and run by the hospital and for that they charge 639% extra.

The doctors and nurses fees etc. are billed entirely separately (and are not low either).

And at the BPH it is not like that!

And Fascinos is just outside on Sukhumvit.

(I wonder if that branch has higher prices knowing most of their customers are in there avoiding the 639% surcharge....?)

Edited November 23, 2013 by jacko45k

[Langsuan Man]

And at the BPH it is not like that!

And Fascinos is just outside on Sukhumvit.

(I wonder if that branch has higher prices knowing most of their customers are in there avoiding the 639% surcharge....?)

Prices are not higher than the Fascino on Nua, but the selection is less because the store is smaller

[KittenKong]

I tried D Pharmacy today. The two very common items that I wanted were both 60B per strip of 10. In Fascino they are 27B and 30B per strip.

[bil2054]

In all fairness to the hard working staff at the hospitals, they often either have instructions or simply do it, fill the order from the Doctor with name brand drugs, not generics we may often compare prices to. As an example, Cipro and as I mentioned elsewhere, some widely produced blood pressure medications. Not to digress, but your payment method also could have a impact. Insurance paying, government paying(and government hospital), or you a farang paying cash. I know for a fact certain brand name drugs are not dispensed to those on Government insurance plans. Generic for one type of patient, brand for another. Lastly, when someone turns 50, she starts to wonder and worry about such things and the safety of same. Which brings me to "Obamacare" and the question what drugs are covered under same, if any?

This is fairly old, but I see similar questions still. "Obamacare" does not "cover" anything except the way in which medical insurance providers do business, i.e. it is no longer legal to discriminate on the basis of pre-existing conditions, and certain preventative care procedures must be offered.

You need to do some research to find out what insurance companies offer what you need. "Obamacare" is unlikely to affect you if you are living in Thailand anyway.