Prescription drug policy in Thailand

[callcharlie2001]

Is a doctor's prescription needed to get a refill of (American) meds, like Fosamax (alendronate sodium) for osteoporosis?

If a doctor's prescription is needed, recommendations of an English speaking one. Better if close to BTS/MRT.

Pricing, do any Thai pharmacies have anything close to the recent American (Walmart & others) of filling a 90 day prescription with a generic for about $10USD (maybe 330 bhat)?

[Sheryl]

Many -- in fact most -- of the drugs that require a prescription in the US do not in Thailand.

Fosamax is sold over the counter here. Cost will be similiar to the US, maybe a tad less.

Alendronate Sandoz is the same thing and also available, might be worth comparing the costs of the two brands. Both are Western imports so won't be cheap, but one may be a bit less expensive than the other.

There is also an Indian made generic equivalent, Aldren70, which would be the least expensive form of this medication.

Will need to go to a very large pharmacy to find any of these though. Try South East Pharmacy on Sukhumvit just west of Soi 15 (asoke would be the nearest BTS stop). Or the large pharmacy on Sukhumvit near Soi 2, sort of opposite the freeway entrance.

[callcharlie2001]

What I found out:

Pharmacies along Silom Rd directed me to a Fascino pharmacy on Rama 4, beyound the McDonalds in Silom Ctr Bldg 2 (right beside the sidewalk), they had brand name Fosamax 4 pills manufactured by MSD (Merck Sharp & Dohme) and Italian company, manufactured in Oct 2011, they sold to me in Dec 2013, expires Oct 2014 (so over 2/3 of shelf life already gone) for 1280 bhat (rather expensive).

I checked out Southeast Pharmacy, 207-209 Sukhumvit Rd, between Soi 13 & 15, they had Alendronate Sandoz 4 pills, manufactured by Lek Pharmaceuticals, a Slovenia company, manufactured Jan 2012 & expires Jan 2015 (so again, 2/3 of shelf life already expired) for 860 bhat (a better price). I forgot to bring along the Aldren70 product name, so didn't specifically ask about that, but then, the pharmacy didn't offer any other choices either.

I never got around to checking out the Soi 2 pharmacy.