Rip off at Bangkok hospital Pattaya

[Broeno]

Today i visit the Bangkok hospital for a medicine that is not common in Thaialnd. I had a medicine passport with me to show that i use this medicine by recipe of my doctor in the Netherlands. The man at the counter went to the pharmacy of the hospital and came back to tell me that i first had to see a doctor. Because i know that this was not the correct way, i refused and left.

After this i went to a big pharmacy (fascina central at Pattaya klang). There they had the medicine in stock and sell it to me without a recepi.

It made it clear to my that as a farang, they don't see you as a patient is Bangkok hospital, but just as a money machine. If there is ever anything serious, i know this is not the place to go.

[konying]

Let me get this right.

You thought Bangkok Hospital was a charity and doctors provide top care for free?

You also thought that by telling you to have proper current script from local doctor is a scam?

Because you as a farang, should get what you want, when you want how you want and at cheapest price possible?

Good to see you are a reasonable person and glad to hear you found medication to keep you sane healthy

[benalibina]

Let me get this right.

You thought Bangkok Hospital was a charity and doctors provide top care for free?

You also thought that by telling you to have proper current script from local doctor is a scam?

Because you as a farang, should get what you want, when you want how you want and at cheapest price possible?

Good to see you are a reasonable person and glad to hear you found medication to keep you sane healthy

Must have had a bad day....and now you go read his post again......

No, it is not a rip off. Just the way things are done at hospitals there..following the procedures....Happened to me as well in the province and it took some persuasion in thai language to explain i needed those meds on a regular basis. Also had a paper indicating that i needed that medicine.

Advice....only go to pharmacies to get your meds....alot cheaper as well.

[konying]

Let me get this right.

You thought Bangkok Hospital was a charity and doctors provide top care for free?

You also thought that by telling you to have proper current script from local doctor is a scam?

Because you as a farang, should get what you want, when you want how you want and at cheapest price possible?

Good to see you are a reasonable person and glad to hear you found medication to keep you sane healthy

Must have had a bad day....and now you go read his post again......

No, it is not a rip off. Just the way things are done at hospitals there..following the procedures....Happened to me as well in the province and it took some persuasion in thai language to explain i needed those meds on a regular basis. Also had a paper indicating that i needed that medicine.

Advice....only go to pharmacies to get your meds....alot cheaper as well.

Its the way things are done in any hospital in any country of the world.

When prescribed medication is required, prescription must be provided by licensed physician, having your prescription from another country has about as much weight as a toilet paper.

But hey, if not get something the way we want or simply incapable of logic, lets run to a forum and start to scream scam.

[colinneil]

Op you want medicine (not common in Thailand). The man at the counter was 100% correct, you have to see a doctor first.

I am on regular medication, when i go to the hospital to see a doctor. Only licened medical practitioners can prescribe medications.

You are one of the farangs who think i know everything but know nothing!!!

[colinneil]

Sorry for mistake. When i go to hospital i have to see a doctor first, before i can get medicines.

[Gsxrnz]

And after having two Thai "pharmacists" separately try and issue me with antibiotics for what was obviously a viral condition, I tend not to value their opinions too highly.

I'd rather trust a doctor, but even then I'm still on my guard.

As for the Pataya Bangkok Hospital - they aren't the cheapest but I've had to use them twice now for emergencies and several other times for general assistance, and I rate them as top notch.

[Broeno]

Let me get this right.

You thought Bangkok Hospital was a charity and doctors provide top care for free?

You also thought that by telling you to have proper current script from local doctor is a scam?

Because you as a farang, should get what you want, when you want how you want and at cheapest price possible?

Good to see you are a reasonable person and glad to hear you found medication to keep you sane healthy

As you could have read, i visit the pharmacy of Bangkok hospital to BUY the medicine on recipe. No charity expected, but also no fake reason to let mee see a docter.

[konying]

Let me get this right.

You thought Bangkok Hospital was a charity and doctors provide top care for free?

You also thought that by telling you to have proper current script from local doctor is a scam?

Because you as a farang, should get what you want, when you want how you want and at cheapest price possible?

Good to see you are a reasonable person and glad to hear you found medication to keep you sane healthy

As you could have read, i visit the pharmacy of Bangkok hospital to BUY the medicine on recipe. No charity expected, but also no fake reason to let mee see a docter.

You do not have a recipe.

Your recipe from home is as useful as a toilet paper, i already explained that-TWICE.

Fake reason? You have been explained already by a few people,

[Broeno]

Let me get this right.

You thought Bangkok Hospital was a charity and doctors provide top care for free?

You also thought that by telling you to have proper current script from local doctor is a scam?

Because you as a farang, should get what you want, when you want how you want and at cheapest price possible?

Good to see you are a reasonable person and glad to hear you found medication to keep you sane healthy

Must have had a bad day....and now you go read his post again......

No, it is not a rip off. Just the way things are done at hospitals there..following the procedures....Happened to me as well in the province and it took some persuasion in thai language to explain i needed those meds on a regular basis. Also had a paper indicating that i needed that medicine.

Advice....only go to pharmacies to get your meds....alot cheaper as well.

Its the way things are done in any hospital in any country of the world.

When prescribed medication is required, prescription must be provided by licensed physician, having your prescription from another country has about as much weight as a toilet paper.

But hey, if not get something the way we want or simply incapable of logic, lets run to a forum and start to scream scam.

So you have been to any hospital in the world? I am not capable to logic? I know some about the way things go in Thailand. For that reason i share my experience so others can have their benifit of this.

Your replay is unpolite

Edited November 30, 2014 by Sheryl
indecent languiage removed by Moderator

[Broeno]

Op you want medicine (not common in Thailand). The man at the counter was 100% correct, you have to see a doctor first.

I am on regular medication, when i go to the hospital to see a doctor. Only licened medical practitioners can prescribe medications.

You are one of the farangs who think i know everything but know nothing!!!

So sorry Collinell. I should have asked you first because you seem to know i am a farang that know nothing.

Can share an experience only when someone knows everything here. You must be knowing it all.

[rhythmworx]

Maybe should have gone to the Memorial hospital.

I've never had any problems there, but that's the only hospital in patts I have visited.

[Naam]

Let me get this right.

You thought Bangkok Hospital was a charity and doctors provide top care for free?

You also thought that by telling you to have proper current script from local doctor is a scam?

Because you as a farang, should get what you want, when you want how you want and at cheapest price possible?

Good to see you are a reasonable person and glad to hear you found medication to keep you sane healthy

As you could have read, i visit the pharmacy of Bangkok hospital to BUY the medicine on recipe. No charity expected, but also no fake reason to let mee see a docter.

Bangkok Pattaya Hospital has no public pharmacy. only prescriptions from the hospital's own doctors are filled.

case closed!

disclaimer: the prices of BPH's pharmacy are much higher than e.g. those of Fascino.

Edited November 30, 2014 by Naam

[BritManToo]

Sorry for mistake. When i go to hospital i have to see a doctor first, before i can get medicines.

Hospitals sell doctors services

Pharmacy sell drugs

Hasn't this always been the way worldwide?

Edited November 30, 2014 by BritManToo

[konying]

Let me get this right.

You thought Bangkok Hospital was a charity and doctors provide top care for free?

You also thought that by telling you to have proper current script from local doctor is a scam?

Because you as a farang, should get what you want, when you want how you want and at cheapest price possible?

Good to see you are a reasonable person and glad to hear you found medication to keep you sane healthy

Must have had a bad day....and now you go read his post again......

No, it is not a rip off. Just the way things are done at hospitals there..following the procedures....Happened to me as well in the province and it took some persuasion in thai language to explain i needed those meds on a regular basis. Also had a paper indicating that i needed that medicine.

Advice....only go to pharmacies to get your meds....alot cheaper as well.

Its the way things are done in any hospital in any country of the world.

When prescribed medication is required, prescription must be provided by licensed physician, having your prescription from another country has about as much weight as a toilet paper.

But hey, if not get something the way we want or simply incapable of logic, lets run to a forum and start to scream scam.

So you have been to any hospital in the world? I am not capable to logic? I know some about the way things go in Thailand. For that reason i share my experience so others can have their benifit of this.

Your replay is unpolite and toiletpaper to me.

Clearly you are NOT capable of logic.

Clearly you know about ways in Thailand, you have just shown it

Next you will be calling the police because hospital did not sell you prescription medicine without a prescription

Edited November 30, 2014 by konying

[cgphuket]

Best to back to Holland to buy your drugs.

[richard_smith237]

Some people just don't get it and when things don't go their way here they claim scam, or anti-foreign sentiment....

At any hospital in Thailand any medication dispensed by the hospital pharmacy must be prescribed by a Doctor.

This is the case even for over the counter medicines (i.e. something you could readily purchase in Boots).

Op: This is not a rip off, this is simply a regulation applied to all. This protects the hospital from dispensing medication to any member of the public.

I too require some medication (Heparin - for flying (after a previous DVT) - I know exactly what I need and have documents from Thai Doctors. However, each and every time I require the medication (before flying long haul) I have to see the Doctor who will give me a quick checkup, ask a few questions etc before prescribing me the medicine.

I understand this as the lawful way of obtaining medicine. I wonder how readily available the same medication would be for me in the UK if I were to simply rock up at any hospital or GP and have a chat.

[theoldgit]

Sorry for mistake. When i go to hospital i have to see a doctor first, before i can get medicines.

And don't forget that before you get to see the doctor you need to be weighed and have your blood pressure checked, and of course have to pay for this procedure, however minor your ailment.

[Tolley]

Let me get this right.

You thought Bangkok Hospital was a charity and doctors provide top care for free?

You also thought that by telling you to have proper current script from local doctor is a scam?

Because you as a farang, should get what you want, when you want how you want and at cheapest price possible?

Good to see you are a reasonable person and glad to hear you found medication to keep you sane healthy

As you could have read, i visit the pharmacy of Bangkok hospital to BUY the medicine on recipe. No charity expected, but also no fake reason to let mee see a docter.

You do not have a recipe.

Your recipe from home is as useful as a toilet paper, i already explained that-TWICE.

Fake reason? You have been explained already by a few people,

I thought recipes were for cooking .

[Sheryl]

Hospital pharmacies in ALL hospitals in Thailand, and indeed most hospitals in the world, solely serve the hospital and dispense drugs prescribed by doctors in the hospital. They are not public pharmacies; they do not sell anything -- not even paracetemol -- unless ordered by a doctor at the hospital.

In addition, a prescription from a doctor abroad has no validity in Thailand, and were the drug something that by law can only be sold on prescription, pharmacies would not be able to sell it to you based on a foreign prescription.

Fortunately most drugs -- including many that require a prescription in the West -- are available over the counter in Thailand so only in special cases (like narcotics) would one need to see a doctor just to refill a medication here.

That you bought the medication at Facsinos suggests that it is one of the majority which in Thailand do not require a prescription.

Private hospitals mark up the cost of medications considerably so it is always best to buy what you need at a pharmacy rather than getting it at a hospital unless it is a drug that is restricted to prescription only.

[konying]

Sorry for mistake. When i go to hospital i have to see a doctor first, before i can get medicines.

And don't forget that before you get to see the doctor you need to be weighed and have your blood pressure checked, and of course have to pay for this procedure, however minor your ailment.

Can always go to a 300 baht clinic where doctor thinks amoxy is a cure for any sickness

[konying]

Let me get this right.

You thought Bangkok Hospital was a charity and doctors provide top care for free?

You also thought that by telling you to have proper current script from local doctor is a scam?

Because you as a farang, should get what you want, when you want how you want and at cheapest price possible?

Good to see you are a reasonable person and glad to hear you found medication to keep you sane healthy

As you could have read, i visit the pharmacy of Bangkok hospital to BUY the medicine on recipe. No charity expected, but also no fake reason to let mee see a docter.

You do not have a recipe.

Your recipe from home is as useful as a toilet paper, i already explained that-TWICE.

Fake reason? You have been explained already by a few people,

I thought recipes were for cooking .

Well you thought wrong, as OP clearly stated he has a recipe

[Anthony5]

And after having two Thai "pharmacists" separately try and issue me with antibiotics for what was obviously a viral condition, I tend not to value their opinions too highly.

I'd rather trust a doctor, but even then I'm still on my guard.

As for the Pataya Bangkok Hospital - they aren't the cheapest but I've had to use them twice now for emergencies and several other times for general assistance, and I rate them as top notch.

That is because you made the mistake to think that pharmacists are doctors, since you asked them for a diagnosis of your condition.

I don't see any mention in the OP that he went to a pharmacy to get advice what medicine he should take. He knew which medicine he needed as it was previously prescribed by a doctor, not a pharmacist.

[h90]

Let me get this right.

You thought Bangkok Hospital was a charity and doctors provide top care for free?

You also thought that by telling you to have proper current script from local doctor is a scam?

Because you as a farang, should get what you want, when you want how you want and at cheapest price possible?

Good to see you are a reasonable person and glad to hear you found medication to keep you sane healthy

As you could have read, i visit the pharmacy of Bangkok hospital to BUY the medicine on recipe. No charity expected, but also no fake reason to let mee see a docter.

You do not have a recipe.

Your recipe from home is as useful as a toilet paper, i already explained that-TWICE.

Fake reason? You have been explained already by a few people,

Beside a recipe in Dutch language.....If the girl on the counter there is fluent in Dutch in a level to be 100 % sure she get 100 % of what is written on the recipe?

[watcharacters]

Best to back to Holland to buy your drugs.

.

AH, the old "go back to from where you came" post. At least it took 14 other posts before this pimple showed up.

The OP wrote about something he didn't feel was fair. So be it. It doesn't sound like he committed murder or rape to me.

NO need for all the ruffled feathers, is there?

[Sheryl]

Best to back to Holland to buy your drugs.

.

AH, the old "go back to from where you came" post. At least it took 14 other posts before this pimple showed up.

The OP wrote about something he didn't feel was fair. So be it. It doesn't sound like he committed murder or rape to me.

NO need for all the ruffled feathers, is there?

Indeed there is not.

OP simply misunderstood the function of hospital pharmacies, that's all.

[inbangkok]

Let me get this right.

You thought Bangkok Hospital was a charity and doctors provide top care for free?

You also thought that by telling you to have proper current script from local doctor is a scam?

Because you as a farang, should get what you want, when you want how you want and at cheapest price possible?

Good to see you are a reasonable person and glad to hear you found medication to keep you sane healthy

Must have had a bad day....and now you go read his post again......

No, it is not a rip off. Just the way things are done at hospitals there..following the procedures....Happened to me as well in the province and it took some persuasion in thai language to explain i needed those meds on a regular basis. Also had a paper indicating that i needed that medicine.

Advice....only go to pharmacies to get your meds....alot cheaper as well.

Its the way things are done in any hospital in any country of the world.

When prescribed medication is required, prescription must be provided by licensed physician, having your prescription from another country has about as much weight as a toilet paper.

But hey, if not get something the way we want or simply incapable of logic, lets run to a forum and start to scream scam.

So you have been to any hospital in the world? I am not capable to logic? I know some about the way things go in Thailand. For that reason i share my experience so others can have their benifit of this.

Your replay is unpolite

I am sorry to inform you, but you are 100% mistaken in regards to how hospitals in Thailand work. You need to see a Dr, who in turn writes a prescription. Nothing to do with a scam or rip off. Then step 2 is going to the pharmacy to receive the medication. No hospital in Thailand will allow you to walk to the pharmacy and select a medicine of your choosing (regardless of whatever useless papers you have from your Dr. in you home country) and purchase them. If you want to do this, you can go to a pharmacy outside not affiliated with any hospital.

By the way.....this is really simple stuff. I highly doubt I can bring a note from my Dr in America and walk into any random hospital in your country and demand the medication without seeing a Dr......................

Edited November 30, 2014 by Sheryl
quote edited to remove indecent langiuage

[Sheryl]

Some posts have been edited for decency and some posts have been removed which were unnecessarily provocative.

As many people, myself included, have explained: hospital pharmacies are for the hospital only to dispense medications and supplies prescribed by the doctors of that hospital. They are NOT general public pharmacies and no one, Thai or foreigner, can just walk in and purchase anything from them on demand, not even a bandage or a paracetemol. This applies to all hospitals and is in no way specific to Bangkok Pattaya Hospital.

You can, however, easily purchase most medications in Thailand without prescription at a commercial pharmacy, of which there are plenty.

As I really can't see what more can be added to this and tempers seem to be flaring, thread is closed.