Overcharging for drugs at International hospitals

[Andyfez]

After hearing our friend Mr Prayut warning us of overcharging at International hospitals, I recently noticed that a famous Bangkok hospital starting with the letters Ba charged me 600 baht for paracetamol I could have paid 20 baht for in 7/11.

Today I went to another famous hospital, this time starting with the letters Bu. For a urine infection they prescribed two generic drugs at the total price of 7040 baht. This cost was separate to the doctors other costs, which I paid. However I declined to purchase the drug in the hospital, and walked to a pharmacy in Sukhumvit where I purchased the same generic drugs for 1,700 baht.

Be warned. We all know they make their money this way, but you can make big savings by walking to a nearby pharmacy. No prescription required.

[fang37]

It is a great idea. More $$$ - better staff, quality in hospitals.

[h90]

That they charge a bit more is OK for me. But they are really doing it like crazy. 600 Baht instead of 20 and 7040 instead of 1700 is crazy.....And consider that the pharmacy also makes a healthy profit on it.

[fang37]

OK, maybe a little excessive.

However, they provide quality shopping bags with the hospital name.

Mine looks beautiful.

[h90]

It is a great idea. More $$$ - better staff, quality in hospitals.

More profit for the shareholders....

The doc won't get better if the pharmacy charges more.

[Pakaty]

I agree it's over the top. Buy the meds from a pharmacy. The only meds I'd pay for at the hospital or even some clinics would be the injections. That's why you pay the doctor to tell you what meds you need. You are not obligated to buy from them if they are overcharging.

[gamini]

Bit of a mundane posts. Everyone who lives knows that the hospitals charge more than the pharmacies and we buy them outside I find that most doctors assist you by telling you what to buy in fact my doctor told me not to buy my medicine from the hospital but to get it outside.
However you should look at it at the other side of it some of my doctors charge so very little like200bt-300bt for consultation when I visit them in their clinics that I really don't mind buying the drugs from them at a higher price than in the pharmacies.

[Sheryl]

It is not only the international hospitals. Even smaller, Thai-oriented private hospitals do this.

Never, ever buy medications at a hospital pharmacy unless what you need is a controlled substance. Most drugs can be bought OTC at much lower cost.

[hhgz]

Sheryl hit the nail on its head. Too, some medications can only be purchased at a hospital. When that happened to me, I visit a government hospital, paid the 40THB, had a doctor write a prescription, and had it filled at the hospital's pharmacy at 1/5th the cost at a private hospital.

[hgma]

insurers are partly to blame, sometimes we get warned upfront to pay first claim later.

Promoting Private Hospitals at the rates they charge is ridiculous but most insurers prefer Administration done directly (fax) with a private hospital.

[manarak]

Sheryl hit the nail on its head. Too, some medications can only be purchased at a hospital. When that happened to me, I visit a government hospital, paid the 40THB, had a doctor write a prescription, and had it filled at the hospital's pharmacy at 1/5th the cost at a private hospital.

yup, go to government hospitals for controlled substances.

[davejonesbkk]

Ive always wondered about this, so how does it work then when you are waiting to collect your medication and pay your bill? Do you just tell them at the desk you dont want the medicine?

I never knew this was optional tbh, Ive also had sodding Tylenol dished out to me at hundreds of baht before!

[MaeJoMTB]

You were hosed in the Pharmacy too,

Treatment for non-specific urinary infection,

Cipro 500,available anywhere for 100bht.

Paracetamol, 24bht/100 in Makro.

[Sheryl]

Ive always wondered about this, so how does it work then when you are waiting to collect your medication and pay your bill? Do you just tell them at the desk you dont want the medicine?

I never knew this was optional tbh, Ive also had sodding Tylenol dished out to me at hundreds of baht before!

Yes, you tell them you don't want the meds. Easiest thing is to just say you already have it (as you soon will...).

It does take a few minutes longer because they have to then recalculate your bill. If you aren't sure what drug/dose has been prescribed you will first have to pay the bill, then gio ot the pharmacy window, get the meds, check and note what they are and then hand them back. If you were able to get the drug name and dosage from the doctor (which you should certainly ask for) can skip that step.

Besides being many fold the normal retail price, the meds dispensed at private hospitals are usually the priciest brand (import versus locally made generic equivalent as is often available) plus they will usually dispense many more meds than needed. Not unusual to be told by the doctor that no treatment needed only to find 1-3 drugs prescribed when you get to the cashier. Or to be told you need one, only to find 3-4 prescribed (usually one of them being overpriced paracetemol and another a vitamin).

This is partly profit driven and also partly because Thais consider themselves ill served if not given at least 2 drugs on every visit. Telling the doctor you do not want any medications unless absolutely necessary (which will be a huge surprise to most Thai doctors who assume the opposite) may help circumvent this somewhat.

[evadgib]

How about THB 7k being charged for surface o2 from a tank/cylinder costing THB 300 to refil?

[ghworker2010]

the customers from saudi are all ok to pay the huge prices. This is their target market

[ripstanley]

I use a private hospital in our province up north. On 3 occassions with our family when we have stated that we have the medication at home then we have not been charged for the visit to the doctor. The nurse who attends the doctors tells us that there is no charge and to go home. We have paid many times I now think that doctors are in trouble when there is no prescription