Rip off drug prices from hospital

[Jeddah Jo]

OK so I am sure all you old hands will know where this is going, but I just had a 50yo check up at a Bangkok hospital and they reckon it's time to put me on Statins.

Anyway the check up took ridiculously long at about 6 hours in total shuffling about the hospital and by the end of it I just wanted to pay the bill and get out of there.

I knew there would be a premium on the drugs but was happy to pay a small premium, however the 10mg Statin works out at 100 baht a tablet and they sold me 3 months at 9,000 baht.

I doubt if I bought them in a regular pharmacy they would cost more than 1,000 and I feel like I have been ripped off.

Is there anything I can do in this situation to dispute the price of the drugs or am I just forced to swallow it?

[lopburi3]

You did not have to pay for any drugs - this is repeatedly mentioned here - and even doctors will often ask. And some name brands are going to be quite expensive (even outside of hospital).

From hospital I pay 32 baht each for Sandoz Atorvastatin 10mg and it is not that much more expensive for Lipitor so if either of those brands 100 baht would indeed be a very high price.

[Pib]

Yeap, it's no secret that meds bought at a private hospital have a big market-up and getting the meds at a pharmacy instead will almost always be significantly cheaper....that's been my experience in Thailand. Sure there will be a some meds you will not be able to buy at a Thai pharmacy, but the great bulk you can with no subscription...and the pharmacy will usually be very helpful in identifying a lower cost name brand or generic drug....once again, that's been my experience.

[balo]

Just ask for the bill without medication. Ask the doctor to write down the drugs you need and buy them outside.

[Sheryl]

There is nothong ypu can do now, chalk it up to experience and never buy medication at a hospital pharmacy again unless you require a controlled drug. Mark ups are well know to be enormous.

[cardinalblue]

It's too late now but really fraud. Thailand doesn't have the complaint mechanisms and consumer review boards in place like the west...

Another lesson learned about living in a 3rd world country...

[elgordo38]

I just ran into the same thing here in Chiang Mai with a name hospital. They wanted to charge me 9700 bahts for 3 drugs after my generous 10% discount. I looked at the drug printout and said sorry not today and went to my pharmacist friend and bought them for 1140 bahts you do the math. I could deal with double the cost and I do have a drug plan but I also have an aversion to be shafted.

[coops]

Another lesson learned about living in a 3rd world country...

You mean America?

http://www.arbiternews.com/2014/03/23/hospital-chargemasters-how-to-charge-19-for-an-aspirin-and-get-away-with-it/

Or are you so naive you think it only happens in Thailand?

[johnatong]

It's too late now but really fraud. Thailand doesn't have the complaint mechanisms and consumer review boards in place like the west...

Another lesson learned about living in a 3rd world country...

How will you make a charge of "fraud" stick ?

If you are American you should be familiar with high pharmaceutical costs ( how many successful "fraud claims have been made ? )

Just learn from your experience and move on.............

[Rob13]

Price gouging maybe, not really fraud though, unless the drugs are Chinese knock-offs being sold as genuine.

[Langsuan Man]

Fraud, Discrimination, and Thieving

The three most overused words here at Thai Visa

[keeniau96]

Note the reports of some drugs sold in outside pharmacies being fakes or weak versions. Not talking about street vendor Viagra and such, but popular meds at some pharmacies. unlikely that this would be the case for reputable "name" pharmacies.

[balo]

Note the reports of some drugs sold in outside pharmacies being fakes or weak versions. Not talking about street vendor Viagra and such, but popular meds at some pharmacies. unlikely that this would be the case for reputable "name" pharmacies.

Still 4 x cheaper for the original versions at the Fascino pharmacies .

[Pib]

I just ran into the same thing here in Chiang Mai with a name hospital. They wanted to charge me 9700 bahts for 3 drugs after my generous 10% discount. I looked at the drug printout and said sorry not today and went to my pharmacist friend and bought them for 1140 bahts you do the math. I could deal with double the cost and I do have a drug plan but I also have an aversion to be shafted.

That hospital probably has some meds at 50% discount for those people afflicted with "aversion to being shafted."

Note: that 50% discount is applied after their 200% markup.

[Speedo1968]

^{Why not use local brands ? For example Lipitor there is Bestatin. For a strip of 10 tablets 20mg I pay 25 - 28 Baht. I have been taking local mades - GPO ( Thai made once original licence expired ) for 4 of the past 15 years now without any side effects or worsening symptoms. The same goes for other meds such as BetaLOC and Fortzaar.}

^{You certainly don't have to buy from the hospital. There are exceptions such as medications to help you sleep.}

[lopburi3]

Bestatin is Simvastatin: not Atorvastatin as Lipitor.

[hathairat2711]

I have been buying Simvastatin 10mg from the same pharmacist over the past few years with the price remaining unchanged.

10 tablets = B16.

[Oxx]

Private hospitals are a business (whether "for profit" or not) and have to cover their costs. Since the physician fee goes directly to the doctor, they have to use other ways of charging. One of these is the "nursing charge", and the other is the high price of medicine. Neither is a "rip off". And if they didn't charge steeply for medicine they'd have to charge the patient more for something else. If you don't like it, go to a government hospital. The medicine there is cheaper.

[lopburi3]

Actually when it is multi times the open market price it is indeed a rip-off and even the government agrees on that. Hospitals have charges for rooms/OR/tests/nursing/food/materials (all of which will be well above actual costs) and that is where they should meet operating expense. There pharmacy should be more expensive than outside as they have better controls/air conditioning and such - but it should not be x10 factors that are often seen.

Edited May 4, 2016 by lopburi3

[Maestro]

Thailand is a funny country when it comes to medicine prescriptions. Fortunately, the times I needed medical treatment in Thailand have been few but I have yet to see a hospital doctor who has a prescription pad. This is weird and makes me wonder every time whether I am really dealing with a genuine qualified and licenced medical doctor.

[Sheryl]

Thailand does not really use a prescription system and there are no prescription pads here as such. Normally the few drugs which require prescription are obtained through the hospital pharmacy using the hospital's internal ordering system.