medicine overcharge Bangkok Pattaya hospital

[domdom]

Hello

 

Went to BPH friday with my husband.. He was in a bad state, so no real time to argue for medicine.. I normally purchase the medicine in a local pharmacy because I know prices in BPH pharmacy are outrageous..

What happened is that the doctor entered everything in her computer, refused to issue a prescription and told us to go to cashier where everything would be explained and given..

Reaching there I got the bill including "medicine", no name, nothing.. for over 2000 bahts..

Insisting I finally got the names I wrote down .. One was 380 bahts for 20 tablets and was the most urgent one, so we decided to take it, not having time to check in another pharmacy what the price would be.. I refused the other one which was 1870 bahts for 10 tablets.. I kept my husband waiting for the first medicine downstairs and rushed to Fascino.. They had both medicine, the first one was 70 bahts for 20 tablets, thai medicine, and imported one was 140 bahts for 20 tablets, with my 10% discount, would have been 63 or 126 bahts, which I paid in BPH 380

For the other medicine I purchased a box of 14 in Fascino for 780 bahts, which they wanted to charge 1870 bahts for 10 in BPH

I went to file a complaint in BPH consumer office.. Of course, they told me they would follow up the matter, but won't..

I think a few months back government said they would look into the matter of overcharging medicine in hospitals.. Is it done and prohibited or not and where could I file a complaint.. ??

The worst thing is that the doctors refuse to give the prescription and nearly force you to buy there

Have a nice day

[Pib]

What you say is overcharging by the hospital is called "profit" by the hospital management.    Not uncommon at all for hospitals to charge approx 2 or more times the outside pharmacy price of a medication.   Preaching to the choir I know.

[lopburi3]

Doctor should be willing to provide medication names and amounts although there is no routine use of prescriptions here - I have no problem doing this at Bangkok Hospital in Bangkok where price is also very high from pharmacy but admit this may be more the doctor than the facility - but if not all you need to do is request a detail receipt at cashier before you pay and that will list the medication names/amount/price and let them know you already have and they will take off for you.  Should only take a minute or so.

[meatboy]

i think domdom has got her nickers in a twist?

first she says her husband is in a bad way,then excepts medication that cost 380bht.was urgent?

how does tablets that are so urgent and only cost 70bht.in the pharmacy?

if i needed tablets urgent i would be happy to pay 380bht.

 

[KittenKong]

32 minutes ago, domdom said:

The worst thing is that the doctors refuse to give the prescription and nearly force you to buy there

 

This can be true. You just have to be more insistent than they are. You have the upper hand as the money is in your pocket, so just insist on a written prescription and don't pay until you get one.

 

I refuse point blank to buy any medicines from hospitals other than the (rare) restricted items that cannot legally be sold by outside pharmacies. I learned my lesson when a hospital here charged me 7 times the going rate for very common BP meds and statins, which in my book makes them out and out thieves. Never again.

 

Also dont assume that all outside pharmacies charge the same. Price variations of 50, 100 or 200% are common enough. Always ask around.

[Oxx]

If the hospitals didn't charge higher prices for the drugs, they'd recoup their costs somewhere else.  That's just the way it is.  If it makes you feel better, go to a not-for-profit hospital where they simply cover their costs.

[Kwasaki]

Sounds like a private hospital and if it's set up for tourist what would you expect in a place like that other than to be ripped off.

Isn't there a Thai Gov hospital in Pattaya. ?

[ghworker2010]

these hospitals always mark up the medications. Its a huge profit driver for them. I bet the saudi's at bumrungrad dont care....

[siam2007]

6 hours ago, ghworker2010 said:

these hospitals always mark up the medications. Its a huge profit driver for them. I bet the saudi's at bumrungrad dont care....

 

 

I have on several occasions asked the Doctors at Bumrungrad if there is a cheaper generic drug available, as I most probably have to cover the bill by myself, and never have been refused a satisfying answer. Just ask nicely and tell them your insurance will not pay for that and you are not Bill Gates or the Donald when it comes to your latest bank statement