Where to find reasonably priced imported medications

[crystal sauce]

Hi

 

I have a friend who uses Invega 6 mg tablets but he said that it is over priced here in Thailand.   He says he purchased them last year from Bangkok Pattaya hospital costing him 750 baht per tablet, then through a pharmacist he knows she can get it for him for 535 baht a tablet.   I know that imported medicine should be priced almost the same in every country and by googling it the price came at around 260 baht per tablet from online pharmacies, So could pharmacies shopping in Pattaya be beneficial to get to the reasonable price or what are the alternative options for him.

 

Appreciate any help and thanks in advance.

Edited May 31, 2017 by crystal sauce

[Sheryl]

It is not at all the case that imported medicines are priced similarly in different countries. There are huge differences, depending on place of manufacture and whether the country in question levies a tariff on medication imports. Thailand does, hence imported medications are always quite expensive here.

 

Online pharmacies tend to purchase from the least expensive manufacturing site (the same international pharma company often has more than one manufacturing site in more than one country) and have minimal overhead so will always be cheaper than buying in a pharmacy.

 

Hospital pharmacies in Thailand, at least in private hospitals, substantially mark up their medications, and the same drug will always cost less at an outside pharmacy. However, differences between pharmacies for the same brand of imported drug will be modest.

 

Invega is a "special controlled drug" in Thailand and requires a prescription and will usually not be available outside of a hospital as most pharmacies do not have a system in place to fill prescriptions.  And as you may know, this is a serious antipsychotic medication that requires close monitoring.

 

Your friends best option is to ask his doctor if it might be possible to switch to another drug of the same type which is less expensive e.g. has a generic equivalent made in Thailand. Examples would be olanzapine and risperidone, both of which have locally made generic equivalents; for some reason olanzapin (but not risperidone)  available over the counter without prescription. He should not make this change on his own, but only in consultation with his doctor and under close medical supervision.

[crystal sauce]

1 hour ago, Sheryl said:

It is not at all the case that imported medicines are priced similarly in different countries. There are huge differences, depending on place of manufacture and whether the country in question levies a tariff on medication imports. Thailand does, hence imported medications are always quite expensive here.

 

Online pharmacies tend to purchase from the least expensive manufacturing site (the same international pharma company often has more than one manufacturing site in more than one country) and have minimal overhead so will always be cheaper than buying in a pharmacy.

 

Hospital pharmacies in Thailand, at least in private hospitals, substantially mark up their medications, and the same drug will always cost less at an outside pharmacy. However, differences between pharmacies for the same brand of imported drug will be modest.

 

Invega is a "special controlled drug" in Thailand and requires a prescription and will usually not be available outside of a hospital as most pharmacies do not have a system in place to fill prescriptions.  And as you may know, this is a serious antipsychotic medication that requires close monitoring.

 

Your friends best option is to ask his doctor if it might be possible to switch to another drug of the same type which is less expensive e.g. has a generic equivalent made in Thailand. Examples would be olanzapine and risperidone, both of which have locally made generic equivalents; for some reason olanzapin (but not risperidone)  available over the counter without prescription. He should not make this change on his own, but only in consultation with his doctor and under close medical supervision.

Yes Shery they are generic but not generic for Invega.

http://www.iodine.com/compare/zyprexa-vs-invega