Pharmacy medicines for Tourists and New Permanents

[Neal]

Ran into a board member that has just taken the plunge and moved to Pattaya Thailand within the last few days. I am sure we all send him our best wishes even though he has not even revealed his board member name to me, and hope that if he needs any information on fitting in and helping his transfer that he comes and asks us.

The reason I opened this thread was that he seemed unsure/unaware as to where to pick up his high blood pressure meds. In Thailand it seems that most medications I get (and I do get a lot!) I can pick up without a prescription at Fascino Pharmacy on Pattaya Nua Road. While you may be able to get some or many at Fascino Pattaya Klang, the one on Pattaya Nua Road is a huge store and has and can order almost anything. There is only one of my meds out of all that I have to get at the hospital.

It is always recommended that you periodically see a doctor rather than refill, refill, refill, and not periodically seek advice. I would like to tell all of those who go to BKK/PTY Hospital for their meds OR they get out patient or emergency care at BKK/PTY Hospital to check out Fascino Pharmacy rather than just accepting tier meds because I have found that Fascino Nua has almost everything I need or want at 50% less than the hospital.

[jvt22222]

I would add the following to the comments about Fascino ... be sure to get a discount card at Fascino's ... comes free the first time if you buy a certain amount of items from them ... not sure of that threshold ... also I find the big branch on North Pattaya Road to be very inconvenient for me with no car ... the one on South Pattaya is much more convenient ... if they do not have the items that you need in stock, they can get it delivered to them within 2-3 days from their bigger brothers on North Pattaya Road or even from their central supply source in BKK.

A couple of other places of note:

(1) Sang-a-nant Pharmacy ... equally convenient for me on South Pattaya Road ... between Beach Road and 2nd Road on the south side of the street, 8-9 shops from the corner of Second Road and South Pattaya Road ... very user friendly, family owned and operated ... good prices ... many cheaper than Fascino ... also will get items for you that they may not have in stock at the time of your visit.

(2) On the bottom floor of Central Festival Shopping Mall, there is a small Pharmacy -- P & F Super Drugs which I find has most items that you would be looking for ... all the normal stuff we older folks take ... and again at prices cheaper than Fascino and often even Sang-a-nant ... a couple of doors from them is another small pharmacy that is an alternative place to look.

As DaBoss said, all of these places are significantly less expensive than BKK Hospital Pattaya ... and none of the doctors that I have seen there over the years that I have lived here have ever insisted that I get the drugs i need at the hospital ... they have always been more than willing to write the names of the drugs out for me to take elsewhere.

Happy shopping!!!

[corky]

If you are in Bangkok there is a branch of Fascino on Rama 1V Road between Silom and Surawong.

There are several pharmacies on that stretch of road and all of them offer a good deal on prices compared to hospitals.

[jvt22222]

Please let me add a note to my posting above .... in addition to P & F Super Drugs on the ground floor of Central Festival shopping mall .... there is another small pharmacy just two doors away from P & F Super Drugs .... it is named SAVE DRUGS .... there is a bookstore between the two ... I have found that one or the other generally has what I am looking for .... so with a bit of comparison shopping at the four mentioned pharmacies, not much doubt that you can find one that has an item less expensive than the others: Fascino, Sang-a-nant, P & F Super Drugs, Same Drugs ... and all in the neighborhood of 50% less expensive than the Pharmacy Section of BKK Hospital Pattaya.

[billy2bs]

And so if one was to be on vacation and for some reason needs a refill of a prescription of say cholesterol pills SIMVASTATIN 40 mg. Is that available simply by going to the pharmacy? What does it cost and is it a legit/real pill you would get? :salute: :salute:

[Neal]

It comes in thier box and thier wrappers and one needs to assume it is real as I doubt one as big as the Fascino chain would be selling a dupe.
Yes simvistatin is available there as well as just about any other med you may require. I take about 10 or so cholesterol and high pressure tabs and capsules as well as meds from the stoke. In my 12 years here 1 med had to be ordered and was here in a week and one med had to be ordered from Bangkok Pattaya Hospital. Quite safe that you will find what you require one place or the other.

[billy2bs]

OK then they are real...but what does it cost?

[Neal]

I am not sure Billy. All I can say is I get all my perscrips there. If you need it this next time, call or email them and they will tell you or just go on in. Sorry.

[thaiworthy-old]

OK then they are real...but what does it cost?

Yes, genuine meds. At Fascino's, you can buy 30 tabs (40 mg.) of Simvistatin for 204 baht last time I checked. In Bangkok, one pharmacy I use prices it at 150 baht.

[billy2bs]

wow a 30 day supply for 6 $ wow it co=st 90 here if i paid without insurance...ill have to ck it out whn i go again Thanks guys

[danny99]

And I thought that Bali was cheap with 30 x 10 mg costing $18...but 40mg? Better to switch to a high soluble fibre diet and cut down, simvastin can have serious side effects, I hope you have all your liver tests done when you do your blood tests...that is the danger of ordering your own meds without the advice of a specialiast doctor who knows what to look out for? Unfortunately the same liver tests [ALT and CGT] high readings can be caused by an overage of alcohol as well as by side effects to simvastin, so if high then a period of non-alcohol is necessary before re-testing to identify the culprit.

[Neal]

OK, everyone I have been busy, ok maybe lazy but I faxed Fascino all my meds and asked them for the prices I was paying. They gave them all to me. Now today I went to Sang a nat Pharmacy with the list and the prices. Did not know if it was his wife or the owner (female) older woman. I handed her the list and said that the meds cost me about 30,000 baht per month and I heard she may be cheaper.

What I got was a rude uninterested person. She pointed to several and said she does not carry them. I said well if I pay for boxes of them ahead of time and I order them, you are a pharmacy, you can get them, correct? No was her answer. Too much problem don't carry them. Uggh! I gave up on several that are readily over the counter and she did not carry or even want to also any insulin.

There was one other she told me Fascino was 50 baht higher than her and another Fascino was 20 baht cheaper than her.

Worth dealing with this type of attitude and saving 50 baht? I sure as hell don't think so. And you will find this on this forum and not have someone with an iron fist say it is libel and delete my experience just because they are telling you the truth and are afraid that every other post will get them sued for libel so all they have are some newspaper articles that they reprint! Gee can't be cause reprinting articles without the expressed written permission from the author or newspaper could get them sued also!

[kittyboy]

Hey guys... I take a blood pressure medicine called losartan. Last time in Thailand I tried to buy it at a pharmacy but was quoted a price of 1700 baht fot 30 tablets. However I understand the generic is called loranta here in Thailand.

I assume facinos sells the generic...can someone confirm that? and give me a price for the loranta.

Thanks I am back in Thailand in a few weeks

[Neal]

Loranta available at Fascino
50 mg - strip of 10 - 90 baht
100 mg - strip of 10 - 110 baht

A mate of mine ex trolley dolly actuly used to visit Thailand regular but hes on dialasiss three times a week now he wants to know if he can get it in Thailand if he takes a holiday and how much.

[Neal]

Hi.
Yes he certainly can get dialysis here although it does depend on what city and what hospital. In Pattaya the cost for dialysis at Bangkok Pattaya is about 7,000 baht per session and 3,000 for a Thai. I don't know how or why but I am in the computer as a Thai! Now the extra charge I am told is also for a fresh unused filter, a disposable one. I would assume if he is staying here for some time, he would not get a disposable one to keep the price down. Good rooms and service. I am interested in which city and the approx date as most of the hospitals are already fully booked. If it is Pattaya, send me a PM as I bring them treats and sometimes get them all lunch so maybe I can help get him in.