Mailing drugs to Thailand is not permitted, although people do it.Originally Posted by Dodger
People can carry their personal prescriptions with them. I carry more than the allowed amounts (whatever that may be) and never questioned, which is a common practice.
Everything you said is true as best I know with some caveats. Mark Cuban is one of many newer middlemen marketing direct to people to make money undercutting the completely fucked-up established pharmaceutical industry in usa. One really important thing is all the discounts in USA are on limited drugs. many Brand drugs are incredibly expensive. (truvada was my specific horror story, generic drugs developed with government research money were combined and Gilead marketed it at over $2000 a month with some copay program help for poor people)
another company is GoodRx. you can get a discount code from them an go to your local pharmacy and get similar low prices (they are a middle man, and make money from you buying thru them)
Walmart also started (10 year ago?) competing on many common medications. $4 for 30 days $10 for 90 days on the medications I take.
These companies are convenient, because their discounts are local not mail order. Cost+ is mail order on line.
Sometimes these companies are cheaper than costplusdrugs. But Cost+ is consistently the lowest or very near lowest.
I am not in anyway trying to criticize the Thai system. I am genuinely trying to learn and understand medical costs in other countries of interest. I'm a little bit of a numbers geek and am comparing retirement locations (Thailand, Vietnam Cambodia Philippines, Colombia) as a mental diversion. I don't really trust "International Living".
When i was in Colombia, drug prices were all over the map! (generic Pepto-bismal was terribly expensive)
Drug cost and how it interfaces with medical insurance is a new area of research since i am exploring Medicare cost options in USA. (I was genuinely surprised that my drug cost will go up 5X if I use medicare part D insurance in USA).
For you expat USA people, medical insurance and drug costs are of interest to me. Any info/advice appreciated
If I go with Medicare Advantage program, most offer $50 to $100,000 coverage when overseas (emergency coverage, not medical tourism)
so much to learn!
There is no hard and fast rule about how much medication travelers can take with them. National laws vary but are generally in the range of 30 to 90 days of medication for travelers' personal consumption, and may include differing amounts depending on whether the medication is or is not accompanied by a physician's prescription. Similarly, countries may have laws allowing the importation (i.e., having them shipped from abroad) of medications under specified conditions.
However, carrying some common OTC medications containing opioid-derivatives such as tramadol and codeine, etc., can get you imprisoned in place like Greece, Dubai, etc., unless you are also carrying a prescription. Even carrying any prescription drugs containing an opioid-derivative can get you into trouble, e.g., a British women was arrested in Egypt when airport Customs found several hundred Tramadol painkillers in her luggage.
Thai embassy websites publish information on travel with prescription medicines into and out of Thailand, including the maximum in each medication you can only bring. They have to be in their original packaging, though.
As countries post information online about what can and cannot be taken into a country, it make sense to do some research before traveling. I understand that staying in Bangkok or Bali prisons is not a pleasant experience.
Dodger (September 7th, 2022)
Other than a couple Xanax and Ambien for plane sleeping from very old prescriptions... I don't ever carry anything interesting..... Unless prescription cialis and testosterone are a problem.. I even bought a new suitcase for returning from Colombia. the old one was damaged (courtesy of Avianca) and i was afraid of marijuana smell and dogs.
This is an example of where prescription medications permitted in one country are strictly controlled in another. I believe Xanax and Ambien are classified as Class 4 drugs in the US, but American classifications do not apply elsewhere (which often comes as a surprise to some, I believe). Even carrying US OTC medications containing Codeine or Tramadol, for example, can land you in trouble in countries such as Greece, Egypt, Dubai - even if you're only in transit.
Both Xanax (and its generic Alprazolam) and Ambien (or Zolpidem or Zopiclone) are controlled substances in Thailand. They are legally available only on doctor's prescription, and only from pharmacies with a special license to fill such prescriptions. No pharmacy will sell it to you without a prescription (probably from a Thai medical practitioner). They, and you, will be fined if they sell it to you. Similarly, Valium, Rohypnol, etc., cannot be sold to you without a prescription. They are all classed as narcotic drugs. Thailand has strict regulations about who can take these drugs into Thailand (e.g., people going there fore medical treatment), and how much they can import (30-days supply).
Other countries, such as the UK, Egypt, also control the import of these drugs by travelers. Australia goes as far as requiring medical practitioners to inform the Department of Health when prescribing alprazolam to a patient who requires a prescription for a long period. This must be done for each patient and only one practitioner can prescribe the medication for the patient at any one time. Alprazolam, Zolpidem and Zopiclone are all Category 4 medications in Taiwan and very tightly controlled.
Traveling with "very old prescriptions" is not advised. I don't know if it is a peculiarity of US prescriptions but those issued in other countries often have a use-by date. A standard prescription in the UK is valid for 6 months from the date on the prescription (unless the medicine prescribed contains a controlled medicine). Australian prescriptions last 12 months, I believe. Mine in Taiwan cover 28 days of medication and then expire, though I get three consecutive prescriptions at one time. If you are using very old prescriptions, then generally the amount of medication you bring must be consistent with the amount stated on the prescription.
Part of my job before I retired involved briefing business people being assigned abroad on what to do and what not to do, e.g., business etiquette and so on. It also included advice on healthcare related matters and what medications they could and could not take with them into other countries. Taking medication to help sleep while flying was one of the issues discussed, depending on the length of the flight. For example, use a long-acting medication like Ambien on a short flight is not advisable because you could find yourself too dazed to take care of yourself during an emergency or when you arrive at your destination. If you really want to sleep while flying, melatonin is said to be a better option.
With regard to being "afraid of marijuana smell and dogs," you were probably wise to buy a new suitcase. I know of a case where an American exchange student was stopped at Chubu Centrair International Airport in Japan and detained for three days because a sniffer dog detected the smell of the marijuana cigarette he had smoked before boarding his trans-Pacific flight.
christianpfc (September 7th, 2022), splinter1949 (September 8th, 2022)
It wasn't always so difficult. I used to travel extensively from another country and for 3 or 4 years was prescribed rohypnol as a mild sleeping tablet for use on those trips. Probably 3 decades ago on a vacation in Bangkok, I thought I'd check if any pharmacy had them just to save me going to my doctor at home. In a pharmacy on Patpong 2, I inquired about the drug. The duty pharmacist said they would soon be made prescrption only drugs by the Thai government but he did have some he could sell me. He leaned below the counter and brought out a large bottle with l;ots of pills. "There's about 1,000 here. Will that be enough?"
Not sure about costs in Thailand but noted he was from the states. He can check cash price in a variety of places such as walmart and costco (dont need to be a member to use} also a great website is www.goodrx.com which compares all the costs of all local pharmacies and even coupons that can be used to bring price down. ex: his carvedilol at Costco goes for $10 for 180 tabs. One of my meds costs $1900 for 90 days so get the generic from Canada for $90. check www.CIPA.com for a list of reliable canadian online pharmacies. Hope this helps.
Well, all in all some intereting discussion, thank you
the world is a crazy place. as a future geriatric expat hoping for a new life in the land of smiles.... AND since some of the members are expat geriatric men living the good life in thailand taking cholesterial and blood pressure meds, this would be a no brainer question. but....
when i come this winter, i will bring 90+ day supply and continue exploring the internet.
....really...blood pressure and cholesterrol meds are pretty basic...no need to be such a girl about it...
555
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