Prescription Medications

adrienne79 says on May 10, 2007, 14:05:

birth control is cheap w/o insurance and you don't have to have a prescription, as far as I know. It depends on the brand that you want but if you are willing to take a generic you can buy them for about $10 a pack or less. I had my future sister in law do some checks on them for me.

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bogjudge says on May 10, 2007, 14:08:

PRESCRIPTION MEDICATIONS ALL BRAND NAMES ARE FAIRLY EXPENSIVE IN COMPARISON TO OTHER LATIN AMERICAN NATIONS (SAVE MEXICO). I LIVE IN BOQUETE PANAMA AND HAVE FOUND THAT THE MEDS I NEED HERE IN MANIZALES ARE ABOUT 35% MORE THAN IN PANAMA. ALWAYS INQUIRE ABOUT GENERIC AVAILABILILTY.COLOMBIA MANUFACTURES SOME GENERICS UNDER THE LA SANTE AND MX BRANDS.

What Lies Over Yonder Horizon?

What Lies Over Yonder Horizon?

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adrienne79 says on May 10, 2007, 14:12:

kitty I also made the assumption that you are frm the US and comparing with cost in the US.

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Gator says on May 10, 2007, 17:25:

Buy An Bottle of Aspirin! Take one tablet and hold the aspirin tablet tightly between the knees.
Seriously, most are much cheaper that in the USA and you will be amazed at how many are sold OTC.

"Brevior Sltare Cum Deformibus Mulieribus Est Vita!" .

"Brevior Sltare Cum Deformibus Mulieribus Est Vita!" .

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tomtom33 says on May 10, 2007, 18:23:

Be careful with generics. The controls on generics are not the same in Colombia as they are in the US. And there have been cases of counterfeit drugs in Colombia.

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aztec says on May 10, 2007, 18:34:

tomtom, we were told by a physician at the medical college... ...to not trust the generics. I was surprised when he told me that he would not use them. Apparently there is absolutely no controls on what goes into them.

I have learned enough to advise you to only use name brand drugs in Colombia.

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adrienne79 says on May 10, 2007, 19:06:

Hmmm... Obviously then generics are a bad idea. Learn something new everyday. For birth control, I plan to take "Diane". It is a name brand that is not available in the US but available in most other countries worldwide. It helps with Acne also and cost between $10-$15 down there. I took it awhile back when I was in Brazil because my best friend down there recommeneded it. I brought some back and asked my doctor here about it. She said it was fine for me to take and not to worry about it not being approved here.

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Man Tequila says on May 10, 2007, 19:52:

Counterfeiting can apply to both generic and brand name drugs, with a higher profit nmargin on the latter.

Brand name drugs in Colombia are slightly cheaper than in Canada, which is somewhat cheaper than the US.

Generic drugs are used in Canada far more commonly than in the US. Generic drugs in Colombia cost about 10% of what they do in Canada.

There were fifty known cases of counterfeit drugs in Colombia in 2006.

I bought a number of generic drugs in Colombia and they seemed to work okay for me.

Aunque no me creas/ si me lo propongo/ lograre olvidarte/ porque a fin de cuentas/ no soy tan cobarde./ Y termino todo una de estas tardes/ no sera dificil buscar algún sitio donde refugiarme/ donde nunca mas vuelvas a encontrarme. (Polo Montañez)

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gringoloid says on May 10, 2007, 21:01:

My biggest problem in my permanent move to.... Colombia is finding the three prescription drugs that I need. Medicos in Bogota did not seem to know what they were. Does anyone have a suggestion about how I can get my meds in Bogota?

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Miguel_Clavo says on May 10, 2007, 22:45:

I have BlueSheid in the US, and they have a mail-order program that you can set up to recieve 3 months worth of the pills, (4 shipment times per year)with only a doctors presription. That way i pay the $5 or $10 copay only, and i just need to deal with getting them to Colombia the four times per year...i plan on using www.usabox.com, which uses an actual street address (not PO Box) to accept my US mail and packages, etc, then forwards them (mail, packages)to me in CTG ..... usabox.com also has online management....i have not actually began using them yet, but other PBHers have.....something to look into....=)

Just my opinion...

Miguel_Clavo =)..aka, DragonSlayer..2-0..Colombia es pasión!

"I would rather die living life, than to live a dying life."........ Oh, and my PM is always ON. Great Bumper Sticker: "Home of the Free, Because of the Brave"

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miamimike says on May 10, 2007, 23:52:

I priced Xenical(orlistat) in USA , Canada and Colombia and the Best Price was an Online Pharmacy from Canada, which is where I ultimately bought them from. Approx 20% cheaper then Colombia's price(surprise), 30% cheaper then in the USA(no surprise).

"Wait a minute. What did you just say? You're predicting $4-a-gallon gas? That's interesting. I hadn't heard that." -- Feb. 28, 2008 --George W. Bush, Washington, D.C.

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aztec says on May 11, 2007, 04:06:

Miguel_Clavo, very interesting! My wife takes a life saving medication that cannot be found in Colombia in the units she needs. She even had trouble finding premerine in the prescription size she needs.

We have BS/BC and would appreciate more detailed information on their mail-order program.

miamimike, would the company in Canada ship to Colombia? Can you share the name of the company and is it legal to order meds from Canada?

Thanks.

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tomtom33 says on May 11, 2007, 06:01:

Don't ship any prescription drugs to Colombia. I did, and Aduana would not let them into the country. You or a courier can personally bring them into the country, but you cannot ship them. Bogota held the drugs for over 4 months. And I had to pay to have them shipped back to the US. And, not surprisingly, some were missing when I got them back.

A couple of years ago Niaspan was not available in Colombia. Since they would not let my drugs into the country, I had a friend put 30 pills into a bubble pack and mail them from Chicago regular US mail. I got them about 45 days later. I also sent a 30-day supply to another friend in Florida who was coming to Colombia. My Colombian attorney assured me that my friend would not get into any trouble bringing drugs for me as long as they were labeled. My only other option would have been to have the Niaspan shipped to Miami and personally fly to Miami to get them.

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RoyM says on May 11, 2007, 07:16:

Supermarket Pharmacy When I first came to Columbia, my girlfriend (now fiance) went to the local supermarket and purchased BCs for less than $10 without a prescription. It probably helped that she speaks the language well.

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Man Tequila says on May 11, 2007, 07:35:

Several years ago I travelled to Beijing, China with my father.

I got a bad case of "traveller's diarrhea" from some of the dicey food I ate over there. I was stuck in my hotel feeling crappy for a couple days. I asked my Dad to go to a pharmacy and see if he could find some Septra or Ciprofloxacin antibiotic.

Of course my father spoke no Mandarin Chinese, nor did he take his phrase book. He just went to a pharmacy and tried to mime the action of diarrhea by squatting, looking uncomfortable, holding his hand close to his bum and making wiggling motions with his fingers to mimic falling poop. The Chinese pharmacist, looking at this old white guy squatting in front of him, thought this was the funniest thing he had ever seen and completely lost it. But he also understood him, and I got the medicine.

MORAL: If you don't understand Spanish and want birth control pills, all you have to do is bump and grind until the pharmacist understands what you want. ;) It might help to actually pretend that you are delivering a baby, and then shake your head "no" vigourously, while waving your index finger.

Niaspan is just vitamin B3. Hard to believe that isn't available in Colombia even if the brand is not.

Aunque no me creas/ si me lo propongo/ lograre olvidarte/ porque a fin de cuentas/ no soy tan cobarde./ Y termino todo una de estas tardes/ no sera dificil buscar algún sitio donde refugiarme/ donde nunca mas vuelvas a encontrarme. (Polo Montañez)

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miamimike says on May 11, 2007, 10:34:

Aztec I went to that Online Canadian Company's Website now now and I see they are no longer doing Business. This was over 3 years ago btw. A while back there was a strong move to shut them(canadian online pharmacies) down as some here in the USA felt American Consumers were getting too good of a deal and saving too much Money purchasing Meds from Canada. On sending Meds from the USA to Colombia, I am not sure if a Copy of your Prescription would faciliate the process as it may. I know if a person is attempting to send Medications from Colombia to the USA, it is allowed, provided a copy of a Doctor's Prescription accompanys the Medication(s). If this prescription is not in the same box or envelope as the Meds, in all probability, Customs will not allow them to pass through. I don't see how US Customs/immigration can prohibit a Medication, deemed as necessary to a person's health by their US based Doctor,provided the documentation is with the Medication and it is in the original packaging. Deprivation of needed Medications sounds like a legal liability issue to me then. 100s of travelers pass daily with needed Meds through US customs enroute to foreign destinations and one seldom hears of a problem. The Number or Prescription Meds in question can influence the scenario also.

A few links on the subject: the last one from the US State Dept
http://www.peoplesguide.com/1pages/chapts/health/buymed/prescription-faq/03-buying-drugs-faq.html

http://travel.state.gov/travel/cis_pa_tw/cis/cis_1090.html

"Wait a minute. What did you just say? You're predicting $4-a-gallon gas? That's interesting. I hadn't heard that." -- Feb. 28, 2008 --George W. Bush, Washington, D.C.

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Miguel_Clavo says on May 11, 2007, 10:52:

at Aztec Here is the blueshield link, but i noticed it was for California, so yours might differ a little, but i would imagine the description would be the same....

https://www.blueshieldca.com/bsc/pharmacy/participatingpharmacies/mailserviceprescriptions/pharmacy_mail_service.jhtml

Name of the Program: Express Scripts www.express-scripts.com 1-800-544-6962 OR, go to www.mylifepath.com click on the pharmacy tab, then click on Express Scripts mail-service pharmacy link.....describes the process and other information. Your doctor gives you a prescription for you pills to cover a 1 year period, with 4 shipments of 90 pills each. You can renew online and they keep your cc on file so it takes only a few clicks.

Since i will be flying back and forth quite regularly between the US and Colombia, taking 4 shipments of pills myself would be easy. However, i will look into the Aduana deal, like tomtom33 metnioned, but i would probably not list the items as prescription pills......maybe supplements or vitamins?...=) .... play the name game....=)


Just my opinion...

Miguel_Clavo =)..aka, DragonSlayer..2-0..Colombia es pasión!

"I would rather die living life, than to live a dying life."........ Oh, and my PM is always ON. Great Bumper Sticker: "Home of the Free, Because of the Brave"

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Miguel_Clavo says on May 11, 2007, 10:54:

at Aztec and btw, your doctor can fax in the prescriptions so you dont do anything with the actual paper prescription....its a sweet deal....

Just my opinion...

Miguel_Clavo =)..aka, DragonSlayer..2-0..Colombia es pasión!

"I would rather die living life, than to live a dying life."........ Oh, and my PM is always ON. Great Bumper Sticker: "Home of the Free, Because of the Brave"

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miamimike says on May 11, 2007, 11:03:

MC--if those Meds are passing through US Customs better have a Paper copy of your prescription(as well as the Meds in the original container) with those Meds to prevent any delays.

"Wait a minute. What did you just say? You're predicting $4-a-gallon gas? That's interesting. I hadn't heard that." -- Feb. 28, 2008 --George W. Bush, Washington, D.C.

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Miguel_Clavo says on May 11, 2007, 11:47:

Thanks MM, but it would be Col Customs i am concerned about ....original containers, for sure,....just thinking that if they dont pass, then, i am only out the copay of $5 or $10 per refill?? not sure though..


Just my opinion...

Miguel_Clavo =)..aka, DragonSlayer..2-0..Colombia es pasión!

"I would rather die living life, than to live a dying life."........ Oh, and my PM is always ON. Great Bumper Sticker: "Home of the Free, Because of the Brave"

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miamimike says on May 11, 2007, 12:22:

I don't see how they can stop you if the Meds are deemed Medically necessary by your Doctor and you have a valid up to date prescription. A case where they may give you a hard time may be if the Meds are a controlled substance ect.

"Wait a minute. What did you just say? You're predicting $4-a-gallon gas? That's interesting. I hadn't heard that." -- Feb. 28, 2008 --George W. Bush, Washington, D.C.

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tomtom33 says on May 11, 2007, 14:04:

Niaspan is not just a brand name for vitamin B3. It is a different kind of slow-release Niacin(Vitamin B3). It was only cleared for use by the FDA about 5 years ago. It cannot be taken with OTC B3 or OTC slow-release B-3. It is especially for those who need to take massive doses of Niacin without getting crippling side-effects. And I can tell you first-hand all about those crippling side-effects. It is now available in Colombia.

They can and do stop you from shipping them in, Mike. I spent a lot of money with a law firm in Bogota only to be told that aduana's interpretation of Colombian law was correct. Of course they could be shipped in if they were not available in Colombia. I asked about the Niaspan. The attorney said sure. However, they would have to be tested and certified by Colombia's version of the USFDA. The testing would cost around US$750 and take from 4 to 6 months.

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Cerealkiller says on May 11, 2007, 14:38:

Kitty, asthma inhalers and birth control pills are very affordable. I dont know how much they are in the states, but I take Yasmin and the 21 pill course in Colombia was around 40 thousand pesos (20 dollars, more or less). I get them for free here in the UK, but a very good friend of mine used to stock up in Colombia before flying to the US because according to her they were so much cheaper in Col. You dont need prescription for birth control, in regards to the asthma inhaler, i guess it depends on the one youre taking.

Conservatives are not necessarily stupid, but most stupid people are conservatives -John Stuart Mill

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mecca says on May 11, 2007, 15:44:

tomtom that would be INVIMA in colombia.

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