Prescription medications in Vietnam

To get a knowledgeable response, you will need to name the medications, preferable by generic name as well.  Also, check with your doctor for alternatives.  Most BP medications fall into broad categories (ACE, Beta blockers, Alpha blockers, calcium channel blockers, etc) and can often substitute for each other.

There are no generics for any of the three I use, Invokana, Janumet, and Exforge will be patent protected for years to come and therefore have no generic. I exhausted the generic approach long before I made my post.

I wonder (asking) if it matters that the medications are being forwarded in their original mailing envelope? Mine come from the U.S. Veterans Administration, and I'm looking into simply having that unopened, sealed package put in a shipping envelope or box and sent to me.

Jim-Minh wrote:

I have three medications that I take here in the US that can't be purchased in Vietnam ... I am facing the prospect of making a $1000 round trip back to the states every six months to pick up a few ounces of prescription meds. Surely I am missing something. Does anyone have the secret formula for avoiding this PITA?

No secret formula is needed.

-  Invokana registered with and was approved by the government to be sold in VN as of June 8, 2017:  https://thuvienphapluat.vn/van-ban/The- … 53176.aspx

-  Janumet and Exforge are sold in many, many places.  Do a Google.com/vn search to find the pharmacies.  There are too many links to post here.

Thank you Ciambella

I was in Saigon for extended period of time recently and had no problem obtaining the medication you are asking for. BP and meds for diabetics. Few years back same thing happened in Philippines.
I would suggest as soon as you arrive take the medication containers to a pharmacy and ask if they have it or if they can get it for you. They can order it. No prescription needed. The bigger the pharmacy the more chances of having the meds in stock.
I Saigon there's a street full of Pharmacies. Can't remember what district it is in. I think D5. Have a local friend take you. They can be of great help. Good luck

This is from a post that I made previously: 

THIGV wrote:

There is a pharmaceutical wholesaler that my wife use[d] on Hai Ba Trung Street in HCMC.  I am sorry I do not have the exact address but it is between the Tân Dinh Market and the big pink church.  I think the number will be in the 260's.  Unfortunately the Google street view in HCMC is based on individual photos and the available photo is not directly in front.  The address is on the sign but sadly I can't read it. ....  I couldn't load the image but you might try these coordinates in Google Maps:  10.7890941,106.6903526

I would add that the pharmacy is on the opposite side of the street from the pink church which is named Nhà Thờ Tân Định.  Also a VP Bank is next door.  If you are coming from downtown and you get to the market you went too far.

Although it is a wholesale outlet they do take walk in customers but they may expect you to buy 30 to 90 day quantities, not 2 pills like the corner places.  For someone taking BP or diabetes medications this shouldn't be a problem.

Sometimes if you ask for something they don't have in stock, they can usually get it within a week.  I highly recommend this place if you live in HCMC.  The only drawback may be that if you do not speak Vietnamese, it may help to bring a friend.  My wife always went inside with a list of names, unit sizes and quantities that I had printed out, so I suppose anyone could do the same.

I have been on that street - a girlfriend took me there in'99. I don't remember the name of the street but I'll bet a friend or a cab driver can get me there. Thanks for refreshing my memory. Are the name-brand drugs as expensive as they are in the states?

The only brand name that I ever took there was Avodart (dutasteride) for BPE which I dropped pretty quickly for lack of efficacy, not price.  I switched to generic Tadalafil 10mg cut in half daily for $15.78 a month which was well worth it as it allowed me to sleep all night without rising to use the bathroom.  Although generic, that was my most expensive Rx.  My generic BP medications, Amlodipine and Losartan, cost $4.40 a month. 

Strangely my generic 81mg aspirin came from Kirkland (Costco) so I assume it actually cost more than it did in the US.  That was the only exception and of course was negligible.  If you do not have a good drug insurance plan in the US, I feel confident you will save a lot in Vietnam.

I think some of your brand names are also a combination of generics.  This is one way Pharma companies in the US keep their patents fresh.  Amlodipine is part of your Exforge.  Maybe you could find the other component, Valsartan and buy that way.

Thanks for the quick reply, I know that Janumet is a combination of Metformin and Sitagliptin and the patent just recently expired. It costs about $500 a month here.

I found a generic Exforge HCT.  The name brand costs about $300 a month.
Teva announced the launch of Amlodipine, Valsartan, and Hydrochlorothiazide Tablets, the generic version of Novartis' Exforge HCT

The Invocana may be a tough nut to crack. It too costs about $300 per month and was just patented in 2013.

There are half a dozen wholesale pharmacies in Saigon. Here's an artcle on the positive and negative aspects of the practice, and the author's experience in dealing with them (selling and buying):

http://antg.cand.com.vn/Kinh-te-Van-hoa … ay-307723/

(Don't have time to translate right now, sorry about that.)

There are more articles on the same subject.  I'm in the middle of nowhere at the moment, but will post more links when we get back, if you're interested.

I've been in Vietnam for 8 years and take many meds. Initially, I've tried to have them sent here, but customs opened and confiscated some.  I found that if you know someone in Cambodia, they can be shipped there and taken by bus (not plane) into Vietnam - no problems ever.

If you have refills remaining back in the US and usually have them delivered to your home via home-delivery, you can call them in from here, have them shipped to someone in the US and then unto Cambodia.

In hcmc, I finally found Nhi Trung Pharmacy which has all of my meds at the lowest prices. I wasted lots of money on meds AND on western clinics here. Hoan My hospital has a very helpful staff (they will take you from one dept. to another), good doctors, it is clean, and you get a number - nobody pushing in a crowd.

Hope this helps. Ask for more details if needed.

Albert

A lot of different brand medications do the same thing, so no need to get too hung up on your particulars. In Saigon I go to the Raffles Medical clinic (formerly SOS) to get my six-monthly blood tests and three-monthly repeat scripts for cholesterol, blood pressure and related issues, with medications issued on-site. All top-of-the-range stuff. Just make sure you have medical insurance because some of these meds aren't cheap at all. And yes, as someoine else said here, the local pharmacies can get just about anything without a script, it might just take a few days, and some of it will be quite expensive like back home.

AlbertD827 wrote:

Hoan My hospital has a very helpful staff (they will take you from one dept. to another), good doctors, it is clean, and you get a number - nobody pushing in a crowd.

Another vote for Hoan My.  I can vouch for their professionalism, efficiency, and compassion.  They have been taking excellent care of my extended family and relatives for 20 years and no one would ever think of changing hospital.  My nephew-in-law, a German physician in Saigon, always refers people to Hoan My.

Jim-Minh, this is Dr. Mike; I do not have knowledge of your first two medications; however, as a user of Exforge, I can certainly help you, here. Exforge, as you must be aware is a combination of Valsartan and Amlodipine Besylate. While Exforge is not available in Vietnam, the 2 latter mentioned medications are. Having said that, they may be more expensive in Vietnam and/or with regard, particularly to some medications such as any associated with cardiovascular function, eg., blood pressure, one has to be extremely careful about the source from which these medications are obtained from while in Vietnam. Secondly, while I am currently in the US and regularly using Exforge, my supply has been brought with me from Australia where the cost is $6.50 per 30 tablets - a significant difference in the cost of Exforge in the US which is not easily obtainable in the same form as it is in Australia. Now I'm not suggesting that you travel to Australia to replenish your supply of medication because as you are probably not a Medicare card holder in Australia (as I am), then your medications would not be government subsidized and, therefore, you would need to research whatever the cost may be for you. Whether in the US or in Australia, I am able to acquire a 6 month supply and often while overseas, too, have prearranged with my pharmacist or chemist in the US and/or Australia to extend my supply (if necessary) while out of the country. There, too, a group named "Chemist Warehouse" for example, in Australia and one can go online to order specific medications and/or supplements. There (most likely) is a similar-type organization within the US that provides the same service. Although for both you would still need to submit a medical doctor's prescription for ordering any such medication(s). One final thought is that while in Vietnam, you if the medications that you have been regularly taking are not available in VN, you may (as others have), need to consult with a proper (Western) physician who can recommend a locally available medication that is similar to the ones that you have been using (obtained) from the US.

Thank you Dr. G.
You gave me an idea of how to circumvent the problem of "no meds shipped to Vietnam". I'm going to look at the possibility of shipping to Thailand or Japan or some other destination less restrictive than VN. Perhaps a doctor or someone of reputation would be appropriate. That would be far less expensive than returning to the States every 6 months to get my prescriptions refilled. I will need to make a visa run every 3 months anyway. Perhaps I can get a Thai Dr. to help me in the process.
I also appreciate your other advice as well. That did not fall on deaf ears.

I just found you can get a pharmaceutical import permit in Taiwan. Round trip airfare is about $200.

Hello to you. I am in Nha Trang and have a similar problem, having had heart bypass surgery and therefore ongoing medication. I now travel to Malaysia originally to the National Heart hospital and lately to an equivilant where an established contact consultant now works. At both these points the hospital and staff are excellent, in my view. It was suggested that I  attend there by a heart consultant in Singapore. I initially had a complete examination and tests, but that was at my request because my surgery was over a decade ago. My concern was whether any medication could be fake but I am comfortable with this, having been as reassured by all staff and am having no side effects. I do not know if they will require an initial examination from you, you can enquirer. They are happy to issue me with ongoing prescriptions. The trip to Malaysia is minimal in time and cost I can give you contact at hospital if you decide to research.

Macthefox - I had not considered Malaysia yet. Malaysia is just a short hop from SGN. That makes a great deal of sense. Yes, I would be interested. Please PM me if you would be so kind.

OK I will dig out the info and forward it to you - probably tomorrow because I am working now.

The RT airfare to Malaysia is really cheap, $80 or so. But I did not find a prescription permit like I did for Taipei. They do allow you to accept American Dr. prescribed Rxs but only in increments of 30 day batches.
Take your time, I will not be on my way to SGN until Dec.

my friend
I'm also diabetic...………..taking Janumet, jardiance and glimepiride
are these meds available in Hanoi? please advise and thanks.

Janumet is a mix of metformin and sitagliptin. The metformin is not a problem as it is cheap and available. The sitagliptin lost its patent protection in 2017 but is not expected to be available as a generic until 2022.

Glimepiride is also cheap and available.

There is currently no therapeutically equivalent version of Jardiance available in the United States. Note: Fraudulent online pharmacies may attempt to sell an illegal generic version of Jardiance. These medications may be counterfeit and potentially unsafe. Its patent was awarded in 2014.
Jardiance is a drug marketed by Boehringer Ingelheim and is included in one NDA. There are five patents protecting this drug and one Paragraph IV challenge.

please check steglatro 5 mg.

metformin and glimepiride are good.
sitagliptin is the problem. will check here in Los Angeles CA
the equivalent. thnaks so much.

what good pharmacy that you go to get your meds for diabetis?

You need to work with a doctor. The problem is getting meds from the States to VN without making a trip to the States every 6 months with a six month supply.
I get my meds through a $500/month Medicare Part  C/D? supplemental plan.
I can pick up the scripts if I return to the States every six months. The only sure deal I have at the moment is to fly to Chicago RT every six months for $700 or so.

This is a POS I'll have to research long and hard.

Walking the hills of Da Lat and eating good food may be the answer to a six grand/yr med problem in lieu of a pharmaceutical nightmare.

There is another huge problem regarding Medicare - rather the lack of it in VN. Medicare will not pay for health care outside of the States and its territories. I paid dearly for Medicare for a half-century and can't use it in VN.
Medicare is good in Guam but that is 12 hours away from SGN & no Doc would let me go that far in an emergency.
I am paying $500/month for good health insurance in the States with Cigna but that turns to a POS if I move to VN. Cigna International will cover me for an additional $800/month.

LOL - the "EXTRACTION" provision from VN costs as much as a good health policy here.

Something is wrong with this picture.....

Talk to me Goose....

Jim-Minh wrote:

I am paying $500/month for good health insurance in the States with Cigna but that turns to a POS if I move to VN. Cigna International will cover me for an additional $800/month.

Yeah... my mother is having the exact same issue. I fly her home 3-4 times a year so she can pick up her meds at Cigna. I just paid $1000 for a health plan at Vinmec for her, which is for a year. Not sure what to expect though, but Vinmec has taken care of her in the past.

my friend

Janumet
losartan
glimepiride
jardiance
steglatro

these medications pleanty in Hanoi? sorry to disturb you.

please advise and thanks. with gratitude.

moving to Hanoi by Nov. 27, 2018 but will have 3 months supplies. starting to make friend
and inquiring only.

I currently live in Dallas, Texas. I don't know. I am doing the same research as you.

Hi Jim,
Could you let me know if you find any source to get medication in Vietnam.
I am planning to go back to Vietnam to stay, but I need my medication.
I agree with your thoughts that you have to get back to states very 3 or 6 months, and cost the airfare and wasting time for nothing.
That is insane!
Thanks in advance.
Vu.

What do you need i'll ask one of the places I use

Thanks for your response.
I just want to know if they have metoprolol and altorvastatin
Vu

yep both available..
phamacity has them as well which is just a chain pharmacy
for bulk buying e.g. 3 or 6 mnths most big phamacy suppliers give a discount as well.

Thanks!
By the way, you have any preference with hospital, doctors.
Vu

Hi,
My mother is living in Hcm, Vietnam. About 12 years ago, she had the triple bypass surgery from private hospital. I gave my sister $10k to take care my mom health problem. They did use only about 7k.
The surgery went well, every 3 months she goes back for blood test and ekg. And the surgeon whom did the operation 10 years ago also her regular doctor.
After doctor examination, he prescribes her medication for 3 months.
The cost of total checkup, and medication is about $700 US dollars.
Overall, I think this hospital and these doctors know what they are doing, and it doesn't cost much compared with US health system.
Just have some comments, and anyone needs more information from this hospital, I will get it.
Vu

vpham1117, $7K for a 3 vessel cabg is quite a bargain but $700 for a routine checkup sounds a little steep even including labs. Even in US it should only cost 1/2 of that unless the doc jacks up the in-house lab costs.

CHN90 wrote:

vpham1117, $7K for a 3 vessel cabg is quite a bargain but $700 for a routine checkup sounds a little steep even including labs. Even in US it should only cost 1/2 of that unless the doc jacks up the in-house lab costs.

He also said medication was in that price.

Even including meds still seem a little steep for VN. For most of CAD pts the standard regiment is beta blocker (metoprolol succinate 100mg x 90 is about $40), high intensity statin (artovastatin 80mg x 90 is about $30, if you only need 40mg then split it in half to save even more), ACEI (lisinopril 40mg x90 is about $8) and dirt cheap ASA. So for three month supply of rxs the cost in US is still less than $100. But I guess everyone has to make a living. I have noticed that India made generic rxs are quite common in the US but I'm not sure about the origin(s) of the generic rxs in VN.