Medication in Singapore

Good morning everyone,

Whether it's a simple cold or a chronic illness, medication and medicine use vary from country to country and culture to culture.

When you are used to certain brands or types of drugs, being in a country like Singapore with different rules can affect your daily well-being.

Some drugs also differ in name, price, dosage, active molecule, so we would like to hear your opinion on these issues:

Have you ever had difficulties finding familiar or useful medicines for your health in your host country?

Have you ever been faced with a shortage of medicines in Singapore?

Would you have said that in Singapore drugs are more or less expensive than in your home country? Do you find them more or less effective or of similar quality?

What is the place of alternative medicines in your host country? Have you ever used them?

Thank you in advance for your feedback,

Loïc

In Singapore, medication is generally dispensed by the doctor or clinic you visit. Thus there are very few pharmacies. If you need anything, better visit a doctor - they tend to over-prescribe (especially when it comes to antibiotics)!

The only medicine bi haven't been able to find here is Bismuth. I've not seen any shortages yet. Some OTC drugs are more expensive, but prescription drugs seem to cost less.

One thing to mention, in drug stores I've seen the herbal remedy drugs on the shelf next to the chemical drugs, so you have to pay attention if you are looking for one or the other.