Prescription meds

Medication is very expensive in DR compared to where I live which is France.  Due to the curfew we were stuck there for over 5 months -nearly running out of meds.  Added to which they don't have all the meds so I had to get Fedex to ship them in from France.  Even the cost of Fedex was cheaper than buying them in DR.  I should add this does not apply to all meds.

Unless things have change, and assuming you're not going for residency, then the maximum stay as a tourist is 120 days.  I suppose you could fly to Panama or somewhere for a few days and then come back!
You need to ask Planner on this forum who is well informed on these matters.  Good luck

Does this new regulation mean you can no longer pay for overstaying on your tourist visa ?

Prescription meds are both safe and available.  Price comparison depends on many factors.

The 120 day limit is apparently a tourist visa and not a tourist card. 

For info on residency please contact Lishali, the residency legal guru. 

Her info is readily available on the residency thread that is pinned on the main page.

How are prescriptions handled? You need prescription from Doctor? Over the counter available?

Most things are over the counter, no doctor visit even required.  Most pharmacists can sell you meds based on your ailments, but nothing too difficult.  I wouldn't want them diagnosing something internal, but if you have a tooth ache, ear infection, or pink eye, they can set you up.  If you bring in a bottle of the meds you want, they can dispense it, or something very similar.  The island has been having a shortage of some brands of meds due to covid, but most are the same as another name from another manufacturer.  I don't believe you can get narcotics over the counter, I haven't had to try that.  But strong pain meds are available.  I find the prices a bit cheaper than Canada, as we didn't have coverage there.  The ease of getting medicine here is a plus, in my books, and I'm not on any regularly.  Just the occasional ear infection or kidney stones (great medicine here to help with those!).  My wife finds her medications easily enough, and for a bit lesser of a price than we are used to.

Heavy duty pain killers and sleep meds will require special prescription that not all doctors can access

My wife and I brought a copy of our prescription history from from our pharmacy in Canada and went over it with a pharmacist in Las Terrenas. They spent about half an hour going over each item with us and confirmed each was available and the cost of them in DR pesos (fortunately she spoke English).
She advised if we brought that history with us they could fill any prescription based on that.

Planner are you saying you can still pay for overstays on the tourist card beyond 120 days ?

As far as I know overstay fines extend for years

goinforit wrote:

My wife and I brought a copy of our prescription history from from our pharmacy in Canada and went over it with a pharmacist in Las Terrenas. They spent about half an hour going over each item with us and confirmed each was available and the cost of them in DR pesos (fortunately she spoke English).
She advised if we brought that history with us they could fill any prescription based on that.

Planner are you saying you can still pay for overstays on the tourist card beyond 120 days ?

Thanks for sharing this info, it will be very helpful when we arrive in DR in January.   Probably will also be in Las Terrenas, so could you recommend any particular pharmacist in Las Terrenas??    English-speaking?? 

Any advice appreciated.  If we're not allowed to share names of a pharmacy in the forum, PLEASE message us directly.   

Same advice appreciated from anyone else with recommendations on a pharmacist.  (If the same name pops up consistently, that is probably the Gold Standard!)

Many thanks,


Jim
ExpatRusher

I am totally and permanently disabled due to being in a car that rolled over many years ago. I required 2 major back surgeries requiring titanium screws and plates, and suffer from chronic back pain with severe arthritic changes in the Spine and Hips. I have been on pain meds well over 15yrs, and Klonopin(Clonazepam)for anxiety for about the same period. Which Clinics/Doctors would you recommend that would treat my medical condition, and prescribe similar meds. My wife is Dominican, and we are planning on moving to Santo Domingo soon. Thanks in advance for your reply.

Welcome thank the forums!  I normally recommend Hospiten in Santo Domingo.  Not sure which doctor I would suggest though.  There are many good doctors at Hospiten.

If you have chronic pain that you can't seem to get relief from, I would suggest seeing a Neurosurgeon.  After seeing several doctors and specialists here with absolutely zero relief from their prescriptions, injections etc., the Neurosurgeon hit the nail on the head and prescribed a cocktail of  medication that acted almost immediately.  Followed by an MRI to confirm his diagnosis which was perfectly accurate.  Although he recommended surgery at some point in the future, I have been lucky enough to avoid it and I am managing the pain with some physio and occasional meds.  One thing here that I like about the medical care is that we can get to the specialist we need quickly and are not added to a waiting list that is months down the road.

Good luck and at least in Santo Domingo there are many medical sources for you to explore.

@pmeredith90 I would have no way of knowing that information.  You need to find the contact info for a Pharmacy near where you intend to stay, and ask them.  Most of them have WhatsApp numbers for easy communication.