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coledavis · Joined: 21 Jun 2003 Posts: 1838

By the way, the only people in that unofficial courier chain who are unknown to me are the person in need of the medicine and the person who bought it Germany. Your 'Psych' claim - whatever that is, I presume something along the lines of urban myth - is again, unnecessary and unjustified.

ecocks · Joined: 06 Nov 2007 Posts: 899 Location: Gdansk, Poland

I am in Kyiv and dont find prices to be out of line with back home. They appear to be basically the same, just easier to get. I have noticed that the source of the med influences the price though. A couple of doctors (Ukrainian and expat) have warned me to buy drugs produced in western europe and avoid Ukrainian generics. The reason given was lower standards. From comparing what the pharmacist first pulls out to the western-sourced meds, it appears prices on the western products are up approximately 15 to 30 percent. Possibly that is an effect of taxes and duties.

zeke0606 · Posted: Tue Dec 04, 2007 12:16 pm Post subject: what?

coledavis -

I meant no offence and I'm sorry if you took it that way. It is just that long way around the barn, 6 times to get some med's sounded like the exercise from psych 101.

Many doctors here in Russia will suggest, or tell you that you need a specific drug, however they don't tell the Russian patient that there are generic drugs of the same quality and readly available at the corner apteka. And Russians don't know to ask -- especially in the more rural areas.

So, I stand by everyone's account that drugs and OTC drugs are easy to buy ---------- you just have to know the Russian name or have an empty box (in English) to show the druggist and you have what you need.

coledavis · Joined: 21 Jun 2003 Posts: 1838

Ok, Zeke, and sorry if I took offence rather too quickly. Yes, I organised the med run myself, as we couldn't find a more sensible way of doing it.

"Many doctors here in Russia will suggest, or tell you that you need a specific drug, however they don't tell the Russian patient that there are generic drugs of the same quality and readly available at the corner apteka. And Russians don't know to ask -- especially in the more rural areas. "

Er, yes, you are absolutely right in this particular case. I worked out that the constituents of the German drug were relatively simple and that my local pharmacist could knock it up as an over-the-counter product. But when I suggested this solution, I was told in no uncertain terms that they needed the drug being requested or nothing!

"So, I stand by everyone's account that drugs and OTC drugs are easy to buy ---------- you just have to know the Russian name or have an empty box (in English) to show the druggist and you have what you need."

Well, not quite in this case (see above paragraph).

coledavis · Joined: 21 Jun 2003 Posts: 1838

Oh, I've just been told that the patient has sent her thanks and is a lot better. It's open to question as to whether it's the effects of the drugs or power of suggestion...

mdk · Joined: 09 Jun 2007 Posts: 425

I tried to get some singulair for my allergies, but it wasn't available. Pretty much everything else was. I think you would probably have a hard time getting any opiate derivatives. The oxy-contin is probably right out (thank god)

I went to buy some centrum silver so I asked for "Centrum Serebro" and the poor pharmacist went looking for Centrum that had Silver in it until she figured out that was what the label meant.

I liked the Russian docs I met. They were nice and made house calls. Except the guy who put the cast on my shoulder didn't use cotton batting so I spent the first week pulling the hair out under my cast.