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The Great Toad

In some countries prescription drugs are legal and you don't need a Doctor's prescription. I am thinking I may have mild allergies there, especially if I get into some deep thick pollution in San Jose. I do get a tiny bit wheezy sometimes too. I am hoping I will not need any kind of Doctor note (with the doctor bill) so I can choose the best PX drug I want without going to a doctor.

So, how are they sold Question

pollitatica · Joined: 20 Sep 2005 Posts: 82

From my experience in Costa Rica, it seems that you can get rx drugs just by going to the pharmacy. the pharmacists there seem to have the authority to prescribe medicine. if you are looking for a specific medicine, you might want to try one of the bigger pharmacies, like Fischel. I think they have a website somewhere online you could look at too.

The Great Toad · Posted: Sun Jul 09, 2006 1:46 am Post subject:

Sweet thanks pollitatica! Now if I feel sniffy or want some malaria or yellow fever drugs I can go right in to the Drug store and buy them. Maybe I should just get the yella fever shot here... see you at the pizza places in San Hose - PM if you have any pizza / Mexican / Tico places I have to go... See you in August maybe (unless I tkae a 40k job here but I'd rather make nigh zilch and live on the beach and teach happy kids at a public school or a Uni in Coastin Rico) it's a tough call...

pollitatica · Joined: 20 Sep 2005 Posts: 82

haha. Def go to CR. Screw real life 40K jobs in the US. Who needs em anyway? Wink

There's a pizza place in Jaco called Bamboo Pizza. I swear its the best pizza I've had, maybe ever.

San Jose places to eat? hmm ....
Almost all sodas are good (and they're CHEAP)!! I can honestly say that I have never eaten at a bad one. Theres a particularly good one (I can't remember the name of it) on Avenida Central, somewhere between La Plaza (by the big dept store Carrion and Teatro Nacional) and Banco Nacional. Walking down Avenida Central from La Plaza, its a couple of blocks down on your left.

If you like pasta (I LOVE pasta) you wont very good pasta there. BUT, in Mall San Pedro ... theres a pizza/pasta place that has good pasta.

Get good bread at Mani. Go to a Tica Burguesa for 24/7 good hamburgers and FF. And go to the Pizza Places in San Pedro, especially the ones on Calle de la Amargura ... where the bars are. They're open late and have the best pizza. My favorite is the one across from Terra U before you get to Tavarua.

Good luck! Have fun! Smile

pollitatica · Joined: 20 Sep 2005 Posts: 82

PS. you won't need malaria or yellow fever medicine unless you go to the rainforests for a long extended period of time. I can't imagine you really encountering either one of those in CR.

I did have some problems with a swollen gland in my neck when I was in Quepos. But, I went to the pharmacy, bought 6 pills (2 days worth of some medicine) and was fine the next day.

The Great Toad · Posted: Sun Jul 16, 2006 5:01 pm Post subject:

Cool Thanks pollitatica! Yeah I saved a ton in Korea so Costa Rica is the language and sport land I'll do the REAL working vacation at. If only they spoke Spainish in Korea and had the Costa Rica nature Laughing

I like Spainish. Right Bamboo Pizza. Ill be there. Ahh and theother good one around the bars. Maybe I should write that down... That is good about the ease of the PX deal too: I remember I had to see a doc just to get some simple anti allergic drugs I had already taken in the USA- I knew the name but had to get a Doc to ok it. In truth I might have done another Korea stint if I could have had a 2.5k a month 4 month paid vacation 20 hour a week university job but apparently some MAsters in TESOL guy got the job Confused

Those four months would have given me more tropical SE Asia vacation time. Then again the other 8 would be spent somewhat wasted as I struggled with a ridiculous language (yes I know it is culturally insensitive to call a language ridiculous but umm well it sounded funny to me). Oh yeah no Korea posts here umm ok well Costa Rica yes I'll be the very untan guy on the beach and the one tourists point up at as I play Tarzan with the howler monkeys.

doreenp · Joined: 13 Oct 2003 Posts: 147

it�s true you don�t need or might not need the malaria pills or yellow fever while your here. While in Central America or S. America you might choose to travel somewhere that has these possibilities.

However you might have to show proof of having a yellow fever shot to return to your country (states? or Canada? or whereever) If you travel into a country that has the possibility of yellow fever , maybe in the mountains, but you don�t go to the mountains, it doesn�t matter. They don�t take your word that you didn�t travel there, and they won�t let you return .
cheers
d

nesec · Joined: 11 Nov 2005 Posts: 18 Location: Heredia, Costa Rica

The only thing I've needed a script for is Clonazopam (a sedative). Other than sedatives and narcotics or any other drug that might be abused, it's pretty much open. I got terribly ill last month and was able to purchase antibiotics, regular drugs and some light pain pills without a script.

Lastly, the doctor that wrote my script only cost me $4 - not bad Cool