Korean Job Discussion Forums

[megraham]

Hey, I searched for this topic and couldnt find it, so forgive me if its already here.

Does anyone know what the prescription drug situation is in Korea? I take some common everyday prescriptions like birth control and thyroid medicine and am having some trouble with insurance getting a large amount before i leave.

Are the drugs pretty much the same or is it absolutely necessary to get my prescriptions in bulk before i leave?

And what over the counter stuff would you advise bringing?
Any help would be much appreciated, thanks!

Meredith

[Lynns]

For b.c. and synthroid, there is no problem. It's available here and probably cheaper than you're used to.

As far as OTCs, I brought cold & sinus meds, pain relievers, and allergy tablets (Benadryl). They don't take much room in luggage and I didn't want to have to hunt for the Korean equivalent. Multivitamins are expensive here, so it's good to bring some if you use them.

[venus]

The majority of 'western' presc meds are available here, most with the same name or the same drug with different name - eg - Ambien = 'Stilnox' in Korea.

They are much less expensive (than in the UK anyway) here in my experience as are the costs of prescriptions.

[OiGirl]

Do you have a friendly doctor who could possbily write a ridiculously large prescription for you, saying, in effect, for you and your situation, it's a month's supply?

[megraham]

hey thanks everybody, i do have a doctor that would probably be willing to prescribe like 3-6 months of thyroid medication but then i would have to get blood tested anyways, so i would really prefer to just see a doctor in korea for the testing and the subsequent prescription. I was really just wondering if i could get that kind of prescription. I really appreciate the response, it takes a weight off my shoulders. One more question: do you find it hard to deal with doctors in Korea, i lived in the Czech Republic and it was a nightmare, so I am really expecting the worst.
Thanks Again!
Meredith

[superacidjax]

Can vicodin or the equivalent be obtained with a prescription in Korea?

[Harpeau]