Korean Job Discussion Forums

[Yukiko_Fey]

I used to take Yaz back in the States and really miss the benefits of being on the pill. Does anyone know if Yaz is readily available in Korea or of a similar alternative?

[aschmies]

Tuh-rick-i-lah pi im yak.

haha, love it

[sallymonster]

[Lorilou]

I'm in need of birth control pills, as my doc back in the states would only give me a 3 month supply. How do you go about getting bc pills? I hear conflicting info-- some say you need a prescription and some say you can go to any pharmacy and buy them. If the latter is true, how do I ask for them (what's birth control pills in Korean, and is there a particular brand I need to ask for)? I was taking yaz, and would really like to continue taking it. Is that, or something similar, available here? Any information at all would be fabulous!

I know I'm probably repeating the same question over again, but since this thread goes back for a few years, I want to make sure I'm getting up-to-the-date info. Thanks!

[naturegirl321]

Just go to a pharmacy, I went with an empty pack and they showed me three differnt kinds. I picked the one that was by the same maker.

[nicmunny]

Regular or generic birth control pills are available over the counter at the pharmacy. The Korean word for birth control pill is: 피임알약 (pi-im-al-yag). Thanks google translate. From what I've heard, it is cheap.

I also prefer Yaz (the other pills I tried made me feel nauseous for half the month)... anyway, I recently tried to get Yaz at the pharmacy and he told me I needed a prescription. So, I had a Korean friend help me find a lady doctor and she went with me to the appointment. They didn't do an examination, just asked a few questions about why I needed this specific birth control and my Korean friend explained. I live in a tiny town, so the doctor didn't speak any English, I'm sure if you were in a bigger city you could find a doctor that knows enough English to get through the appointment. By the way, the appointment cost me three bucks. Huzzah!

So, now I have a prescription and I just need to go take it to the neighborhood pharmacy. I don't anticipate having any problems getting it filled.

The only hassle is... the doctor would only give me a prescription for one month at a time, so I'll have to go back next month to get another one. But, at three bucks a pop and about 20 minutes of my time - I would say it is worth it.

Hope that helps.

[naturegirl321]

I bought Mercilon for 7,000. I used Yasmin for years. Never needed a prescription, maybe that's just a US / Canada thing? I basically took the pills I had and showed it to them. I wanted the same ones that had only 21 pills, not the versions with 28, too confusing.

By the way, I didn't need a prescription, didn't in Seoul two years ago, didn't now in Suwon. Just walk into the pharmacy and ask for pills, even got a couple boxes at a time. And I'm pretty sure many countries are the same, no prescription.

Three bucks for a prescription isn't much, but when the pills are only 7,000 and it only took about 2 minutes, I think they'll pulling a fast one on you. Try a different pharmacy.

[nicmunny]

I needed a prescription because of the specific brand (Yaz). As I mentioned, other birth control pills are available with no prescription.

I did exactly what you did (went to the pharmacy with the old box) and showed it to him. He knew what it was and was able to communicate that I needed a prescription for that specific birth control pill.

Unless my Korean friend and the doctor are also in on the scam, I'm pretty sure he wasn't pulling a fast one on me. Who knows though, anything IS possible.

[naturegirl321]

I suppose your right, as for me, Yamin or a generic brand, they're basically the same.

[PCRamplified]

Not exactly a pill question, but a little related, does anyone know if the HPV vaccine is readily available in Korea?

[got_suz]

any girls suggest the best kind of b.c... ive been on mercilon and i dont really like it.

and yes they do have HPV shots~ 180/shot