Diabetic Supplies

[Charlieb]

We will be coming back to Udorn soon, My wife suffers from Type 2 Diabetes and is concerned about getting strips for her glucose monitoring machine. Does anyone know where in Udorn is the best place to buy diabetic supplies?

[BobHelm]

Charlie where would you buy normally?? Reason I ask is that maybe Boots in the Complex sell.

[thanuhak]

The strips - like AcuCheck Advantage, etc. - are available at most larger drug stores (chemists). Boots, as with most things, will be significantly more expensive, though available. Same with Watsons. Find a good Thai chemist - many around. They also have Metformin, Diamicron, etc. Many Thais have diabetes (sticky rice a major contributing factor) so the meds are available. No worries.

I highly recommend a "Drug Store" (with a red sign calling itself this in English) on Udon Dutsadi Road, just past Phon Phisai Road on your way out of Udon towards Nong Khai, on the right, opposite Ban Hoy Market and (I believe) Krung Thai Bank (some bank on the left anyway).

The owner is a dentist, has the best prices I've found in Thailand, good stock, good attitude. Believe it's called Sirichai or similar. That should get you there, though.

[laphanphon]

'health up', med chain in the tesco lotus chain, have the best prices that i have found so far. been looking a couple days for different type amoxicillin, found at couple places/brand/prices for each. prices of 250/320, lotus/watson, same everything. other prices were about 80 baht apart. so prices will vary, what exactly are you looking for..............will peek in lotus next time there. and is temp tolerant, as i like buying meds at lotus, i know they run the ac and it's not sitting in 40 degree heat all day.

[Charlieb]

Bob:
For now we are still in the states and buy at Walmart

Are the prices for blood glucose strips more or less expensive there? My wife's "friends" have been telling her horror stories about the prices and availability. They tell her she will have to go to Bangkok and pay a small fortune.

As a point of reference, my wife uses a Bayer Ascentia 2 meter. This meter uses disks with 10 strips per disk. For a box with 5 disks (50 strips) I pay about $60 US.

I am debating as to whether we should buy a lot of strips before we leave.

[laphanphon]

i'll be at lotus tomorrow and check there, and one other place if i cruise by there. if not at either, i would consider stocking up. if i go to the centara complex, will check in there also. report back tomorrow evening.

[laphanphon]

guessing it's the breeze 2 unit. and looks like you should start shopping online, decent prices, and possibly covered by insurance




http://www.shopping.com/xPO-Ascensia-Bayer-Breeze-Test-Strips-50-strips-Ascensia

http://www4.shopping.com/xPO-Bayer-Ascensia-Breeze-2-100ct-Test-Strips-Bayer

[Charlieb]

Thatt is the one L.A. Thanks

[laphanphon]

you better stock up, before arriving, as diabetes doesn't seem to be a priority here. checked lotus/busy local/hospital area/boots/watson/local shop in mall........none had bayer products, most had accu check products, to a certain degree. none at all, one meter and one box refill, only 2 had stock of accu check products besides the meter.

bayer has a website, w/worldwide link, thais site in 'thai', go figure, and didn't bother trying to negotiate it. your wife may want to, and see if available in bkk, if there for day or two, email, make sure they have stock. but i think i would bring my own. especially since online prices seem decent.

sorry not any positive info, good luck.

[thanuhak]

I should amend my post by saying I only use AcuCheck glucometer and strips, which are readily available. Don't recall having ever seen Bayer, but will look/check next time I go to the druggie for you - next week.

And any meds I've needed - mentioned earlier - were available. If you tell me the meds she's on, I can have a look for you for them as well.

Lapha: Was wondering about online sites...Will most of them ship stuff to Udon/Thailand? Much extra in your experience? Anyone else have experience?

I know that with Amazon, sometimes they can, sometimes they can't, and usually shipping not cheap.

[laphanphon]

AcuCheck glucometer and strips

yes, those i saw today in a few stores, though only 2 stores had more than one box on the shelf. and ifwanting to start over, i think 3000 for the kit, meter/strips to get started, then more strips, which i didn't notice pricing.

but OP already has a system, which apparently isn't available in udon. when i talk about online sites, ones i noticed were in usa, where op is, and not sure if ship to thailand, or would be worth the extra shipping. even though can by OTC, still a medical product and import/export may be restricted.

just do a google search, and you'll come up with plenty of sites selling. with shipping and insurance info, if covered. good luck all.

i checked the lotus/old one, boots/watson/pharmacist on 2nd floor of complex, and one across from udon hosp, had a lot, just not bayer. also a local shop that supplies many other shops in udon and beyond, Ree's sis is a pharmacist in NBLP, she buys a lot there, but they also had no bayer products, recommending the 3 shops by the hospital, more than the one i checked, but on a time schedule, so didn't bother with other 2 shops over there.

[polehawk]

I came to Udon three years ago with a Freestyle system but was unable to find the correct test strips so bought a Accu-Chek Advantage meter/kit for 3000 baht at the pharmacy on the 2nd floor of the mall (Somchak?). Have been buying test strips and lancets from them since then. The test strips cost 560 baht for 25 strips and lancets cost 105 baht for 25 needles. The owner speaks very good English and will order supplies for you if he runs out. His family owns two other pharmacies around town including the one across from the Ban Hoy market.

Probably cheaper places to buy the supplies around town but haven't bothered to check yet since I only use 1 or 2 test strips a week. Also, my regular doctor at AEK does a A1C blood test every 2 to 3 months anyway.

[Charlieb]

Thanks for the excellent feed back guys. Forwarned is forarmed

3000 Baht for the machine is rather expensive. They practically give you the machines here just so you will use their strips. For example, the Bayer Ascentia is $18 but there is a mail in refund where you even get that back.
uy
I think I will buy supplies in advance. I will also buy an Accucheck Advantage as a backup, just in case

[polehawk]

The new Tesco-Lotus pharmacy has the Advantage test strips, 520 baht for 25 test strips (560 baht at Somchak Pharmacy at the mall), so it would pay to shop around.

[Ray.Charles]

The best price I found for 500mg Glucophage was at TESCO: B28 for a strip of 10 tablets. And that was by Merck, not a generic manufacturer.
Good price for 40mg Simvastatin also at B100 for a strip of 10 tablets.
No luck yet in finding an inexpensive local source for Zestryl/Prinivil/Metoprolol tablets.