precscription drugs

Could we start a topic about where to find the cheapest prescription drugs, or best pharmacy lakeside. Most of us take something and if we pooled our information of where we shop maybe we could help each other out

Overall IMHO it's Farmacia Guadalajara. Excellent prices, good Pharmacists, consulting Dr. available, largest inventory, and no worries about counterfeit drugs. Plus they have many, many drugs in generic form and the prices are very low.

I agree with David, Elgringo. We have tried many pharmacies @ Lakeside and over all they have largest inventory and have 3 locations. Many offer discounts of 60%, however, they seem to use different base prices.

Agreed Jim. Some "60% off" means off a drug first marked up 100%.
With drugs you take long-term I think it is better to check prices at several pharmacies. I have found that a pharmacy that has one drug cheaper might be more for another. A lot of the time the difference is not worth being concerned about. However, one drug I take was 400 pesos a month more at several local pharmacies than Walmart´s price. I would rather support a local pharmacy when possible but 400 pesos every month is a lot.

Anybody with Seguro Popular know what the process is for getting meds through them? I have SP but have never been to a clinic of theirs for doctor or anything else. I'm wondering if this might be an option to save on meds as I take several and the cost is terrifying. Any other pointers on lowering my Rx bills would be appreciated! Thanks.

Heather

I take several meds that come in generic form and usually buy them at Farmacia Guadalajara or Walmart. They don't carry the same generics and so I have to use the two farmacias. Sometimes Walmart is cheaper with the DIF card I have and other times the same meds will be on "sale" at Farmacia Guadalajara much cheaper than Walmart. So I go back and forth between the two if it's an expensive med.

Thanks, Simpsca. I don't have a DIF card - don't you need to be a certain age to get one (I'm 57)? Need to research that... I think hubby could get one, then maybe he could pick up my Rx's?

since we've been here we get all our drugs from the place across from santander and beside the travel agent on hidalgo,chapala. if he doesn't have a new drug we're put on he'll order it and our regular crap is always available. once you become a regular you get super discounts. he has even given yvonne xmas presents because she's the designated drug mule.
we like giving a small guy our business especially since his prices are competitive with the big outfits. no english spoken except a little by one female employee.

We have belonged to SG for 2 years now, after having IMMS for 8 years, we find SG much better. When you join SG you have to see the Dr for a consultation, he will ask you what medication you take, then if your meds are on SG's list he will prescribe them for you. There is no cost for this service, however you must see the Dr every month for new prescriptions as the meds come from SG's pharmacia.

hkrause wrote:Thanks, Simpsca. I don't have a DIF card - don't you need to be a certain age to get one (I'm 57)? Need to research that... I think hubby could get one, then maybe he could pick up my Rx's?

You have to be 60 to get a DIF card. I got one at age 60, and they cost nothing but you have to apply when they have cards available. The real savings is for some of the expensive tests in Guadalajara - all the clinincs give at least a 10% discount. And ISSE or Chopo blood lab near El Torito in La Floresta gives a big discount on tests with the DIF card.

What is SG?

SunshineyDay wrote:What is SG?

I think it stands for "Seguro Popular".

The options for government insurance in Mexico are:
IMSS:            Instituto Mexicano del Seguro Social  
SP:               Seguro Popular
SEDENA:        Secretaria de la DEfensa NAcional
ISSSTE:         Instituto de Seguridad y Servicios Sociales de los Trabajadores del Estado
PEMEX:          Pemex has its own insurance and hospitals for its workers
SEMAR:          Secretaría de Marina [Armada de México]

Maybe "SG" is some new thing like Seguros para los Gringos

martygraw wrote:We have belonged to SG for 2 years now, after having IMMS for 8 years, we find SG much better. When you join SG you have to see the Dr for a consultation, he will ask you what medication you take, then if your meds are on SG's list he will prescribe them for you. There is no cost for this service, however you must see the Dr every month for new  prescriptions as the meds come from SG's pharmacia.

Better in what way? In an emergency IMSS would have a place for you. With Seguro Popular, most wait with hundreds of others for a place in Hospital Civil. For medication, Seguro popular is good. For some non-emergency treatment, it is also good. For emergency treatment that you do not need to wait for a place in Hospital Civil, I have a list of Seguro popular services offered (in .pdf) at the Cruz Roja in Guadalajara. However, this website has less file hosting space than a ZX81 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sinclair_ZX81 and I cannot post it here.

For generics and injections we go to a little hole in the wall in Chapala on Miguel Martinez the street where the bus station is and go back a couple of blocks on your left it is orange.
For example we bought B Injections from Express in San Antonio next to OXXO and the box was $100p in Chapala it was $50p for the same exact box.

If we need something special we go to Walmart or Farmacia Cristinia.

Dr. Sam Thelin wrote:

martygraw wrote:We have belonged to SG for 2 years now, after having IMMS for 8 years, we find SG much better. When you join SG you have to see the Dr for a consultation, he will ask you what medication you take, then if your meds are on SG's list he will prescribe them for you. There is no cost for this service, however you must see the Dr every month for new  prescriptions as the meds come from SG's pharmacia.

Better in what way? In an emergency IMSS would have a place for you. With Seguro Popular, most wait with hundreds of others for a place in Hospital Civil. For medication, Seguro popular is good. For some non-emergency treatment, it is also good. For emergency treatment that you do not need to wait for a place in Hospital Civil, I have a list of Seguro popular services offered (in .pdf) at the Cruz Roja in Guadalajara. However, this website has less file hosting space than a ZX81 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sinclair_ZX81 and I cannot post it here.

Let me offer you a little help, Doc. Open that PDF file, click on "take a snapshot", highlight the whole page and take the snapshot, open Paint and click paste, save as a jpeg file, now post it as a picture.

Wal Mart and Soriana give DIF discounts on their drugs.

I have checked the list of what is available, controlled substance wise, so now my questions is, although the medication is available, how hard is it to actually get the prescription written and fill it. We will have all our medical records to back up the need.

I had seen ,on another forum, that it was hell to try to actually get the medicine.

Fastfox wrote:I have checked the list of what is available, controlled substance wise, so now my questions is, although the medication is available, how hard is it to actually get the prescription written and fill it.  We will have all our medical records to back up the need.

I had seen ,on another forum, that it was hell to try to actually get the medicine.

get a doctor for yourself and ask him/her. why ask a bunch of lay persons, some of who have already given some wrong medical advice on here.
my doc has prescribed a codeine and n-said combo for ta bother my visitor arthur itis on occassion. it's not available NOB and works great.

Fastfox wrote:I have checked the list of what is available, controlled substance wise, so now my questions is, although the medication is available, how hard is it to actually get the prescription written and fill it.  We will have all our medical records to back up the need.

I had seen ,on another forum, that it was hell to try to actually get the medicine.

There are six levels of control. The first three are the ones usually referred to as "controlled". Groups 2 and 3 can be prescribed by any doctor with a preprinted prescription pad with their own information. Group 1 requires a special prescription with bar codes that has to be requested by SSA-Cofepris (Cofepris is like the FDA in this case). Only a few doctors have the bar coded prescriptions because of the extra cost, hassle, etc.

Getting them filled is usually not a problem, but again, not all the pharmacies will carry Group 1 medications (they need a special permit to have and sell them, just as a doctor does to write them).