Medical Fees

last SG · 2007-02-02T17:50:59+00:00

I wonder if u study Pharmacology. If u really did, guess u really flung the subject big time.

Lowclassman SG

Happened to this guy, Tas

Recently, I am treated in Changi GH for diabetic. This is my second visit at Changi GH after more than 5 years of treatment by GP. The total cost was $331.95, of which I co-pay for $78.09 in cash; balance of $253.86 is from my Mediasave. Just one visit, my $300 limit per year was wiped off by 85%.
Why was it so expensive?
The cost of medicine, Roisglitazone 4mg ( avandia) per tablets for 70 tablets was already $218.40 or $3.12 per tab.
The same tablet produced by the same manufacturer and in genuine packaging is easily available without prescription in Thailand for less than $0.80 per tablet.
The licensed manufacturer in India retails at $0.24 per tablet. Note this is not copy tablet, which is sold at less than this amount.

To reduce patient cost, I suggest the Health Ministry (HM) allows patient to buy ones drug and be held responsible for ones consequences.
Why genuine drug in Thailand is so much cheaper than those dispensed by the HM clinics? Are the traders making a large profit at the expense of patient? Should HM parallel import to give a run on those drug traders? Government is talking about free market and globalisation. Should such practice be available patients, the ultimate consumers? Patients and Govt are too worry of high medical cost this is one good example in which cost can be reduced substantially.

Perhaps, patients should organise group purchase to demonstrate consumers power.

ShutterBug SG

Prices of medicines/drugs are high for only one reason: to feed our expensive government.

What the hell else???

They have tailored this country such that, only the rich and elites can survive here!!

I say save up all you can, and when time comes, too hell with them and this country!

All they ever do is increase prices, fares, and tarriffs!

Mad Mad Mad Mad Mad Mad Mad Mad

foomwee88 SG

Let our Gods eat rather than u mah!!! same as NKF!!

No use lah!!! those kind hearted Docs will migrate like my sons. No eyes 2 c liao!!!

We will c the Indian and PRC Docs those w/o heart ones here!!

Darkness_hacker99 SG

Next time drug will hike to a prices we’ll never see due to the depletion of Natural fuel. This will not happened today or tomorrow but maybe 100 years later.

Ito_^ SG

wah his diabetes so bad ar my drugs 4 months like 35 bucks only.

cAr|n SG

the cost of medicine is high because the pharmaceutical company has to incur high costs of research etc... as for why the cost is lower in other countries, it is because some countries are poorer and they have to lower the cost of medicine so that more people can afford it... if i'm not wrong there are laws to protect this pricing system and parallel imports are not allowed

pharmaceutical companies always have to balance ethics and profits and it is not an easy task.... if cost of medicine has to be lowered so that the price is fair across the globe, no one will research and come up with medicines to cure illnesses anymore

instead of comparing prices with countries like thailand and india, why not compare with US and europe? i don't know about the prices there, but i've got a feeling medicine costs may be higher in these 2 continents

Lowclassman SG

Who told you the cost of medicine is high in USA......I was there in LA...I was surprised the medicine and consultation fees were not expensive as compared to income of its people in their country. Singapore is ridiculous. fark the govt!!! Mad

foomwee88 SG

That why our sillyporeans r brain washed by our sg ,who r not well informed will just recite whatever in the newspaper!!!

Sillyporeans,all these drugs r imported from countries including Sinkapore, caus our high cost of living making these drugs more expensive than other countries!!!like MY

foomwee88 SG

U r rite,saved enough n go,let the Indian N PRC national ppls taking over us!!!

Cheer!!! going 4 lunch with wines liao!!!

mistyblue SG

Kwah once said : this is not a communist country, therefore the price of medicines might be higher in government supported hospitals and clinics when compared with private hospitals.

MRT tracks are now built for a better reason - get rid of poor people who cannot pay.

mistyblue SG

The question is not the medicine makers who are profit entities, its the policy makers whose ethical base that is being questioned

ShutterBug SG

The BIG PROBLEM is; WHO is there in Singapore, with sufficient political clout, to QUESTION this almighty government of the 66.6%??

Well, as GCT have already confirmed recently; that in politics, ethics are 'different'.

play_n_play SG

just curious about the the same medicine differenct price in different place, in SG, it is especially expensive... Question

coke, no matter sold in where, same price!!! Cool

autumncs SG

You can always take a budget flight to Thailand to buy your medicine what... (At the same time you can also buy cheap clothings, cheap food, etc)

When I went to USA, I noticed that many Americans travel into Mexico to buy prescription drugs, because the drugs in Mexico are cheaper than USA. (In Tijuana, a Mexican city next to the US border, most of the shops along the streets are pharmacies!)

However, when I went to Hong Kong, the situation is different... Hong Kongers are not so keen to go to China to buy drugs, because in China, anything can be fake (from fake Nike shoes and fake Gucci handbags to fake Viagra and fake milk powder). In fact, several years ago there was an incident when officials discovered that Chinese baby milk powder was mixed with ash. This created a panic, and many Chinese parents rush to HK to buy genuine baby milk powder, causing a shortage of milk powder in Hong Kong. Sad

mistyblue SG

That's the scary part.

Corruption can then be legalized ...{ah hem} .. for certain people .... Mr. Green

Darkness_hacker99 SG

coke different. 7-11 1.5l coke is more exp then sengshong. Very Happy

foomwee88 SG

7-11 doesnot know how to carrying balls like sing song!!!that why the price is expensive loh!!!

Laughing

oxford mushroom SG

Thailand has introduced legislation for compulsory licensing of a number of drugs, bypasing the patent rights of the manufacturer. Whilst this benefits the patients, it also means that pharmaceutical companies would not invest in the country. Such a policy runs contrary to making the biomedical industry a pillar of Singapore's economy and will not work here.

Drugs are protected by patents for as long as 20 years...there are strict rules about parallel imports. If you are certain that a drug is genuine and is available in a foreign country, there is nothing to stop you from buying it there. If you end up with adverse effects from poor quality drugs or contamination, of course you may not be able to seek redress but that's your choice.

You can purchase for your own needs overseas. But if you try to buy in bulk and import it to Singapore, the pharmaceutical companies have the right to sue you. In addition, you cannot sell the drug to the public without a license and if anyone suffers harm as a result, you are liable, just like the Slim10 case.

dragg SG

i thought medicines are subsidised!!

Shocked Shocked Shocked

Lowclassman SG

Kan ni nia...The cost of production of coca cola is only 20-30 cents per can. Why selling S$1.20 - S$1.50?
Is the farking high rentals, land costs and ridiculous salaries of government elites, ministers and president that driven up the cost of living.