POZ Community Forums
Meds, Mind, Body & Benefits => Insurance, Benefits Programs & HIV => Topic started by: songs06 on May 18, 2012, 10:37:48 am
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i am thinking about this for a while now. it might be stupid or even an asked question already but everyone knows ARV drugs are cheaper in Asian countries. for example kaletra is like 10 times cheaper in Thailand.
my insurance is going to end in 2 months and i have to survive 2 months with no HI. so i want save some drugs for bad days as well. it is not possible to buy my combination (truvada+kaletra) which is like 1000 euro every month in here.
so is there anyone who did order drugs from another country? is it illegal to order from Thailand? my ID told me that it is not impossible, and it sounds logical. but not by mail order but a friend who visits china or Thailand maybe?
there are lots of fake sites on the net about selling ARVs. so i am not sure is there a real site. i am sure it is possible to find some drugs on the black market (i don't know where are those :) )
because it is too expensive in other countries, i am sure it is forbidden to order them. in my country you have to go to pharmacy and wait for 3 days to get truvada! come on. and only one pack you can get. every month you have to go 3 days before your drugs run out. and i heard they do this because people cheat and get multiple packages to sell them on the other countries. (because it is free in here if you have insurance.)
i am really not planning to sell my drugs (really :) ) i really want some extra for bad days. what do you do about this? does anyone have a secret stash? i am open for suggestions and personal messages about illegal things :) :p
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Since neither your question nor profile indicates where you are it is going to be difficult for anyone to answer your question.
It might be helpful to know where you are. :)
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People do successful mail order the Indian generics but I haven't picked up on anyone knowing how to get the Thai sourced drugs.
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my insurance is going to end in 2 months and i have to survive 2 months with no HI. so i want save some drugs for bad days as well. it is not possible to buy my combination (truvada+kaletra) which is like 1000 euro every month in here.
Yes curious as to where you are. If you are paying Euros are you in Europe? And in a European country that won't cover the HIV meds?
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i used to pay euros, it is just a habit. i live in turkey (my home country) right now. which is not easy to get drug because there is only 5000 known hiv case here. (only 300-400 new people every year!) so hiv is still a minor thing (less frequent than leukemia for example.) drugs are not that easy to find, and a lot expensive. but public health insurance pays for it, if you working in a public work. but i will be unemployed next august-september-october. so i need at least 2 months drug or there is no need for me to start my treatment. (if i get both one packs for beginning of the august)
there is also another way- like a unemployment insurance. but this is kind of hard to get, and takes time. still makes me lose months before continuing my treatment.
so if you know how to order truvada/kaleta please let me know. it doesn't matter if it s india or thailand, bmancanfly :) thailand was the first country popped into my mind. also i am open any legal or illegal suggestions. and if you know someone who does this, i can send msg or mail myself. i have my first drug packs but i am afraid to start until i clarify this subject.
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these drugs are not sold from thailand over the internet but available by prescription locally. the producer of generics is the government GPO. (government pharmaceutical organization0.
in india companies are matrix laboratories and cipla. all these companies have websites. maybe the indian companies sell over the internet directly but one should be wary of resellers and middlemen. matrix laboratories makes a generic truvada.
seeing your cd4s and vl you would rather start meds asap.
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also i am open any legal or illegal suggestions.
I would like to request that if anyone has any illegal suggestions for Song, that you suggest them via PM. Please do not suggest any illegal activities here in the public forums. Thank you for your cooperation. :)
Ann
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Are there an HIV/AIDS service organisation in Turkey to whom you can address your question about how to keep getting your medicine?
Also, there are members on this forum who get drugs from India, so wait a minute and see if they come in with some information. I think some of the mail order routes to the USA recently changed because some of the middlemen were canadian based pharmacies. I believe it is also possible to order directly from the Indian companies.
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well, i was searching about Indian companies and i have found this site:
http://www.alibaba.com/product-tp/108502034/HIV_AIDS_MEDICINE_ALUVIA.html
this Indian company says they sell aluvia which is same as kaletra. i have contacted the seller who is in mumbai, india. alibaba is a online order site and it says this seller is verified and active for 4 years.
company also have these official sites seems not fake to me:
http://www.cscmediworld.com http://www.csc-biopharma.com
which seem a small company with 5-10 people.
and seller mr. shah told me one pack of truvada is 54 $. still looking for the price of aluvia (which recently changed he said.) and they sell drugs with DHL.
everything looks really smooth. do you think it is fake? it would be really a lifesaver if this guys are for real.
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and one pack (120 pills)aluvia/kaletra is 100$.
does anyone want to comment? :) i am open for advices. i don't want to get fooled and get mints for kaletra. :) someone might see something i haven't.
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did you search this forum, aids meds forums, for threads by people who are currently ordering through India?
list of prices of Indian generics:
http://forums.poz.com/index.php?topic=37927.msg473266#msg473266
Also search this forum for people living in Indian.
For example, thread about member here who lives in India and the drugs used:
http://forums.poz.com/index.php?topic=36965.0
Which also includes an American member who is buying his drugs in India.
I am NOT the person who can suggest the exact way, or verify sources. Sorry. I am not on generic drugs and do not live in India.
Please try to search this forum and find people who are doing what you need to do and send them PM's and get answers from them.
Does that help???
Are you completely alone in this search in Turkey? This is nobody, no activist, no social worker, health care worker, or HIV+ person, who can think about your challenge and provide some advice or leads?
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thank you mecch, i couldn't have found those topics. (but i am not sure if you have an angry tone in your post? no probably i am making that up. i've become touchy since my diagnosis :) )
i've already contacted turkish social hiv service, which is not big organisation. we don't have that kind of activist or health care workers for hiv in turkey. but our "pozitifyasam" organisation mostly help people with legal and insurance problems. but in my case, everthing happened too fast. i ve diagnosed 1 month ago and now i have to start meds. they will sure help me but it takes time and lots of procedure, especially when you are unemployed.
in my situation, i maybe not be unemployed at all. but i want to take a test to specialize in my profession, and for taking that test i have to give up my current job. my doctor suggested me to not give up. but i don't want this infection change my dreams and plans. (there is also chance i won't be succeed in the test which results total unemployment, but i think i can do it.) my doc also told me he will go to china next month and maybe he can find some of my meds for me.
i will also PM every person in those topics. and always open for new advices. thank you.
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No angry tone.
I am trying to figure out how you can get news from the people in these forums who can help you because they have the specific knowledge and experience.
Usually people put in their two cents.
I will do a search of recent activity on Indian meds in this forum and PM you the people who might be helpful....
You are explaining two priorities that are conflicting.
Do you need to start HAART now, right now?
Or do you need to assure your professional future right now?
Can you take the exam a later time after your medical issues have been addressed now?
Can you address your professional future for the moment, and start to figure out the long term care for HIV later?
what does your blood work say?
You contacted turkish social service but have you entered into a client relationship with them. In times like these, the one who needs the service also has to be quite proactive in finding a person in power who is going to help fulfill the need. Please remember not to take no for an answer. Not sure if this advice will apply well to the agencies and offices you will deal with in Turkey, but its generally quite true - the squeaky wheel gets the grease. Though here that means be assertive, informative, proactive, and polite.
Have you actually been given the fait accompli - that there will can be no state drugs for you now?
Is it that you might prefer the Indian generics to the one's Turkey's public health is going to give?
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this test i have to take is one time thing. so there is no chance to take it later, at least not in one year. i want to take this and earn a better salary. this is the way me and my bf can live a healthy life. he is not hiv positive but he quit smoking and drinking with me.
i sent PM some people who might know something about indian generic drugs like 3 days ago, but none of them haven't written me back yet, i am still waiting. i am gonna give some blood tomorrow for new CD4 and VL, so i will see if i can wait for some months before starting HAART.
i will also discuss tomorrow with my ID about indian generic drugs. i will take them only for 2-3 months so as long as they are not fake, they should do their work.
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Just checking - you are looking for generic drugs until your long-term supplied is worked out, right? I mean you are not planning to take HAART for 3 months and then stop HAART all together... right?
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of course i am not gonna stop HAART anytime for whole my life after i started it. (unless someone find a cure for hiv infection :) ) this is why i am trying to find 3 months meds, so i don't want to stop 2 months later if i start now. but if i can't manage to find drugs, i will wait for my treatment until my exam is over. i gave blood for new CD4 test today, results will come in 3 days. ID told me we will see what to do after this new test. also he told me i should buy drugs from a place that someone i know already used and worked. because it is not possible in here to find out if it is real drug or not. so only thing i need is order these meds from somewhere someone ordered before, and not fake. i am still waiting for replies from some forum members but none of them haven't been active for a month or so.
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I order from the online Canadian Pharm. I get the generic version of Atripla for $230 for 30 days. I do have med ins which pays for my Dr's visits and labs but only $2500/yr. worth of RX. It's been a lifesaver for me! I have not notice any side effects either.
7/10 CD4 356 VL 27000
6/12 CD4 956 VL undectable