POZ Community Forums

Main Forums => Living With HIV => Topic started by: JamieD on July 26, 2007, 11:46:54 pm

Title: Am I allowed to ask this on the board?
Post by: JamieD on July 26, 2007, 11:46:54 pm
I was wondering if I am allowed to ask people on this board in other countries if they can get me medications. Please feel free to delete my post if this is not allowed.


I am currently taking "Moclobemide", also known as "Manerix" in the UK, and "Auroxix" in Australia, but I am living in the United States. Moclobemide is not licensed in the United States,  but is licensed in almost every other country. I happen to have dual citizenship, which allows me to get the medication from the other country which I have dual citizenship with since it is licensed there. Since I am a citizen of that country we get medication free since we have a completely socialised medical system. The problem is that I can only get 3 months worth at a time. I currently have 3 months worth of the medication since I just filled the prescription about a week ago, but what  happens when I run out of it? It is too expensive to be leaving the country every 3 months just to get medication. I looked online about ordering it from the UK or India and I can get it that way but it is extremely expensive when I get it for free at home.
Is there anyway I could arrange a deal with someone who is in a country where the medication is licensed where they would send it to me and I would send them any money they had to pay before they sent it to me? I am able to verify that I am taking the medication. If you wanted I would send you pictures of my prescription, the boxes of the medication, the blister packs that go along with it, and the pills themselves just to verify that I am taking it.
Title: Re: Am I allowed to ask this on the board?
Post by: Ann on July 27, 2007, 06:04:59 am
Hi Jamie,

I live in the Isle of Man (I usually refer to it as "The Rock") but I travel to Liverpool for my hiv care. Sometimes the pharmacy at the Royal is out of a drug I've been prescribed, so they post it to me when they get more stock.

I'm wondering if the doctor/clinic/hospital pharmacy who has prescribed you this drug can't do the same for you? It's worth a try.

An alternative might be having a friend in the UK collect the meds for you and send them on.

Another alternative is to ask the prescribing doc if he/she can't prescribe you something similar that is available in the States.

And yet another alternative - if you have any connections with Liverpool, maybe we can set something up between us. PM me if you don't want to post your UK clinic location on the public forum.

Good luck!

Ann
Title: Re: Am I allowed to ask this on the board?
Post by: JamieD on July 27, 2007, 09:26:50 am
Ann-

Thank you for not deleting my post. My other countries cicitzenship is not in the UK. I have been using the UK as an example, since most people here would be more familiar with the UK and Australia. And in the thread I asked about going to Cuba, I asked a theoretical question based off of someone who has UK citizenship and American, since my other country does not restrict me from visiting Cuba anyhow.

If you want I will PM you and reveal where else I am a citizen from, but I usually prefer not to "publicly" do it. Don't worry about why.  :P
Title: Re: Am I allowed to ask this on the board?
Post by: Cliff on July 27, 2007, 09:35:59 am
Can you talk to your doctor about switching to another drug that is approved in the US?  It's an anti-depressant, right?  If so, then I would think there are other options available.
Title: Re: Am I allowed to ask this on the board?
Post by: bear60 on July 27, 2007, 10:45:57 am
I have a friend who is 76 years old and cannot afford many medications here in the USA so she orders them over the internet from Canada and they are shipped from Greece or somewhere to her. Just saying.
Title: Re: Am I allowed to ask this on the board?
Post by: Cerrid on July 27, 2007, 11:14:40 am
Or else, ask your home doc to send you a prescription and then find an International Pharmacy in your region to fill it in. They should be able to provide you with the original medications as they're allowed to import them. You don't want your drugs sitting at the customs for indefinite time.
Title: Re: Am I allowed to ask this on the board?
Post by: blondbeauty on July 27, 2007, 12:47:25 pm
This is the price in Spain with a private (not national health system) prescription. Maybe I can help you but I need a prescription to buy it.
MANERIX Comp. recub. 150 mg   
FICHA COMPLETA     
   PRESENTACIÓN Y PVP   ROCHE FARMA   
LAB: ROCHE FARMA
ATC: Inhibidores de la monoaminooxidasa tipo A
PA: Moclobemida.
Monografía revisada por el Ministerio de Sanidad 2005


Manerix 150 Comprimidos, envase blíster conteniendo 30 comprimidos de 150 mg, 13,38 € (IVA); conteniendo 100 comprimidos, 39,48 € (IVA).

Manerix 300 Comprimidos, envase conteniendo 30 comprimidos de 300 mg, 20,95 € (IVA); conteniendo 60 comprimidos, 39,99 € (IVA).


Con receta médica. Aportación reducida.

You can find more of meds available in Spain here. You need to register for complete information.
www.vademecum.es
 
 
Title: Re: Am I allowed to ask this on the board?
Post by: JamieD on July 27, 2007, 04:07:29 pm
Thanks, everyone. Yes, I do realise that there are alternatives, but this particular drug I have had success with before, and it has little to no side effects. Other MAO-I's would probably work, but carry a tyramine restriction. I know there is an MAO-I patch now, but I am not capable of taking it.

I am aware of buying it online as well. I am just trying to avoid that if at all possible, since it is still money that I wouldn't have to pay otherwise.

BlondeBeauty- Those prices seem very reasonable. I will get in touch with you in a few days, thank you very much.