Cost of insulin

[mange]

Hi,

I will be retiring to the Philippines in the near future and since I am a type 2 diabetic I am wondering about the cost of insulin. Currently I take both Humalog and Lantus, are these available and at what cost in peso?

Do you think I would be OK bringing in a one year supply of insulin through airport customs? I would have a prescription but only because i would hoard (conserve!) my supply in order to have enough for the first year. Is this necessary or is insulin inexpensive (less than $75 per 10 ml vial).

Thanks for your help!

[roddavis]

Type 2 here also! Wife gets my insulin at local pharmacy. Humilog is hard to find so I replaced it with Aphidra which is the same and Lantus. I can get a box of 5 pens (300units/per) for around P5000 or about $100 per box. $20 per pen without a prescription and that she is a regular customer so they don't ask for a script. Hope this answers your question.

Don't know about vial cost, but I understand it was more than the pen cost 4 years ago I got the vials, so they can be purchased here. 

[StayAtHomeDad]

We buy 70/30 Novolin direct from doctor for about $10 (P550) for 10ml vial. If have to buy from Mercury Drug pharmacy, we pay about $15 (P750) per vial. Need prescription for Mercury Drug sometimes, most of the time not though.

[Gratefuled]

I do not know the cost of insulin but I do know that President Duterte discontinued the VAT on some prescription drugs. 

A neighbor friend who is a type 2 diabetic told my wife that President Duterte discontinued the VAT on some prescription drugs. Her monthly Rx cost was previously around 6000 Pesos. Without the VAT on some of it the reduced cost was around 500 Pesos. 

You might want to check into this.

[hk blues]

5 hours ago, Gratefuled said:

A neighbor friend who is a type 2 diabetic told my wife that President Duterte discontinued the VAT on some prescription drugs. Her monthly Rx cost was previously around 6000 Pesos. Without the VAT on some of it the reduced cost was around 500 Pesos. 

 

But surely VAT is only 12.5% so a reduction from 6000php to 500php seems a little too much?

[Gratefuled]

2 hours ago, hk blues said:

But surely VAT is only 12.5% so a reduction from 6000php to 500php seems a little too much?

No, maybe I worded it wrong. The final bill was reduced by approximately 500 Pesos making it again approximately 5500 Pesos. 

[bastonjock]

My best buddy who is in pampanga at the moment , has worked it out that it is cheaper to fly home to the UK and pick up 3 to 4 months of his meds ,( insulin included ) and return to the Philippines .

[Guy F.]

On 12/15/2018 at 8:05 PM, JeSsDaDdY said:

We buy 70/30 Novolin direct from doctor for about $10 (P550) for 10ml vial. If have to buy from Mercury Drug pharmacy, we pay about $15 (P750) per vial. Need prescription for Mercury Drug sometimes, most of the time not though.

$75 in the US and $10 in the Philippines, eh? Despicable greedheads in the US pharmaceutical industry need to be tuned up. Where's The Punisher when you need him?

[earthdome]

37 minutes ago, Guy F. said:

$75 in the US and $10 in the Philippines, eh? Despicable greedheads in the US pharmaceutical industry need to be tuned up. Where's The Punisher when you need him?

That is why I buy some of my meds online from the great white north.

[Joe LP]

I've been here 10 years now.  Here's what I found out and now use for treatment.  

First, I use a brand you cannot even find in the USA.  Getz.  Then I use their glargine(Lantus) type insulin called basagine.  The bottles are smaller.  About 1/3 size, at about $14-15 USD/bottle.  Then I use the Getz R insulin type called Insujet in place of the humulin/novilin that I use to use in the USA.  

With not insurance, I probable spend around $100/month in total for my care.  Each case is it's own so someone who needs more insulin daily will pay more, others less for needing less of course.  But, been using the Getz pharma brand for about 7 years now and been very satisfied with it.  

To each their own, just showing another option if you choose to move here to the Philippines and are open to trying other brands/saving money.