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Type 1 British Expat wanting to order insulin at the lowest cost while in the uk...any advice?

SeanyB

SeanyB

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Hi Forum Members,

I used to be able to get insulin prescriptions on the NHS when visiting the UK from my current place of residence, which is Thailand. I have bought insulin before in Thailand but there are usually issues with reliable supply and a range of prices from pharmacy to pharmacy to deal with. I am back in the uk at the moment and my old GP surgery are now refusing to prescribe. Never mind that I paid tax and NI contributions every year for 20 years at an average of approximately £20,000 a year - it seems austerity, NHS auditors and the good old BREXIT fears have finally turned the screw and healthcare in the UK.

I am looking for fine advice on how best to get hold of around 6 months supply of Humalog and Levemir at the reasonable cost and the process for doing so...any help would be appreciated.

Thanks
 
Unfortunately, I have no experience of purchasing insulin. You could try going into a pharmacist and asking.

I don't think your recent experience is a Brexit thing.
Prescriptions are available for all full time residents of the UK and, to my knowledge, in all the time I have been getting prescriptions for myself, has always been the case.
 
If you can't get an NHS prescription I think you'd need a private prescription, and then a pharmacy could supply you.

I don't know what you'd pay but I don't think they're OTC drugs, so you would require either an NHS or private prescription.

Problem is that to get a private prescription you'd need a GP or doctor prepared to see you as a private patient and prescribe. You might have to pay for both the consultation and the prescription, and then buy the insulin. Private doctors can be found at the BUPA type hospitals/clinics, and aren't cheap at all.
 
Hello @SeanyB I agree with Helen it's not a Brexit thing, it's a case of being a permanent resident here.

Boots the chemist sell insulin so you could start there, try a larger branch and call them up first to check they stock these brands and have adequate supplies to sell you, you may have to produce documentation to prove your a diabetic but ask them to see if this is necessary.
 
Yes you will need a prescription, unless your GP back home can send an electronic prescription direct to the pharmacy.
 
SeanyB said:
Hi Forum Members,

I used to be able to get insulin prescriptions on the NHS when visiting the UK from my current place of residence, which is Thailand. I have bought insulin before in Thailand but there are usually issues with reliable supply and a range of prices from pharmacy to pharmacy to deal with. I am back in the uk at the moment and my old GP surgery are now refusing to prescribe. Never mind that I paid tax and NI contributions every year for 20 years at an average of approximately £20,000 a year - it seems austerity, NHS auditors and the good old BREXIT fears have finally turned the screw and healthcare in the UK.

I am looking for fine advice on how best to get hold of around 6 months supply of Humalog and Levemir at the reasonable cost and the process for doing so...any help would be appreciated.

Thanks
Click to expand...

SeanyB - Once you have left the UK for a period (of about 3 months, if I recall, but don't hang me for the time), you no longer qualify for the NHS, without being back in UK for a period of time, so your GP may just be playing it straight. It is also unusual for large quantities of anything to be prescribed on the NHS these days. For example, my repeat prescription, which is only for Levothyroxine, which is very cheap, is dispensed month on month. Some manage two months at a time.

You may need to see a private GP, and have a private prescription. With a private prescription, the pharmacy would give you a quote to supply you.

There are many totally private GPs around the UK, as well as NHS GPs who do some private work. I know a couple of GPs only doing private work, so I'm never had to look for someone "cold", but my local Spire Hospital has private GPs in attendance there, and there are some search tools available too, like this one: https://www.medicspot.co.uk/ To be clear, I'm not endorsing that site.

Please let us know how you get along.
 
Many thanks all - a great help and I’ll update on the costs.

In Bangkok (where I live and work) I can walk into a pharmacy and just buy the insulin. Some are reluctant to order, usually down to apathy more than anything else, one pharmacy simply refused (after I had ordered from them before) for no reason.

Prices are erratic and range from pharmacy to pharmacy - first time I paid was last year from a local private hospital: the cost breakdown was:

Doctor appointment - 400 baht (c. £10)
Insulin (5 disposable Levemir injection pens) - 9300 baht (c. £220)

Subsequent visits direct to pharmacies, costs range from 5,600 baht to the last time (and the cheapest) 3,800 baht...for the same package. Humalog comes in vials for pen refills, whereas the Levemir doesn’t...

It’s the reliability that’s the problem...

Thanks again all
 
SeanyB said:
Many thanks all - a great help and I’ll update on the costs.

In Bangkok (where I live and work) I can walk into a pharmacy and just buy the insulin. Some are reluctant to order, usually down to apathy more than anything else, one pharmacy simply refused (after I had ordered from them before) for no reason.

Prices are erratic and range from pharmacy to pharmacy - first time I paid was last year from a local private hospital: the cost breakdown was:

Doctor appointment - 400 baht (c. £10)
Insulin (5 disposable Levemir injection pens) - 9300 baht (c. £220)

Subsequent visits direct to pharmacies, costs range from 5,600 baht to the last time (and the cheapest) 3,800 baht...for the same package. Humalog comes in vials for pen refills, whereas the Levemir doesn’t...

It’s the reliability that’s the problem...

Thanks again all
Click to expand...

Would you have better luck trying pharmacies around the medical schools? When we drove through Bangkok a couple of weeks ago, there seemed to be at least two Unis with medical schools in evidence.

Are you a member of any ex-pat fora, like ThaiVisa? They tend to help others resolves these sorts of issues. ThaiVisa definitely have both Bangkok and Health sub-fora.
 
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