°µÍø½ûÇø

I am watching for answers to these questions.   So far I have not been out of the Us for over 2 1/2 months, so always take a three month supply. But I need to know what to do if I want to really move there.

I've been here three years and thus far there are only two drugs I've needed that I haven't been able to find:

1. Calcium carbonate antacid (same active ingredient as TUMS).  Matter of fact, I have not been able to find an antacid here that is JUST an antacid.

2. Pseudoephedrine (been taking for ~20 years for eustachian tube dysfunction).

However, my biggest fear is needing pain relief and not being able to get it (...though I hear that's a problem in the US now as well).

In 2019 I was in Vilcabamba for a few weeks. I was at the coast before that and I had caught diarrhea (Gringo guts). Well, time passed quickly and my insurance ran out. I went to the pharmacy and asked for lomotil, or immodium, or kaopectate. None of that was available. They didn't even have Pepto Bismol. I asked what they had for  "diarrhea" ("las mierdas," "las cagadas" I was finally reduced to standing at the counter and shouting!) The clerk offered a five week course of pro-biotics = $45 which was NOT what I needed.

Let me tell you, a red-faced Gringo standing at a counter, shouting, "las mierdas," "las cagadas" does not endear you to the local mestizos.

A better solution would have been to go to the hospital in Loja, or to find a local doctor. A licensed professional would have been better able to access whatever drugs I needed.

Emigrayo68 (Buster)

I am so sorry, but I burst out laughing at the image!   What a terrible sense of humor I have.

By my age (68) chronic problems have arrived. I've been checking at Ecuadorean institutions that give care, and my newer "designer" drugs that I've been taking in the U.S. may not be available in Ecuador. That's the bad news.  However, some older generics are available, and since the gov't health services buys these in bulk, they get them much cheaper. I've bought generic aspirin, ibuprophen, and acetaminophen at the discount stores for years and they seem to work just fine. My HMO also gets many generics and purveys them at a cut rate price. So, I'm thinking there's some good news here in Ecuador = competent medical care and reduced cost.

Salud!
Emigrayo66(Buster)

Fybeca, a national pharmacy chain, has a good search tool for medicines. Search for the generic name in Spanish to find out if it is available.

Lebowski,

Thanks for the Fybeca tip. I'll check that out. Although this closing the borders thing is throwing a wrench into the engine.

Emigrayo68 (Buster)

Does anyone take a biologic like Humira?? Can you get it and how much does it cost?

drugs.com website lists Humira's name as adalimumab (generic, I think). On that site it's mentioned with Ecuador. I checked a couple of pharmacies' drug lists, but no luck.

Bahia is mentioned by your name, so I checked Manta and rheumatologists. Maybe if you messaged, they could say if the drug is available.

Dr. Byron Chanatasig in Manta.

Dr. Jorge E. Manzo-Villavicencio in Portoviejo.

These may not be helpful leads, but I wish you good luck anyway.

Emigrayo68 (Buster)

In Ecuador the locals use a lot of herbs for treating many things, or making teas, etc.  Instead of looking for drugs how about asking around and finding some of the many local people knowledgeable about herbs?  I am sure there must be some for diarrhea.

Thank you, I appreciate the help.

A question was asked on another °µÍø½ûÇø site about why (some) generic brand drugs produced in Ecuador (can be) much more expensive than brand names imported from the US; After a little digging, here's what I found:

There are a variety of duties and taxes that Ecuador utilizes (just as the US and all other countries do), to buffer the local economy and local producers, manufacturers, suppliers etc. from dumping of bulk foreign imports, i.e.:

Value-added tax (VAT) is levied at the rates of either 12% or 0% on the transfer of goods, import of goods, and the rendering of services, as well as on services rendered within the country or imported. Royalties and intangible property, imported or locally paid, are also levied with a 12% VAT. In addition; Most consumer goods pay 25% import duty, while intermediate goods are usually imported at a 10% or 15% rate.

However, raw materials and capital goods generally pay 0% to 5%. For example; The following goods are taxed at a 0% rate upon either importation or local transfer of ownership:

-Most agricultural goods and foodstuff, when these remain in their natural state; this includes refrigerated or packaged goods that have not undergone further processing. Also included in this category are milk, meats, sugar, salt, bread, butter and margarine, flour, and cooking oil.

-Fertilisers, insecticides, animal foods, and similar products, including the raw materials required for processing such goods.

-Agricultural machinery and equipment.

-Goods that are exported.

-Paper and books.

-Sanitary pads, tampons, menstrual cups, and popular disposable diapers.

-Importation of fuels derived from hydrocarbons, biofuels, and their mixtures, including LPG and natural gas, destined for internal consumption.

-Drugs, medicines, masks, oximeters, alcohol, and antibacterial gel with a concentration of MORE THAN 70%, including raw materials for their production.

*Although Ecuador does not produce much the raw materials / chemicals / agents used for these products, the 0% tax encourages Ecuadorian companies to start ventures making use of these concentrated bulk medical products used to produce local generic brands of medicines, vaccines, supplements, vitamins, etc. This means, however, that production of brand name and generic medical products, using these bulk sources, are then subject to the costs locally incurred by:

-Refinement, testing, and approvals by Ecuadors government health and consumer products agencies.

-Processing, manufacture, labour, and quality control review costs

-Licencing, packaging, distribution costs

All of these costs are already factored in for the same or similar products produced in the US. The advantage the US has is that the costs for raw material, manufacturing and labour costs built into the consumer price for the end product are minimized and spread out over a much larger consumer market base than the much smaller consumer base in Ecuador.

Source: PWC Worldwide Tax Summaries; Ecuador - Corporate, Other Taxes

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