Generic drugs in the DR

J

johne

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Jun 28, 2003
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What has your experience been in buying generic drugs over the counter without prescription? I have bought ARORVASTATIN here but have no idea if it is effective as the same drug, different maker, as I used in the states.
I have a situation here for the next few weeks, running short on my meds before I return to the states . I will need about 3-4 different meds. I'll pay cash..

Is CAROL the best pharmacy ?
 
J

JLSawmam

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You'll probably get a few opinions on the best pharmacy,,,I use Farmacia Popular most of the time, and am satisfied. No matter which you choose, ask for the cash discount (usually 10%). If it's not inconvenient, ask the price at 2 or 3 different pharmacies...there may be enough of a difference to sway your opinion too. As far as generics, I have always gone for those versus the "name brand" here, but have only purchased anti-inflammatory medicines, nothing like you are asking about.
 
NanSanPedro

NanSanPedro

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johne said:
What has your experience been in buying generic drugs over the counter without prescription? I have bought ARORVASTATIN here but have no idea if it is effective as the same drug, different maker, as I used in the states.
I have a situation here for the next few weeks, running short on my meds before I return to the states . I will need about 3-4 different meds. I'll pay cash..

Is CAROL the best pharmacy ?
Click to expand...
I use the same statin as you, Johne. I use Farmacia Barbara-Maria here in BC and am very satisfied with them. Not sure if it's generic or not but the English translation of the brand name is Blue Line. I get a lipid panel about twice a year so I would notice if something was awry. My LDLs, HDLs, and triglycerides are always in spec. A1C is another matter as it spiked last time I checked. I will be doing it again soon so it should be interesting.
 
S

SKY

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Apr 11, 2004
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Carol is good, but this is the best one I ever found. Discount for cash, yes, open 24 hours, had meds that Carol did not, knowledgeable and polite employees. Don't know about other locations though.....They even have a Caribe Espress to change money in the store.........

 
J

johne

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Jun 28, 2003
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This is great information. I feel a whole lot better knowing this before I leave for the DR in the morning.

Many thanks to all.
 
J

josh2203

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Dec 5, 2013
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I agree with others for Carol, that is our go-to pharmacy if we need quality stuff, but for certain items their selection is not the best. As JLSawmam said above, farmacia Popular is, as far as I have seen, the one with widest selection.
 
R

reilleyp

Well-known member
Dec 12, 2006
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johne said:
What has your experience been in buying generic drugs over the counter without prescription? I have bought ARORVASTATIN here but have no idea if it is effective as the same drug, different maker, as I used in the states.
I have a situation here for the next few weeks, running short on my meds before I return to the states . I will need about 3-4 different meds. I'll pay cash..

Is CAROL the best pharmacy ?
Click to expand...
Carol will rob you in Samana. They charged me about $40 for the equivalent of Nightime NyQuil.
 
bob saunders

bob saunders

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SKY said:
Carol is good, but this is the best one I ever found. Discount for cash, yes, open 24 hours, had meds that Carol did not, knowledgeable and polite employees. Don't know about other locations though.....They even have a Caribe Espress to change money in the store.........

Click to expand...
Most of the pharmacies sell the same brands. Ethical and Sandoz are reputable brands.
 
C

cavok

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Jun 16, 2014
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Cabarete
Carol is a good farmacia but you can be guaranteed to pay more for your medication there than anywhere else. They also do not sell most medications "detallada"(how ever many you want - box only). The best farmacias in Cabarete/Sosua IMO are Wecare, Samuel, and Albertos.

I always buy generic. No problem with blood pressure meds, antibiotics, pain killers(NSAIDS), and others. Etical, Ibera, Mamey, and others I can't think of right now, all make good generics.
 
JD Jones

JD Jones

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Keep in mind if you pay with a CC the discount will be 5% less.
 
drstock

drstock

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Pikobello said:
Hey Johne, give this one a try, they give you 20% discount when paying cash:
farmaciamedicargbc.com

Farmacia Medicar GBC - La Farmacia de los Dominicanos

Cadena de Farmacias Líder en República Dominicana. 100% Dominicanos. Descubre nuestras Ofertas. Descuentos todos los días
farmaciamedicargbc.com farmaciamedicargbc.com
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The GBC Pharmacy in Cabarete gives 20% discount for cash or card. If they don't have something they will get it from one of their other branches. Customer service very good but this may be because they have just recently opened.
 
JD Jones

JD Jones

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drstock said:
The GBC Pharmacy in Cabarete gives 20% discount for cash or card. If they don't have something they will get it from one of their other branches. Customer service very good but this may be because they have just recently opened.
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Cash or card? Are you sure? In all of my years here I have never seen that happen.
 
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J

JLSawmam

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Sep 8, 2018
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drstock said:
The GBC Pharmacy in Cabarete gives 20% discount for cash or card. If they don't have something they will get it from one of their other branches. Customer service very good but this may be because they have just recently opened.
Click to expand...
If their prices pre-discount are in line with other pharmacies, great! If they jack up the price about 20%, not so great! A discount across the board (cash or card) begs the question though. Usually a cash discount is offered so the seller doesn't incur the fees for the card sale. That's why a debit card normally does not get you the discount, because it requires some bank processing and thus a fee for the seller.
 
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drstock

drstock

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JD Jones said:
Cash or card? Are you sure? In all of my years here I have never seen that happen.
Click to expand...
Yes, they have told me that and I have paid by both methods and received the same discount. It may just be a short-term offer since they recently opened.
 
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