Cruisers Forum
 


Reply
 
Thread Tools Search this Thread Rate Thread Display Modes
Old 27-09-2014, 16:23   #1
Registered User
 
Les Crawford's Avatar

Join Date: Sep 2014
Posts: 21
Images: 1
How To Deal With Medical Prescriptions While Cruising

What do you folks do for Doctors and prescriptions while cruising? You usually can get 90 days prescription and maybe one more refill for 90 days, what then?
Les
Les Crawford is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 28-09-2014, 05:41   #2
Registered User

Join Date: Jul 2005
Location: Bellingham
Boat: Outbound 44
Posts: 9,319
Re: Medical

You'll get more useful answers if you describe a little what areas you plan to cruise. It's a big world out there.
__________________
Paul
Paul L is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 28-09-2014, 10:04   #3
Registered User

Join Date: Dec 2013
Location: Paradise
Boat: Various
Posts: 2,427
Re: Medical

Quote:
Originally Posted by Les Crawford View Post
What do you folks do for Doctors and prescriptions while cruising? You usually can get 90 days prescription and maybe one more refill for 90 days, what then?
Les
There are three major options.

1. Refill through your "home" doctors, informing them of your plans. Use a forwarding service to get the meds to you. On most meds they can fill up to a year's worth without seeing you.

2. Cruising in some areas it's quite easy to get meds where you are. If a prescription is needed, then it's a quick inexpensive doctor's appointment.

3. There is a service, MedAire, which will help coordinate medical service wherever you travel. Obviously, by the name, they started for aviation, but they've become big in Yachts as well.
BandB is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 28-09-2014, 10:39   #4
Registered User
 
Les Crawford's Avatar

Join Date: Sep 2014
Posts: 21
Images: 1
Re: Medical

Sorry about vague information. My cruising areas for the near future will be USA/Canada both inland (Great Lakes and Rivers) and coastal waters.
Les Crawford is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 28-09-2014, 10:52   #5
Registered User

Join Date: Jan 2012
Location: Full time cruisers
Boat: Krogen 42
Posts: 403
Re: Medical

If you are cruising in the US most major drugstores, Walmart, Target, etc. will refill your prescription no mater where you are.
meridian28 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 28-09-2014, 11:48   #6
Registered User

Join Date: Dec 2013
Location: Paradise
Boat: Various
Posts: 2,427
Re: Medical

Quote:
Originally Posted by Les Crawford View Post
Sorry about vague information. My cruising areas for the near future will be USA/Canada both inland (Great Lakes and Rivers) and coastal waters.
Then you should have no problem. On most prescriptions your doctor will refill for a year, especially if they know what you're doing. On some items your doctor may request you have some labs run periodically but it's easy to find a lab to do that wherever you are.

And I would go with a national pharmacy, whether Walmart, CVS, Walgreens, or another.
BandB is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 28-09-2014, 12:27   #7
cat herder, extreme blacksheep

Join Date: Jul 2008
Location: furycame alley , tropics, mexico for now
Boat: 1976 FORMOSA yankee clipper 41
Posts: 18,967
Images: 56
Re: Medical

national pharmacies do not exist in mexico... try again.
in mexico it is easy enough to get your needed pharmaceuticals. go to pharmacy-- they are owned by mds. have the md there look at ye and get your script filled.
if you have any question, bring original prescriptions with you.
zeehag is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 28-09-2014, 12:43   #8
Registered User

Join Date: Jul 2005
Location: Bellingham
Boat: Outbound 44
Posts: 9,319
Re: Medical

Quote:
Originally Posted by zeehag View Post
national pharmacies do not exist in mexico... try again.
......
try again. The OP said he was traveling in US and Canada, not Mexico.
__________________
Paul
Paul L is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 28-09-2014, 16:07   #9
Registered User
 
UNCIVILIZED's Avatar

Join Date: Jun 2014
Location: Up the mast, looking for clean wind.
Boat: Currently Shopping, & Heavily in LUST!
Posts: 5,629
Re: Medical

How about say, Central America, & or S.Pacific/French Polynesia?
__________________

The Uncommon Thing, The Hard Thing, The Important Thing (in Life): Making Promises to Yourself, And Keeping Them.
UNCIVILIZED is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 28-09-2014, 16:36   #10
Registered User

Join Date: Jul 2010
Location: New Mexico, USA
Boat: International Etchells USA 125 Black Magic, Santana 20 475 Ghost, Hobie 33 3100 Bruja, dinghies,
Posts: 1,118
Re: Medical

Polynesia according to Lonely Planet...
"Most commonly used medications are available. Private pharmacies are not allowed by law to dispense listed drugs without a prescription from a locally registered practitioner, but many will do so for travellers if shown the container. While the container should preferably specify the generic name of the drug, this has become much less of a problem with the use of Internet search engines. Asthma inhalers and most anti-inflammatories are available over the counter.
It's best to have a sufficient supply of a regularly taken drug as a particular brand may not be available and sometimes quantities can be limited."
__________________
Pat, from the Desert Sea https://desertsea.blogspot.com
rgscpat is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 28-09-2014, 17:19   #11
Registered User

Join Date: Dec 2010
Location: W Carib
Boat: Wildcat 35, Hobie 33
Posts: 13,480
Re: Medical

Quote:
Originally Posted by UNCIVILIZED View Post
How about say, Central America, & or S.Pacific/French Polynesia?
Most of CA, no problem. For common over the counter stuff no perscription necessary in most places. Prices typically much lower than USA too.

Good to Excellent medical care available in most major cities.
belizesailor is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 28-09-2014, 17:34   #12
Registered User

Join Date: Dec 2013
Location: Paradise
Boat: Various
Posts: 2,427
Re: Medical

Purchasing medications in various parts of the world is a very complex decision one makes. Prices will generally be lower than the US, much lower. They'll even be lower than countries like Canada and Australia. Many items that require prescriptions in the US can be purchased without prescriptions as well. The one negative is that you can not always be sure what you're getting. In some medications that may be minimum risk as the only risk is some discomfort. With other medications though it could cause serious problems. Also it might vary widely from one pharmacy to another in the same country.

I just encourage caution and then using one's best judgement in the situation. If I was making a decision it might hinge on how long I figured on being there or being offshore in general. Until faced directly with the situation I don't honestly know what I'd do.

One thing we do is take a Medical Kit with us. This includes quite a few prescription medicines that might be required for various conditions and situations that could crop up. Understand we wouldn't just freely use those meds. We do have Medical Person in Charge training and would use them based on remote consultation with doctors who are prepared to help in these situations.
BandB is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 28-09-2014, 18:16   #13
Registered User
 
Captain Bill's Avatar

Join Date: Apr 2008
Location: Punta Gorda, Fl
Boat: Endeavourcat Sailcat 44
Posts: 3,173
Re: Medical

Quote:
Originally Posted by meridian28 View Post
If you are cruising in the US most major drugstores, Walmart, Target, etc. will refill your prescription no mater where you are.
It somewhat depends on the state. In Rhode Island I was informed that I needed a prescription from a Rhode Island Licensed physician and the one I had from my Florida doctor could not be filled, whereas in Maryland I was able to get it filled just from giving the pharmacist my prescription bottle showing the original date and that there was a refill left on the prescription. This was for blood pressure medicine, I might have gotten a different answer if I was trying to get a narcotic pain reliever.
Captain Bill is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 03-10-2014, 15:36   #14
Registered User

Join Date: May 2013
Posts: 55
Re: Medical

Anyone know about doctors and prescriptions in the Bahamas?



Sent from my iPad using Cruisers Sailing Forum
Vivid is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 03-10-2014, 16:56   #15
Registered User
 
Captain Bill's Avatar

Join Date: Apr 2008
Location: Punta Gorda, Fl
Boat: Endeavourcat Sailcat 44
Posts: 3,173
Re: Medical

Quote:
Originally Posted by Vivid View Post
Anyone know about doctors and prescriptions in the Bahamas?



Sent from my iPad using Cruisers Sailing Forum
It somewhat depends, I have gone to the public clinic to get a Bahamian prescription for my blood pressure medicine and they just called it in to the phamacy at no charge. The Pharmacy on the other hand was not cheap. My generic blood pressure medicine costs me $50 for a 90 day supply with no insurance payment. In the Bahamas 30 days cost me $50. Now I get my prescription renewed in the states and get my 90 day supply that the insurance will pay for and another $90 which they won't. It's not that big of a deal because my copay on the first 90 day supply is $30. On the otherhand I have a cholesterol drug Called Zetia that they have never heard of in the Bahamas, so I couldn't get that filled there. Some Drugs there are European and are sold under different brand names than in the states. Make sure you know the generic name as well as the European and American brand names before you go or better yet take more than enough to cover your whole trip with you.
Captain Bill is offline   Reply With Quote
Reply

Tags
cal, medical, cruising

Thread Tools Search this Thread
Search this Thread:

Advanced Search
Display Modes Rate This Thread
Rate This Thread:

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off
Trackbacks are Off
Pingbacks are Off
Refbacks are Off


Similar Threads
Thread Thread Starter Forum Replies Last Post
Prescriptions for more than 3 Months martienssen Liveaboard's Forum 14 24-06-2014 15:10
Medical Prescriptions/Travel Doctor: FL Keys satirelounge Health, Safety & Related Gear 1 28-03-2014 11:39
Medical Care and Social Security while Cruising butterchurn Liveaboard's Forum 11 24-05-2011 06:12
Prescriptions ed stewart Health, Safety & Related Gear 12 25-03-2008 07:51
Prescriptions while cruising Holding Pattern Health, Safety & Related Gear 10 24-10-2006 15:23

Advertise Here


All times are GMT -7. The time now is 02:16.


Google+
Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.8 Beta 1
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, vBulletin Solutions, Inc.
Social Knowledge Networks
Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.8 Beta 1
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, vBulletin Solutions, Inc.

ShowCase vBulletin Plugins by Drive Thru Online, Inc.