Info needed ie: prescription drugs in Belize

[flapr]

Folks, not only has Ms. Sweetie pie ripped off people by not sending them their prepaid orders, but she also sells expired meds -- see pg. 6 of this thread about expired thyroid med she sold us when we were there last October.

[dc93]

Hi There,

I am trying to get in contact with the pharmacy in Belize..I was there in Jan. 2007 on NCL Dawn, and my dad got some lagelty cream for his arthritis..He says it's wondeful..If anyone has a phone number or fax..I emailed them, but no response as of yet. Thanks for any info on Pharmacy Express in Belize port...

[flapr]

A fool and his money will soon be parted! You don't want to be that person.

 

Miss Sweetie Pie runs a shady operation, to say the least. Several folks on this thread prepaid orders and never received the product. She sold us expired meds last October.

 

Consider yourself warned.

[book-a-roo]

I don't think people are fools for shopping there. Just be a smart shopper. If you are worried about the dates tell her you want to check them before you purchase them. I've been there a few times and I'm comfortable with my trips there. To each his own. She did mention a few weeks ago while I was in there to another customer about how they were forced to discontinue their mail order business. I know that's been said here but I guess I'm just adding that I heard that too straight from the blonde pharmacist from Louisiana. :)

[happy cruzer]

I don't think people are fools for shopping there. Just be a smart shopper. If you are worried about the dates tell her you want to check them before you purchase them. I've been there a few times and I'm comfortable with my trips there. To each his own. She did mention a few weeks ago while I was in there to another customer about how they were forced to discontinue their mail order business. I know that's been said here but I guess I'm just adding that I heard that too straight from the blonde pharmacist from Louisiana. :)

 

I think people need to be careful and do what they think is best. Even the US pharmacies and doctors can have problems. My DH got flu shot that was apparently saline solution right here in the US. We have bought meds in Belize, Canada, and Spain that were the same products as in the US for 1/3 the price. We just try to be as careful as we are in the US where you can end up with a bad product just as easily. Just my two cents.

[Stepmomsterr]

Can anyone tell me if these pharmacies take credit cards?

 

Thanks!

[nolaAlive]

The pharmacy at the Belize Tourism Village (tender docks) accepts credit cards.

[Stepmomsterr]

Thanks nolaAlive. Will be there Christmas day......hope they'll be open! :D

[lvtotrvl1]

Have any of you thought to ask your physician this question? Cruise Critic members can be experts in cruising, but from reading alot of posts, they don't seem to be experts in pharmacology, and the ones that are, nobody seems to listen too:eek: . What happens when you have a severe reaction to the drug, and your Dr. or hospital emergency department has no idea what was in the med that you took? Think your insurance company will pay the costs...doubt it!

 

I guess I just don't get why someone would take such a chance with their life to save a couple dollars? I worked in the pharmaceutical industry, and I would never chance a drug from another country or one not prescribed by a physician.

[nolaAlive]

I've sometimes wondered why people jump out of perfectly good airplanes with a parachute on their backs :confused:

 

 

The whole health care system in the US is a ripoff. The pharmacy in Belize makes far to much money legally to rip people off.

 

Yes, insurance would cover most things, unless perhaps you were intentionally trying to commit suicide. However, many people who buy drugs in places like Belize often don't have medical insurance and it is the only way they can afford health care.

 

More and more people are traveling to places like Costa Rica for affordable, quality health care.

[asader83]

It's sad how judgemental people can be!

 

Everyone has different reasons for needing the medications they need, whether it be financial, insurance coverage, or other.

 

I, too, have worked in the pharmaceutical industry, but that hasn't stopped me from purchasing meds in other countries. Just as with many other things to consider when traveling abroad, you need to do your research and make the decision that is best for you and your family.

 

I will be in Belize in a couple of weeks, and you can bet you'll find me in the pharmacy stocking up on personal medications.

 

For those who weren't flame throwing and were leaving legitimate information about the pharmacies in Belize, thank you.

[kokobean]

I am new to this thread so if this has been asked, I'm sorry. What type of medications are available. I have two daughters that are on ADD meds and I spend $150 each month for my co-pay. Are these type of meds available? Thanks for the help.

[joie1016]

I posted on this last year and that post disappeared. We were there in June of 2006. Buy what you want in the pharmacy in port. We did buy a couple of things that we had prior prescriptions for and it was name brand stuff. Everything seems so nice and legit with Miss Sweety Pie from New Orleans but.....watch out.

 

My wife decided to try to help her son with a Med that he couldn't afford and was instead buying OTC stuff that wasn't quite as effective. She contacted them after we returned. After being informed that the only acceptable payment was via wire transfer or money order I warned her of the risk. But she decided to try it anyway to the tune of over $100.00. She was told that an e-mail confirmation would follow shipment.

 

After five or six weeks there was nothing. So she e-mailed them. Magically, the Meds had been shipped two days prior.....so we waited....and waited....and waited. Nothing. So she e-mailed them again. We will check on it they said......they supposedly confirmed shipment (no documentation provided) in their response. Again....nothing. Finally I stepped in to the fray. I demanded either merchandise or my wife's money back. Then there were excuses. First they had to check some returns that had just come back. Then they blamed it on customs. But customs did not intercept it. If they do they notify the intended recipient of their actions and we received no such notification.

 

Several prior posts disappeared but there was someone who claimed that he had ordered from these people in the US and had no problems getting his orders. But there were several people who told stories much like mine. Somebody doesn't want this stuff on here but I CAN DOCUMENT EVERYTHING THAT I AM SAYING. I have the e-mail correspondence saved (including multiple promises of shipment) and can prove we sent them money. Based on my experience, buying down there is a good thing....prices are dirt cheap and the stuff is genuine. But, in my opinion, coming home and sending money down there via cash instruments is like standing on a bridge and throwing money in the water.......and watching it float away. If you want to save this post I suggest you copy it fast because it might go to la-la land.

 

The good news is that they put up a website that has since disappeared......and they are apparently "failing to respond" to queries lately.....can't say I didn't warn them.

 

The medimeds email address doesnt work anymore. Does anyone know what they changed their email address to???

[Spendasweet]

I was just wondering what was the name of the pharmacy in Belize. Oh and BTW i was reading some threads and there is no way any pharmacist even in Honduras can sell you expired medication, they need to be certified in order to hand out medications and if they give expired meds they can lose there certification. now if u bought something online then yea i can see that happening.

[MobileMystic]

Kokobean,

 

If the ADD meds are controlled substances, you will want to take care. Even if you have a script, the Feds take a dim view of transporting them back....

[ehfl]

The pharmacy at the pier in Belize should be fine. Manufacturers send the same stuff all over the Americas. You don't need a prescription, but obviously, you should check with your doctor before taking any medication.

 

What is/is-not prescription is pretty arbitrary anyway. Something that is prescription one year in the US can be over-the-counter the next year at the same strength. And stuff that is over-the counter may actually be as dangerous as prescription medications.

 

Also, since it can take up to 30 years for the FDA to approve new drugs, if you have something that can best be treated by the more advanced drugs, you may only be able to find them outside the US. Always check with your doctor.

[flapr]

ehfl, I agree with you, except that the pharmacy at the pier in Belize has a dark past by ripping people off by taking their money and not sending the meds; not to mention that they dispense meds in plastic baggies, a very dangerous practice. How on earth are folks going to know what they are taking?

 

Further, Ms. Sweetie Pie, the owner of the pharmacy and alleged pharmacist, sold me expired meds. You may want to read the entire thread before you go recommending her "shadey" operation.

[pvogel50]

the cutie from the big easy will write vicodin on a bunch of 10 mg codeine.

 

She tells you one thing, and sells you another.

You have been warned

[flapr]

Glad to see another warning about Ms. Cuttiepie!

 

It amazes me that, despite several warnings on this thread, some folks here have come up to defend her despicable practices that endanger human lifes.

[cynlee]

I purchased Lipitor in Belize from the Drug Store where the American (Walmart) Pharmacist works. My Lipitor came in little plastic baggies; it has made me a little nervous about taking them only because they were not packaged differently. Has anyone else purchased Lipitor this way?

[flapr]

See post #144 above.

 

How do you know Ms. Sweetie Pie from Louisiana is indeed selling Lipitor and not something else? How do you know she is not selling expired meds in them baggies?

 

She sold me expired thyroid med several years ago.

[DvsDave]

I am a licensed pharmacist and after reading this board I am ashamed of most of the post.

Do you know why drugs require a prescription? There are dangers of abuse, misuse and interactions. I read in one post about someone who bought antidepressants and muscle relaxers... a possible dangerous combination. How were the medications stored? In one post I heard they gave them lipitor in a baggy... that sounds safe.

I have received phone calls from immigration at work to see if a person had a prescription for the medication they we in possession so they do check.

And immigration does randomly check passengers.. how do I know? I was randomly screened durning a Disney cruise a couple of years ago. I had to point to my bags and they looked through them.

I know prescriptions are expensive, but we have laws for a reason. I would say please dont do this.

[tallyho8]

I take high blood pressure and cholesterol medication and am able to get the generic versions in the USA at Walmart for $10 for a 90 day supply. This price can not be beat even in Belize. If your doctor prescribes the expensive Lipitor, just ask him to prescibe one of the products that Walmart sells. I did and it works.

 

My wife had a prescription for vicodin and she bought some in Belize without them looking at her prescription. They gave her a blister pack with VICODIN written in marks-a-lot but when I checked out the generic name at home I found that it had different ingredients than Vicodin. However, she said it worked as well at relieving her pain. And since it was so much cheaper than the vicodin here I will admit it was a great deal.

 

I feel safe buying generic formulations there that I can immediately tell if they work or not such as pain killers or acne medication, but I would be hesitant to try something such as cholesterol medications that you will not know if they work or not until you get retested next year.

 

They do have many great bargains that are safe as USA products but you must be wary of your purchase and should only purchase those quantities that come in the blister packs and not smaller quantities that they put in baggies.

[MikeandAmy]

Does anyone have a phone number for them? I used them once when I was in Belize a few years ago. I am now on a medication my insurance doesnt want to pay for, and I am hoping the carry it and at much cheaper price! Yes I have tried emailing them but nothing...

[jdnaples]

I just have to respond to the licensed pharmacist and other drug pedlar on this thread who say that we have laws to protect our citizens from dangerous drugs. Yes, the pharmacy in Belize may be dangerous, but the reason for the laws in the US are profit. Pure profit. Did the FDA protect us from Thalidamide, vioxx, phen-phen, etc. Answer is "no". Are the laws against Mariuna for treating cancer patients in pain etc even half way reasonable? Should you have to pay hundreds of dollars to get an rx for ambien if you can't sleep, when you an kill yourself with binge drinking? Is prescription valium and alcohol more dangerous than non Rx valium and alchohol? No, the FDA is biased, and the drug companies pour hundreds of thousand of dollars into lobbies to keep selling their drugs to American's who funded part of their research at higher prices than any other country. No, I wouldn't buy drugs from this pharmacist in Belize whether I had a RX or no RX. But in a country that doesn't even have universal health care, let's not engage in the fiction that the pharmaceutical industry is protecting anyone.