Medication, etc. for diabetics

[kdavid]

I have a friend who would like to come to China. He's diabetic, and uses the following medication/equipment:

Syringes 1/2 CC, short needle (Use about 40 syringes monthly) (药水针)

Lantus OR Levimir insulin (52 units every 24 hours) (赖脯胰岛素)

Humalog insulin (used as needed) (甘精胰岛素)

Celexa (20mg, twice a day- 60 pills a month) (西酞普兰)

Albuterol inhaler (used as needed) (舒喘灵吸乳器)

My questions for those with experience:

1. What's the feasibility, financial and logistical, of him getting the medication he needs to live here for at least seven months?

2. Is there a reputable online vendor which sells everything above, or is a prescription needed? (I'd imagine getting everything locally here in Harbin would be preferable as some of the medication requires refrigeration.)

3. What can he expect his monthly costs to be? Clearly, this will differ by city, but a roundabout figure will help clarify things.

FYI: I ran a forum search on this topic prior, but only found one previous post, which is five years old. I've also searched the internet, Chinese and English, but have not found answers to my specific questions as they relate to living in China.

Thanks in advance!

[abcdefg]

I can't help you with most of this list, but I have bought an albuterol inhaler in Kunming. It cost well under 100 RMB for a metered dose inhaler sufficient for either one or two months depending on how much one uses. I don't remember the exact cost.

The method I used to obtain it, after first unsuccessfully just trying to buy it over the counter in a neighborood retail pharmacy, was to go to a hospital and ask at the hospital pharmacy window where they dispensed Western medication. (There was a different window for obtaining TCM.)

They told me they had it in stock, but I would need a prescription and directed me to a doctor sitting at a desk in a small room nearby. I just told him what I needed and he wrote the script. I paid for it at a cashier window, and the pharmacy dispensed it when I gave them the paperwork.

I suppose if I had requested something exotic, the doctor might have insisted on an exam and some tests. There was no charge for his simple prescribing service.

[PengHaoShi]

I can't tell you either, but I'm also diabetic, living in Shanghai since more than 10 years. You cannot buy these things on-line, you need a prescription and I think, he would also need a doctor sometimes for check-ups. I always go to Parkway Health in Shanghai, but there are also other clinics for foreigners.

I would recommend to contact them directly, they might be able to advise you, what is available and what is the cost involved. See this web-page: http://www.parkwayhealth.cn/ , see the Contact us button on the right top corner.

They also have clinics in Suzhou, Chengdu and Beijing. But medical services are not cheap, however, medication is about the same as if you buy somewhere else.