Medication requiring a prescription

turoati

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Hi Everyone,

I am moving to BA for a while in February. I currently take dexedrine and lexapro, one is an antidepressant and one is for attention deficit disorder. From what I've read both will require a prescription in Argentina. I would like to set up an appointment for soon after I arrive to get my prescriptions filled because US law limits how much dexedrine I can get at one time (it's a controlled substance, very similar to adderall or ritalin).

Can I simply call Hospital Britanico when I arrive and ask for an appointment? I will have no insurance. In the US normally GPs won't prescripe dexdrine, only psychiatrists will (for the most part at least). Any idea if that will be the same in BA?

Finally, any other recommendations for a good place to see an English Speaking doctor?

Thanks
 
How long are you planning on staying? You may want to consider getting insurance here if it is an advantage for paying for your medications (prepagos can give you a 40% discount on pharmceuticals). OSDE doesn't require you to have a DNI you can sign up with your passport and put your monthly charge on your credit card. It's about 300 pesos a month now for the 210 plan. I don't know how much your medications will cost you a month, but between paying for the doctor's visit and the pharmaceuticals you may come out ahead.

I don't know if dexedrine/lexapro are the brand names or the drug names -- make sure you've got the names of the drugs and bring some of the boxes with you as here in Argentina they don't have the brand names as in the states (they conveniently don't recognise most drug patents here which means that they clone brand name drugs and can offer generic versions of them at discount prices, part of the reason pharmaceuticals are a lot cheaper than in North America).

I don't know if you have to visit a psychiatrist or if a medico clinica can give you the receta. I've never been to Hostpial Britanico, but I don't be deceived by the name -- not everyone there will speak english! You'll have just as much luck in any of the big hospitals and clinics here -- many of the doctors, especially in the specialties, have more than one language.

OSDE has a directory of doctors on their website -- if you go to the site and go to the cartilla de proveedores (I think, I'm just remembering this off hand, so let me know if you have problems). There you'll have to select a plan -- if you don't have insurance anyway, it won't matter which you select, and then there's a drop down list for which specialty you need. It will list the doctors by area and say what languages they speak. Then you can just call the office and ask them if they'll see you even if you don't have a prepago.
 
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