Getting medication in Surabaya

[Judilyn]

Hello all. My name is Judilyn Brown and I live in the United States. My son recently received a scholarship to study Indonesian language and culture in Surabaya for one year at Petra Christian University. However I am concerned about him because he takes four different prescriptions for depression, ADHD and sleep ( been stable for a long time). Mailing them is illegal. Hopefully he can bring some with him when he arrives in August, but after that he will need to see a doctor in Surabaya. I've emailed eleven different hospitals that the American consulate informed me had English speaking staff yesterday. I will try to call them this week but I don't speak Bahasa Indonesian. Any advice would be welcomed.

 

[dafluff]

He should be able to bring "personal use amounts" with him, although as far as I know there is no specific limit that constitutes personal use. Of course it is best to bring a doctor's prescription along.

He should consult with a doctor once here in Indonesia and obtain prescriptions for him to continue purchasing his medication here. I don't know specifically about anti-depressants, but most medication that would be by prescription only in the US, are available over the counter here (such as antibiotics, statins, blood pressure medicine, etc).

I don't live in Surabaya, so maybe someone who has can chime in. However, it is a major city, and finding an English speaking physician shouldn't be a problem.

 

[Judilyn]

He should be able to bring "personal use amounts" with him, although as far as I know there is no specific limit that constitutes personal use. Of course it is best to bring a doctor's prescription along.

He should consult with a doctor once here in Indonesia and obtain prescriptions for him to continue purchasing his medication here. I don't know specifically about anti-depressants, but most medication that would be by prescription only in the US, are available over the counter here (such as antibiotics, statins, blood pressure medicine, etc).

I don't live in Surabaya, so maybe someone who has can chime in. However, it is a major city, and finding an English speaking physician shouldn't be a problem.

Thank you very much for your reply! I was also wondering if pharmacies like Guardian and Century Healthcare had MD on site?

 

[William King]

Nope. Usually you visit a hospital or clinic to find MDs.

The hospitals will speak a bit of English. Though if he is already 18 or so he is capable of ringing them.

 

[Judilyn]

Nope. Usually you visit a hospital or clinic to find MDs.

The hospitals will speak a bit of English. Though if he is already 18 or so he is capable of ringing them.

Thank you for your reply Actually I just called International SOS clinic in Jakarta, as I was calling hospitals and the computer voice was only in Bahasa Indonesian. They are going to call me back with a referral to resources in Surabaya where he can see an English speaking doctor. Yeah, he should call them on his own.

 

[William King]

That's surprising of them. In general they have excellent service and the reception counters have multiple languages when you visit. (English, Bahasa and Japanese or Korean from memory).

 

[Judilyn]

I was also surprised since he won't be physically going there. So now I'm just waiting for them to call or email me

 

[jstar]

Hi Judilyn.

Dont worry too much. He will be fine.

Let him take quite some medication (>6m) with him. See here for how to tackle that:

Importing medicines and supplements moving to Indonesia.

When moving to Indonesia, can one bring in essential medicines such as blood pressure control? Limitations? Can one bring in supplements (i.e. vitamins and minerals) as found in a health food store or vitamin shop?

www.expatindo.org

The chance is it wont even be checked at customs but that way you're covered.

About the hospital; as anything else here, it could take forever to call or mail you back (read: never). So better to go there when he arrives.

I will ask my family in law there for a good hospital in Surabaya...

 

[Jaime C]

The thing I would be cautious with is the medications for ADHD are often a form of speed/meth.

 

[jstar]

I know quite some people who entered (legally) with substances which would otherwise fall under the narcotic law. It's just necessary to get the vital documents as Doctor's statement.

In fact you don't even need to visit the Indonesian embassy or consulate in your country, but to cover your @ss it might make sense. (They will charge you for a statement / declaration btw.)

And -important- it would be wise the check MIMS to see if the medication is available in Indonesia.

 

[jstar]

For MIMS you need to register btw, but after that you can browse the system. It contains the complete database of all registered and approved medicines and pharmaceutical products.

From the Indonesian embassies (which they often contradict since they like the money):

Travelling to Indonesia with prescribed medication

LAST UPDATED ON 08 MAY 2014
If you are travelling to Indonesia and you are bringing medication with you, there should be no problem at the customs if it is clear that the medicine is for personal use. You must declare your medication by using customs declaration (CD) and present a letter from your physician stating the amount of medicine you use per day and the listing of the medication and/ or a copy of original prescription to customs officer. If you are questioned about the medication by the customs officer, you need to have these documents to prove that the medication is legally prescribed.

It is prohibited to bring narcotics into the Country. If you are bringing medicines containing narcotics you must declare your medication by using customs declaration (CD) and present a physician's letter that states the reason for taking the medicine and a copy of original prescription to customs officers. Medications with narcotics substance must be in their original packaging, and the dosage quantity must not exceed the duration of the visit.

Physician letter, the listing of the medication and a copy of original prescription must be translated into Indonesian or English. These documents do not require Embassy legalization .


?
Just to make the legal picture complete:

Kep Menperindag No 314/Kp/VIII/1974 tentang Peredaran, impor dan ekspor, makanan-minuman, alat kecantikan dan alat kesehatan


Pemasukan obat jadi atau obat tradisional untuk dipakai sendiri atau untuk diperdagangkan dapat dilakukan setelah mendapat ijin dari Direktorat Jenderal Pengawasan Obat dan Makanan (POM), Departemen Kesehatan Rl.

Terhadap obat jadi atau obat tradisional dalam jumlah kecil untuk pemakaian sendiri dapat dimasukkan oleh penumpang laut/udara sepanjang dapat dibuktikan dengan resep dokter. 


Translation:

Minister of Industry and Trade Decree No. 314 / Kp / VIII / 1974 concerning Circulation, import and export, food and beverage, beauty equipment and medical devices

Entry of finished drugs or traditional medicines for personal use or to be traded can be done after obtaining permission from the Directorate General of Drug and Food Control (POM), Ministry of Health Rl.

For finished drugs or traditional medicines in small quantities for own use, they can be taken by sea/air passengers as long as they can be proven by a doctor's prescription.

.


 

[Judilyn]

Hi Judilyn.

Dont worry too much. He will be fine.

Let him take quite some medication (>6m) with him. See here for how to tackle that:

Importing medicines and supplements moving to Indonesia.

When moving to Indonesia, can one bring in essential medicines such as blood pressure control? Limitations? Can one bring in supplements (i.e. vitamins and minerals) as found in a health food store or vitamin shop?

www.expatindo.org

The chance is it wont even be checked at customs but that way you're covered.

About the hospital; as anything else here, it could take forever to call or mail you back (read: never). So better to go there when he arrives.

I will ask my family in law there for a good hospital in Surabaya...

Yes thank you! International SOS clinic recommended Premier Hospital in Surabaya for his needs. They said English is spoken there, though not with the proficiency as in the west. But thanks again for the reassurance

 

[Judilyn]

For MIMS you need to register btw, but after that you can browse the system. It contains the complete database of all registered and approved medicines and pharmaceutical products.

From the Indonesian embassies (which they often contradict since they like the money):

Travelling to Indonesia with prescribed medication

LAST UPDATED ON 08 MAY 2014
If you are travelling to Indonesia and you are bringing medication with you, there should be no problem at the customs if it is clear that the medicine is for personal use. You must declare your medication by using customs declaration (CD) and present a letter from your physician stating the amount of medicine you use per day and the listing of the medication and/ or a copy of original prescription to customs officer. If you are questioned about the medication by the customs officer, you need to have these documents to prove that the medication is legally prescribed.

It is prohibited to bring narcotics into the Country. If you are bringing medicines containing narcotics you must declare your medication by using customs declaration (CD) and present a physician's letter that states the reason for taking the medicine and a copy of original prescription to customs officers. Medications with narcotics substance must be in their original packaging, and the dosage quantity must not exceed the duration of the visit.

Physician letter, the listing of the medication and a copy of original prescription must be translated into Indonesian or English. These documents do not require Embassy legalization .


?
Just to make the legal picture complete:



Translation:

Minister of Industry and Trade Decree No. 314 / Kp / VIII / 1974 concerning Circulation, import and export, food and beverage, beauty equipment and medical devices

Entry of finished drugs or traditional medicines for personal use or to be traded can be done after obtaining permission from the Directorate General of Drug and Food Control (POM), Ministry of Health Rl.

For finished drugs or traditional medicines in small quantities for own use, they can be taken by sea/air passengers as long as they can be proven by a doctor's prescription.

.


Thank you...we are seeing the doctor next week for the documentation.

 

[Judilyn]

I know quite some people who entered (legally) with substances which would otherwise fall under the narcotic law. It's just necessary to get the vital documents as Doctor's statement.

In fact you don't even need to visit the Indonesian embassy or consulate in your country, but to cover your @ss it might make sense. (They will charge you for a statement / declaration btw.)

And -important- it would be wise the check MIMS to see if the medication is available in Indonesia.

The Adderall he is taking is not available in Indonesia, but we're seeing the doctor next week to get it changed.

 

[Judilyn]

The thing I would be cautious with is the medications for ADHD are often a form of speed/meth.

Yes, we are seeing the doctor next week to get it changed

 

[jstar]

Sounds good Judilyn. It will all work out.