Bringing in large bottles of prescription drugs

Kaki · #1 06-01-2007, 02:40 AM

For donation purposes to a medical clinic, is it allowed to bring prescription drugs into the DR? I'm getting mixed information on this, being told that prescription meds are NOT allowed in in this manner, and then being provided a list of required items some of which are available by prescription only. If one were to be able to have a doctor prescribe a drug (like 1000 tablets), so that it came in a bottle with your name on it, would they look askance at the 1000 tablets aspect? Is there the 3 month rule in the DR? And what chance is there that anybody would ever even know? Short of wanting to avoid the deep rooted feeling that you're "smuggling" drugs, under what circumstances would your luggage ever be checked when arriving at one of the airports like Santo Domingo, La Romana or Punta Cana and you'd be caught? Penalty would be what?

Thanks very much for all answers and I'd be grateful for any extra info on the topic that anyone has as well.

Kaki

dr james · #2 06-01-2007, 10:30 AM

not a good idea...some of my patients have tried this and were either confiscated or made to pay huge duties on the drugs....even though they were donated...they view it as a source of income..ie...customs duties and that you are trying to re sell the products for personal profit

James Bailes, M.D. costambar medical services

Ken · #3 06-01-2007, 10:54 AM

Are you talking about bringing meds for use during a vacation visit or for use as a resident?

If coming for a visit, the large quantity will be very suspect because nobody needs 1000 tablets of anything for a 1 or 2 week visit.

Even as a resident, such a large quantity likely to be a problem, if found.

Our mail service put out a note recently about vitamins. They advised not ordering too many at one time as it would be thought by customs you were bringing them in for resale.

With respect to meds, for years we have been getting meds that we take on a continuing basis from a pharmacy connected to our health insurance. We get a 3-month supply in each mailing and have never had any problems.

DAKRA · #4 06-01-2007, 01:00 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by globalmike295

Codotel needs, to fix the internet problem

The son Of Denny

So what does "Codotel" have to do with this?

Kaki · #5 06-01-2007, 02:24 PM

That was my question too, Dakra. I guess it was irrelevant since the original post is now gone.

Ken, I'm talking about neither use as a vacationer nor as a resident. I am wondering about including prescription medicine with other donations of syringes, lidocaine, etc. to a medical clinic in one of the small fishing villages along the south coast. I know that we can get clearance to bring the non-prescription items and I'm just wondering how it is possible to get donated prescriptions to the clinic as well.

dr james, thanks so much for your answer though I'm not happy about it! What if you are able to show that it is not going to be in your hands once in the country? If you transfer the donations to somebody associated with the charitable recipient immediately upon arriving in the country--even while still at the airport. If you instantly pass over the care and control of the product to an authorized clinic and there is no opportunity for you to turn a personal profit, would that make any difference? And how was it that your patients had the medication confiscated? Where were they flying from and how were the drugs found on them? Random checks or by checking the possessions of everybody or because they declared what they had with them?

Once again, thanks very much indeed.

Kaki

La Profe_1 · #6 06-01-2007, 04:40 PM

Kaki,

Technically, you need permission from Salud Pública to bring the meds in. I am organizing a huge dental clinic right now in POP and we needed permission not only from the Director of Public Health - Dental for the clinic it self, but also from the Director of Public Health for the North Coast for the meds used during the clinic.

Your best bet is to ask if the clinic is an "organización sin fines de lucre" in the DR. If it is, THEY can contact Public Health and Airport Customs for you. It takes some time - hope you are not leaving in the next few days.

Kaki · #7 06-01-2007, 06:19 PM

Thank you so much La Profe!

We do have a go-between dealing with customs for us and we arranged for a similar mass donation in February where our contact sent a rep to meet the donators at the airport and all was confirmed and stamped and they were whisked through the process as easy as that. BUT...I believe that they brought a number of things that were not by prescription only (though I was surprised that some of those items were considered "over the counter"). We now have a generous traveler who is arriving on June 6 and arranging for a number of items from the wish list, one of which is a prescription med that a doctor is prepared to donate. My example of 1000 tablets isn't just pulled out of the air as much as I worded it that way. It is a real offer that we have and would like to accept, as long as it will be accepted and allowed into the DR. Our Dominican contacts aren't replying as quickly as we'd like in order to know whether that is something that we can do.

Are you saying that if we get a letter or acknowledgement from the Director of Public Health that will allow prescription meds into the country? I appreciate that these things can take time and though it might be unfortunate to miss out this time, having the groundwork in place for the next time (if we're lucky enough to have one), will make it easier.

Again, thank you experts for sharing your knowledge.

Kaki

La Profe_1 · #8 06-01-2007, 07:19 PM

You need your contact in the DR to write to Airport Customs asking for permission to bring the meds in as a donation. Public Health, technically, should give permission as well. That is at the discretion of the Colector de Aduana at the particular airport.

One piece of advice, BE SURE none of the meds are expired. They will NOT allow those into the country.

dottie123 · #9 06-26-2007, 02:27 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ken

Our mail service put out a note recently about vitamins. They advised not ordering too many at one time as it would be thought by customs you were bringing them in for resale.

With respect to meds, for years we have been getting meds that we take on a continuing basis from a pharmacy connected to our health insurance. We get a 3-month supply in each mailing and have never had any problems.

May I inquire what mail service you use, I assume from the US, for delivery of your Vitamins and your 3 month supply of medication? This has been one of my concerns. We will need to have the same delivered to us.

Thank you

bxmuchacho · #10 08-22-2007, 08:32 AM

My mother had her purse snatched (by someone she actually knows...but the woman claimed she was innocent...she used guys on a motorcycle). Anyway, her meds were in her purse. I went to her doc here in NYC and got her refills. When I shipped them, they refused to give them to her. She has high blood pressure, diabetes, and suffers from strokes. She spent a whole month without her medications. They demanded an additional two hundred dollars (not pesos...freakin dollars) on top of the one hundred I paid here to have them sent via a U.S. carrier.

Never again. She has to go back to get some of her money that was recovered, but she will never again set foot in the land of her birth. Me neither. I'm going to my father's (and my native) Puerto Rico from now on. At least there you get robbed by strangers, not by your own so-called friends.