Medicines in Guatemala

We are planning a trip to the States (Kansas City) in a couple of weeks (November 24 - December 8) and so we've been planning out our prescriptions to be sure we have enough. But it occurred to me... where are medicines cheaper, here in Guatemala or in the US? Since we don't have medical or pharmacy insurance to help cover medicine costs, I did a little research.

The answer is... it depends.

Here is an example:

Lipitor 80mg, 14 tablet pack.  In Guatemala, they don't offer a generic (that we know of). So down here, that Lipitor two-week pack is $61.73.  In the US at Walmart, a generic is offered at $14! And double those prices for a month's supply!

Metformin 1000 mg, 30 tablet pack. In Guatemala, it's about $28. In the US, it's just $4!

So far, the Guatemalan prices seem to be pretty high. That can be attributed to cost of import and duty.

BUT... when I asked about Januvia, a newer diabetes medication with no generic equivalent, the story flipped. Here in Guatemala it's $68 for 28 pills of 100mg. But in the US, it's $325 for the same!

Another advantage of Guatemalan pharmacies is if you're into self-diagnosis and treatment. Here, they don't need a prescription. You just go in and tell them what you want. Oxycodone? Sure! Antibiotics? Sure - which one of these antibiotics do you want, ma'am? And we have to choose between brands and formulations. So we stand in the pharmacy reading product inserts in fine print ... in Spanish!

But flu shots? None are available here.

So, a little research is well-rewarded!