Getting your prescription drugs from the USA ??

If you have supporting documents it is easy.

Assuming you have someone in the US buy the drugs for you with your name on the prescription and packaging (must be intact) and sealed.

Have them itemised on paper showing your family address in the US and also the value paid for them. Even better to have the sales receipt attached. Also include your address here, contact number and email address.

Take them along to either DHL or FedEx in the states - don't seal the outer carton are they will want to see the items.

On arrival the courier will hand over to customs for inspection and them contact you for clearing. As long as you are registered here and have a valid visa or exemption you will be fine.

Make sure you check that the drugs you are having sent are not banned items - it is unlikely but can happen

findvietnam wrote:

Hello
  I need to get my prescription drugs into Vietnam, The Vietnam rules say a 10 day supply only ,
is there a work around this ????
Something a importer can do ??

The cost of my drugs at Costco is $15:00 a month
In Vietnam I am being quoted @ $75.00 a month

Any good Ideas ?????
Thanks
Tom

I can only speak of one personal instance.

The Veterans Administration mailed me a prescription to my address in the United States.

My family member did not open the package.

They took it to the post office.

The person at the post office said to mark it "forwarded prescription"

Then it was placed in another envelope, also marked "forwarded prescription".

It was mailed via USPS Express with a tracking number.

I eventually received the package in Danang with a single container having a 90 day supply of my medication.

The inner package had been opened and it appeared that the bottle of pills had been opened.

However, I counted the pills and there were 90.

That's all I can tell you.

Jigs
  I took your advice on my prescription drugs ,
mailed from the US to Binh Duong , by USPS
    They delivered right to the house,
i did put every bit of my personal info in the package and my wife and mine
phone numbers on the outside of the package .

thanks for the heads up

Tom

That's good news.. 😁

I thought it was illegal to import medicine to Vietnam.  Is this not the case? 

The FedEx website says Medical/dental supplies & equipment, I guess I just assumed this meant prescriptions.

https://crossborder.fedex.com/us/assets … ndex.shtml

As long as they are legally available medicines with the correct sealed packaging the big parcel networks can ship and clear these products.

There will be a few drugs that cannot be imported, but the key is to check before shipping.ake sure the courier you use can inspect the contents before you send them and you should be fine.

Postal services carry more restrictions.

flashylawnmower wrote:

I thought it was illegal to import medicine to Vietnam.  Is this not the case? 

The FedEx website says Medical/dental supplies & equipment, I guess I just assumed this meant prescriptions.

https://crossborder.fedex.com/us/assets … ndex.shtml

Apparently there is a difference between "importing" as one would do with materials meant for sale, and the forwarding of personal prescriptions to a specific individual without intent to resell, for personal use only.

It's why you can carry prescriptions with you on an airline flight.

It's my best guess as to why my forwarded prescriptions (still in their unopened official U.S. Veterans Administration mailers) cleared customs in Vietnam.

I also think (my guess) that it helps to use the USPS, probably seen by customs as more 'official' than FedEx and the like.

That last part is a total SWAG on my part.

I just know it worked for me.

How do you know which medicines cannot be imported?  I am thinking of a medicine available in the US but not available in VN.

flashylawnmower wrote:

How do you know which medicines cannot be imported?  I am thinking of a medicine available in the US but not available in VN.

I think you know.

The fact that you don't want to talk about it here specifically, says to me you already know

I'm looking for an official document that says what is legal to ship to VN and what isn't legal.

flashylawnmower wrote:

I'm looking for an official document that says what is legal to ship to VN and what isn't legal.

Check with the Consulate in San Francisco:

https://vietnamconsulate-sf.org/en/

They are very responsive to inquires.

OceanBeach92107 wrote:

flashylawnmower wrote:

I thought it was illegal to import medicine to Vietnam.  Is this not the case? 

The FedEx website says Medical/dental supplies & equipment, I guess I just assumed this meant prescriptions.

https://crossborder.fedex.com/us/assets … ndex.shtml

Apparently there is a difference between "importing" as one would do with materials meant for sale, and the forwarding of personal prescriptions to a specific individual without intent to resell, for personal use only.

It's why you can carry prescriptions with you on an airline flight.

It's my best guess as to why my forwarded prescriptions (still in their unopened official U.S. Veterans Administration mailers) cleared customs in Vietnam.

I also think (my guess) that it helps to use the USPS, probably seen by customs as more 'official' than FedEx and the like.

That last part is a total SWAG on my part.

I just know it worked for me.

More official than FedEx ? Next time you are at the airport on the way to the plane at HCM.. look outside and see the thousands of FedEx and TNT branded crates lining up to be unloaded.

Any parcel you send with any courier is under scrutiny to be opened and checked. When you hand over your parcel if you read the terms and conditions is they are allowed to open and inspect.

Wednesday, April 29, 2020

   FLASH
    I am sorry I missed your first couple of questions,
DHL and the US Postal service said I could not send more then a 10 day supply of
prescription drugs .
   I made it a shipment from myself in Minnesota to myself in Vietnam !
Included copies of passport, 5 year visa ,Vietnam drivers license,
local phone numbers and 2 different contact people at our house (wife & cousin)
and a tracking number from the postal service in the US.
   The package was opened before delivery, looked at by customs, and delivered
by the local post office, maybe 10 days total, start to finnish?
  The local Minnesota shippers will not send prescription drugs to Vietnam. They will
send Vitamins and supplements, but at double the going $4.00 a puond rate.
There are a few stores in Binh Duong that have some Costco products in the Kirkland Brand,
I do not know how they get their products??

I hope this helps you
Tom

Jlgarbutt wrote:

OceanBeach92107 wrote:

flashylawnmower wrote:

I thought it was illegal to import medicine to Vietnam.  Is this not the case? 

The FedEx website says Medical/dental supplies & equipment, I guess I just assumed this meant prescriptions.

https://crossborder.fedex.com/us/assets … ndex.shtml

Apparently there is a difference between "importing" as one would do with materials meant for sale, and the forwarding of personal prescriptions to a specific individual without intent to resell, for personal use only.

It's why you can carry prescriptions with you on an airline flight.

It's my best guess as to why my forwarded prescriptions (still in their unopened official U.S. Veterans Administration mailers) cleared customs in Vietnam.

I also think (my guess) that it helps to use the USPS, probably seen by customs as more 'official' than FedEx and the like.

That last part is a total SWAG on my part.

I just know it worked for me.

More official than FedEx ? Next time you are at the airport on the way to the plane at HCM.. look outside and see the thousands of FedEx and TNT branded crates lining up to be unloaded.

Any parcel you send with any courier is under scrutiny to be opened and checked. When you hand over your parcel if you read the terms and conditions is they are allowed to open and inspect.

FedEx is a private enterprise.

If you encounter a problem with a shipment from them, your only recourse is through them.

The United States Postal Service (USPS) is an independent agency of the executive branch of the United States government (other examples of independent agencies include NASA and the CIA).

IF I encounter a problem with a shipment from the USPS, my recourse can possibly involve a US Postal Inspector.

IF it were to be determined that a foreign government (meaning foreign to America) were somehow allowing obstruction of or theft of mail sent via USPS from America--otherwise in compliance with the foreign country's postal and import regulations--it's conceivable that the issue COULD be referred to the US Department of State.

Not that it has happened that I know of, but that's a possibility that's impossible for FedEx alone.

So yes, I think the USPS is probably viewed as slightly more "official" than FedEx.

And yes, I realize that USPS mail is often subcontracted for delivery by FedEx.

However, the packaging will still indicate that it originated with USPS.

NOTE: This is NOT meant to say that service through USPS is somehow better than that provided by FedEx.

My intent is to only respond to the question of which service is likely considered more official by agents of Vietnamese customs.

Regardless of legal status of FedEx, UPS, DHL etc.. they all operate under the IATA regulations so it doesn't matter who owns the organisation

You get what you pay for in terms of services pay for economy and get slower service, pay for a full express service and you get priority.

All mentioned networks above have different service levels... And offer add one.

For me in 20 years experience TNT / FedEx are often cheaper but slower. DHL the best all round, globally recognised as the biggest logistics service provider.

We used both TNT and DHL. FedEx have since bought TNT and tried to Americanise them.. it doesn't always work and cost them huge numbers of customers in the UK, and when they got hacked it took 6 months for many of their systems to come back up... Tracking didn't work.

They differ in spending also.. TNT bragged they spent £40 million upgrading their hub in West Midlands. DHL at the same time mentioned a spend of £500 million doing the same to the East Midlands facility.

All impressive.. but doesn't change they are legally bound to operate under IATA conditions