Availability of skin cancer topical cream, Efudex (Fluorouracil 5%)?

I see you can speak VN, have a look on Google for brand names you know, most of the sites will be in Vietnamese.

yes, colin, we checked, but cannot find any site that sells it on-line

many thanks

kr

myvietnam wrote:

hi all

i am in urgent need of the above topical (external) skin cancer cream to treat new sc lesions on my head.

i could get it shipped from Au, BUT would need an AU doctor's prescription which, unsurprisingly, i don't have, and my local, previous, AU doctor won't give me one without seeing me

i can get a local VN script if needed - but the big problem i am having is that the pharmacies here (Mekong) simply don't stock it as no-one here has any need for it or uses it.

so i am hoping that the pharmacies in towns, HCM, Vung Tau, Da Nang, etc, where there are many more expats may well have

can anyone say where and/or how i might get this treatment cream?

many thanks!

From my experience with other meds here, it sounds as if it might be only available through Hospital pharmacies, and you might need to go to the hospital to be seen by a physician there in order to receive it. I don't know that for a fact but it's a suggestion for where you might look next

hmmm. maybe, but i would have to check/find out somehow if those pharmacies did actually have them before making the trip.

thanks & kr

Stamford Skin Centre, a dermatology clinic in district 1, HCMC, has Efudex.   You may need to an appointment with their dermatologist to get a prescription and buy it.

ok. if i cannot find a simpler solution, that might have to be the solution

thank you so much.

kind regards

You go online and buy from India and have it sent here. No problem.

nick4946 wrote:

You go online and buy from India and have it sent here. No problem.

Sending in via an external source can be am issue. One poster just had contact lenses held up at customs as he had no import license.

hi thgere

thanks so much

i never saw any IN sites selling, but i was not especially searching for that.

so far i have followed up the previous suggestion and hope to purchase from a pharmacy in HCMC (if i send them local prescription which i can do)

the only question is if i have to go to HCM to pick-up, or if they will ship. and how much it costs.

kr

don

I would try at some of international level private medical centers, like family doctor or similar. Most of them have their own imported medicamentation.
Importing private, I sure would not even consider, when looking at all the fakes and scams with everything on every level

hi Tiny. Many thanks for your advice.

kr.

Once our lockdown period is over, possibly before that, I'll try a couple of pharmacies in Da Nang to see if they stock it.
Wayne

Waynesinoz wrote:

Once our lockdown period is over, possibly before that, I'll try a couple of pharmacies in Da Nang to see if they stock it.
Wayne

I'm glad pharmacies are allowed to be open here during the lockdown.

When I first returned to Đà Nẵng almost 2 years ago, a Vietnamese friend recommended this place as "it have everything":

Nhà thuốc Hồng Đức
282 Ông Ích Khiêm
Tân Chính, Thanh Khê
Đà Nẵng
(Phone number in Google Maps listing)
Google Maps link

So far, whenever I've needed something not available at my neighborhood pharmacy, this place has had it.

many thanks to everyone.

i use pharmacy MTGMIKE mention. first, i have to get a script from a local doctor (who we know at the hospital)

i email script and they post back - all quite fast, and that saves me  a trip

it was quite expensive (nearly 3mill) but was a large tube.

i worked out i could get it from AU from on-line pharmacy ($A60), and if i use on-line doctor for script ($Ạ35) - but then i have to get delivered to AU address then shipped here. so quite time-consuming and somewhat problematic

i note the name of pharmacy by OCEANBEACH for future reference

at the moment, with treatment,  i am in quite a bit of pain as cancer on my head much more extensive area than  i thought and it bloody hurts and difficult to sleep.

but soon that should be over and all healed/removed

kr

Have you tried Dipolac? Maybe it could give you some relief. It has the following ingredients :
Betamethasone Dipropionate ..... 9.6mg
Gentamicin ...... 15mg
Clotrimazole. ..... 150mg
I bought a tube yesterday from a local pharmacy for 20,000 dong - very cheap.