The following are some notes on what I learned while working at a pharmacy in Costa Rica.
Day 1
I watched people get injections for allergies and pain relief. I was surprised to see this as injections are not commonly given in Canada. There was a back room with a bench that was for giving the injections. Only the pharmacist can give injections and if you want to learn how you can practice on one of the employees who work there.
I learned how to and practiced taking blood pressure manually. I did not know how to do this at all previously and I could still use more practice.
The average wage for a pharmacist in Costa Rica is $1500 American/month working 9 hours 5 days/week
All drugs ending in “pam” are locked away except one which is on the shelf. A special blue papered prescription is required for these medications. Normal prescriptions are on white paper.
Narcotics are locked away
Many drugs can be given with or without a prescription
Label is only used when a prescription was given and the only required information is the name of the patient, drug, and directions.
Many drug reps stopped here to talk about their companies drugs and one drug company gave us a PowerPoint presentation on Gaurdacil and bought us all pizza and pop. All drug reps MUST be pharmacists. I liked this as the drug reps understood the drug products and it provides more employment for pharmacists.
Pharmacists must wear lab coats to work but they can wear regular clothing under their coat (jeans, etc)
Day 2
Patients can negotiate prices of the drugs. When people buy more than one package of the same drug they can get a discount (10 or 15%) When someone pays in colones they can get a 15% discount but 10% is the highest discount for American Dollars and credit cards. A 23% discount is given to medical students for immunizations.
Day 3
Pharmacy technicians have no training and call the pharmacist for permissions to give drugs when the pharmacist is not present. A pharmacy can be open with no pharmacist present.
Pharmacists can not give antibiotics and Viagra without a prescription. This rule is not strictly folllowed in all Costa Rican Pharmacies.
No prescription is required to give out Prosac
Many of the drugs are only stalked in highest doses. For example Viagra is only carried in 50mg and 100mg not 25mg like North American pharmacies. The pharmacist there said North America carries more “pediatric doses” than Costa Rica.
Pharmacy students can learn to give injections in a pharmacy before taking training in school.
All pharmacists do not have to give injections but some employers will not hire them if they will not do this procedure.
Day 4
Today I started working independently with the computer. I wrote a manual label for a prescription (sometimes they are typed on a type writer). This prescription required the doctors name.
For injections the pharmacist only washed his hands for the first injection of the day and not the other. The pharmacist did not wear gloves.
Pharmacy technicians can not give injections. The location for injections give for pain are in fatty tissue in the lower back/upper butt region. It is injected in fat because it will stay in the system longer and it will release slower.
Immunizations are give on the shoulder of side of the quads into muscle.
Drugs are all in blister packs. There were very few drugs in bottles. Due to the fact all medications do not have to labeled and that people can buy one or two medications at a time blister packages are more convenient for the pharmacists. Sometimes they put blisters of medications into an envelope when a label is require or give the patient the whole box depending how many they want.
Band-aides and almost everything else sold in the pharmacy can be sold in quantities of 1.
From your experience, ow could I find out if a medication is available in Costa Rica. I am in San Diego CA and would like to move to Costa Rica. The medication I am worried about not being available is Humira. It is very expensive and requires refigeration.
Hello David,
I did not encounter Humira in Costa Rica and I asked a pharmacy student I met in Costa Rica about Humira but she was not familiar with it. So, it appears that it may not be available in many pharmacies if it is available at all.
Sincerely,
Leila
Hi Leila,
I’m currently a Pharmacist in the US. I’m considering moving to Costa Rica and would appreciate any info on how to find Pharmacist jobs in Costa Rica.
Thanks,
Tony
Hello Tony,
I just have a few questions to ask and then I can look into your request. First do you know Spanish? and secondly where in Costa Rica do you want to live? Also I am not sure if you read this part of my blog but I think it is important that you know that the average wage for a pharmacist in Costa Rica makes $1500 American/month working 9 hours 5 days/week. This is far less then in Canada or USA.
Anyways please get back to me and then I will find out more on how to get you a job in Costa Rica.
Thank-you.
Sincerely,
Leila
Hi Leila,
I don’t know spanish yet, but will be starting classes soon and possibly doing an immersion program before moving. As far as location, I’d rather not live in San Jose, but central valley or Pacific coast area would be good. I’m fine with pay decrease. Thanks again for any information you can offer.
Sincerely,
Tony
Hi Leila –
I have a question for you. I am in the States and have been prescribed by my doctor the drug Adipex (name brand) to help with the symptoms of my CFS (Chronic Fatigue Syndrome). I have family in Costa Rica, yet they did not know if this medication was available there or not. As I do not have insurance coverage currently, I am looking for any and all options that may be able to help me.
Thank you
Crystal
When I travel to C.R. I always pop into a pharmacy and purchase a box of Arcedol. It is the equivalent of Tylenol 3 and a prescription is NOT required. However one must note the following: side affects, possible liver or kidney dammage may occur. Arcedol is a 3rd world product. Packaged in a blister pack, the tablet is white, center scored with no other markings. It is shipped and probably compounded in Costa Rica. It does not always contain the purported products – 500mg acetaminophen and 30mg codeine. It is promoted by Kiwi Drug of New Zealand but they have been unable or unwilling to provide any information to substantiate their claims of its contents or efficacy.
The pharmacists I have interacted with in Costa Rica seem educated and confident, but the ‘ingredient issue’ with drugs manufactured in third world countries gives me the willies. I won’t be purchasing prescription drugs in C.R. again.
Hi Liela,
I was in Costa Rica 3 years ago and received an injection at the Pharmacy for severe back pain. I believe it was a combination of an anti-inflammatory, a pain reliever and cortizone? I cannot remember the name of it – do you know? It was written down for me in spanish too and I can’t locate it. I’m going to CR again and would appreciate any info. Thanks!
Hi, Leila;
After reading your communication with Tony earlier this year.
I think I need your help as well.
I am a pharmacist, RPh, in the U.S. since 80s. Been in the retails & nursing home supplies pharmacists all along. Had a ’2 week crash course’ in basic Spanish in San Jose, CR in 2000 at a place called Costa Rica Language Institute and staying in a Costa Rican lady home during that period. I also took a vacation with my wife 2 years ago to a resort at Jaco Beach in the pacific coast.
I like Costa Rica very much for its warm weather and friendly people. My wife would love to live there as well. Now that our youngest daughter already left home for college. Me and my wife are thinking of moving to Costa Rica.
However, I don’t want to just stop working. So, my questions are:-
1) Is it difficult for a U.S. Pharmacist to be licensed in Costa Rica without being fluent in Spanish?
2) What exam(s) is(are) required?
3) Although my experience in pharmacy primary focused
in retail setting. It won’t be an impossible task, but rather a short brush up with the i.v. and Chemos, if my desire is to work in a hospital in Costa Rica which is dealing significantly with ‘medical tourism’ or one that deals with a lots of ‘U.S. expats’. Per your opinion, is it possible for me to be hired as a hospital pharmacist, even an outpatient one to begin with?
In a retail or clinic setting will be alright, at least I can get a head start on it for a year or two, if that is the way to go. Please give me your input, suggestion and your advise. Thank you very much in advance.
AL
Hello,
I was only in Costa Rica for one month and I do not speak Spanish so I do not know much about any specific drugs that are available.
Sorry.
Leila
Hello Al,
I am not sure what you need to apply to work in Costa Rica. I tried to get my friend that lives their to help but she also could not find the information you are looking for.
Sorry and Good Luck!
Leila