!!!!!!!!!Contraceptive Pills!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[neddrick98]

Okay, this is kind of annoying me: the internet is fairly useless!

So I have about 10 days left of my Cilest contraceptive pills, which i've discovered are made up of two active ingredients, enthinyl estradiol and norgestimate, which looks like ortho tri-cyclen (though i'm not sure if that's in the states??).

Anyway, firstly, nobody seems to have heard of Cilest.

Secondly, I apparently have to pay $50 for a prescription, and THEN whatever the cost of the pill is.

Nobody can give me the cost of the pill, because they have never heard of it.

Some people have told me to just go to an after hours clinic, get a prescription, and buy in the pharmacy.
Others have said that since this is my first time getting the pill in NZ, I would be forced to visit a GP: fees for which are about $87, as i'm a non-resident.

What is the correct answer?

Here is the scenario:

A UK resident, staying in NZ on a WHV visa, wants Cilest (or equivalent) contraceptive pills, but cannot go during work hours (mon - fri, 7:30 - 5:30).

I'm in Lower Hutt.

Any help!??????

Feeling frustrated!!!!!!!!!!! (and VERY much missing the NHS free system ( )

[IanW99]

Okay, this is kind of annoying me: the internet is fairly useless!

So I have about 10 days left of my Cilest contraceptive pills, which i've discovered are made up of two active ingredients, enthinyl estradiol and norgestimate, which looks like ortho tri-cyclen (though i'm not sure if that's in the states??).

Anyway, firstly, nobody seems to have heard of Cilest.

Secondly, I apparently have to pay $50 for a prescription, and THEN whatever the cost of the pill is.

Nobody can give me the cost of the pill, because they have never heard of it.

Some people have told me to just go to an after hours clinic, get a prescription, and buy in the pharmacy.
Others have said that since this is my first time getting the pill in NZ, I would be forced to visit a GP: fees for which are about $87, as i'm a non-resident.

What is the correct answer?

Here is the scenario:

A UK resident, staying in NZ on a WHV visa, wants Cilest (or equivalent) contraceptive pills, but cannot go during work hours (mon - fri, 7:30 - 5:30).

I'm in Lower Hutt.

Any help!??????

Feeling frustrated!!!!!!!!!!! (and VERY much missing the NHS free system ( )

Would suggest that you try family planning - lower_hutt

Ian

[neddrick98]

Thanks, Ian. I tried them and they were very short with me, tbh! I was told i'd need to pay a $50 fee just for a paper prescription, and then the cost of the pills on top of that! Although at least it saves me from the $87 cost of a GP appointment, just to tell me that my blood pressure is fine and yes, you can have some pills!

For anybody in my situation:

Vibe Youth Services offer this service FREE for under 25s, and did not seem to mind that i'm from the UK and on a WHV! They're pretty booked up so i'm cutting things SUPPPPERRRfine with the pills I have left, and may not even end up on Cilest but they're not charging me for the appointment OR the prescription, and might only charge a few dollars for the actual pills.
They were very helpful, lovely and accommodating!

[newarrival]

Okay, this is kind of annoying me: the internet is fairly useless!

So I have about 10 days left of my Cilest contraceptive pills, which i've discovered are made up of two active ingredients, enthinyl estradiol and norgestimate, which looks like ortho tri-cyclen (though i'm not sure if that's in the states??).

Anyway, firstly, nobody seems to have heard of Cilest.

Secondly, I apparently have to pay $50 for a prescription, and THEN whatever the cost of the pill is.

Nobody can give me the cost of the pill, because they have never heard of it.

Some people have told me to just go to an after hours clinic, get a prescription, and buy in the pharmacy.
Others have said that since this is my first time getting the pill in NZ, I would be forced to visit a GP: fees for which are about $87, as i'm a non-resident.

What is the correct answer?

Here is the scenario:

A UK resident, staying in NZ on a WHV visa, wants Cilest (or equivalent) contraceptive pills, but cannot go during work hours (mon - fri, 7:30 - 5:30).

I'm in Lower Hutt.

Any help!??????

Feeling frustrated!!!!!!!!!!! (and VERY much missing the NHS free system ( )

Just felt the need to add something- the NHS in the UK might be 'free' for you, but it is funded with by taxpayer's money. If you are a resident in NZ you have access to cheaper health service, funded by NZ taxpayer's money. My daughter goes to family planning for ages and has never had any complaints. Maybe you should have planned for the situation you're in now before you came to NZ

Sorry if that sounds annoyed, probably I do feel slightly annoyed by your attitude, to be honest. It seems to be the way it works today- getting things for nothing.....

[jawnbc]

Sounds entirely reasonable to me: they can't just give the script out to everyone and anyone--that would be unethical.

Thanks, Ian. I tried them and they were very short with me, tbh! I was told i'd need to pay a $50 fee just for a paper prescription, and then the cost of the pills on top of that! Although at least it saves me from the $87 cost of a GP appointment, just to tell me that my blood pressure is fine and yes, you can have some pills!

For anybody in my situation:

Vibe Youth Services offer this service FREE for under 25s, and did not seem to mind that i'm from the UK and on a WHV! They're pretty booked up so i'm cutting things SUPPPPERRRfine with the pills I have left, and may not even end up on Cilest but they're not charging me for the appointment OR the prescription, and might only charge a few dollars for the actual pills.
They were very helpful, lovely and accommodating!

[bob_the_engineer]

In the UK,,, a decade ago, I paid just shy of $20,000 in NI then I paid a heap of income tax on top of that ($20k, one years NI bill) that was some nice FREE health care I bought for you there :-)... feel free to say thanks :-) can I buy some Holliday healthcare for you too... oh now I'm being mean :-) ay

Seriousley, one of two things must be going on here...
either you are just frustrated and venting at the prospect of an unexpected bill (fair enough, we Are famous for how well we complain, somthing I didn't understand until I'd been out of the uk for a good amount of time then heard a uk complaint lol,,, wow), or you really do think that the doctors advice isn't worth 80 odd dollars... and you should arrive in a country that you have never contributed to and expect to get free stuff !

I'm guessing your just venting, Bob

[kiwieagle]

I would think an unexpected pregnancy would be more expensive than the pill. Think how many tax dollars that would cost you lot! Oh, by the way, don't people who work on a WHV pay taxes and into ACC?

[RHT]

I know this is a bit 'stable door' and 'horse bolted' of me, but why did you leave it until you were 10 days away from running out? Even in the UK, with the sainted NHS at my beck and call I didn't cut it quite so fine. By the way, I hope you're now going to sing the praises of the NHS to every available ear? Because they mostly get a good bashing and would no doubt appreciate that, with the benefit of distance, people realise what a great resource it is! Medical fees aren't a well kept secret here, I'm not sure why you're frustrated by them, or by the lack of a certain type of contraceptive pill - did you check yours was available in NZ? I do understand your frustration, but I don't think it's genuinely the medical system here you're frustrated with, more yourself for not checking and let's face it any unexpected bill makes me antsy too!

[Elaine_NZ]

It was a bit silly to go overseas without talking to your doctor before you left if they could perhaps prescribe enough to cover your stay in NZ. Hope the Vibe Youth Services can help you out.
I did an online search a couple of months ago on Primolut Nor (for the needs of postponing my period) and it seems it's available in NZ but I'd have to go through so much hassle and expenses that I've given up the thought (I'm a resident).

Oh, by the way, don't people who work on a WHV pay taxes and into ACC?

I know I did back in 2009.

[kiwieagle]

I know I did back in 2009.

So, if that's still true and putting aside the OPs poor planning skills, people can stop worrying that their taxes are providing this person something for nothing when clearly, she is paying taxes and ACC. And therefore, her lamenting the "free" NHS, is not really about other people's taxes. She's very likely paying more into the system here than she will get in return.