What must I bring to Kazakhstan? Part I- Medicine

What to bring to Almaty part I- Medicine

Knowing what to bring and what you can find in Almaty is very important and is a question asked by many newcomers and expats that are planning to move to Kazakhstan. What I might bring in my suitcase and what someone else will bring might be entirely different as each person as their own set of prioritise, but maybe this section will help you establish what you need to bring if you are planning on moving to Kazakhstan.

I have broken this post up in to more than one part, as this will become quite a lengthy topic and I am sure I will remember something else later and will want to add it with a follow-up post : )

The most important thing to pack in your suitcase when coming to any new country and especially a country like Kazakhstan is medication. I have failed to find some of our family’s medication here or a Russian (local) equivalent and just fill new prescriptions every few months when I am able to go home. It sound hugely impractical, but it works for me.

You could possible go and see a doctor in Almaty and see if they could provide you with a local substitute, just keep in mind that local (Kazakh) doctors might not be familiar with the medicine and going to a foreign (International) doctor is hugely expensive. But if you are one of the lucky few that has access to the foreign hospitals and doctors I am sure they will be able to help you.

The nice thing about Kazakhstan is that you don’t need a prescription (well, I have not been asked for one as yet). All you need is the name of the product and any pharmacy (if they stock it) will give it to you. 

I do struggle to find good antihistamine that works for me, but maybe that’s just me. Another thing is cold medicine, when I have a cold I need a strong tablet that will kill the pain, stop the runny nose and make me feel much better. Personally, I have not found such a product here and think that the cold-medicine available in Almaty only contains a bit of vitamin C and a bit of Paracetamol ... and I can not stand those hot drinks they are so nasty ... so this is also on my list of items to bring to Kazakhstan as a foreigner. 

I hope you have found this helpful and please leave some comments below, I would love to hear from you.