Vitamins in/to Peru?

[woodchuck]

When I first came to Peru I had no idea how difficult/expensive is was to import specific vitamins.
Then I tried going to various specialty vitamin shops & was very concerned/confused.
As my doctor back in the US speaks Spanish, I would sent the list of ingredients for his appraisal.
He was quite critical of some of these ingredients; they wouldn't be allowed in the US with the FDA.

Not to imply they are dangerous, but he advised - caution
So my questions are:
1. Is it more easy/less expensive to import vitamins than it was in 2010?
2. Shops that carry US equivalent vitamins or even the same brands that I am used to?

To your good health. Thanks.

[ardilla]

Vitamins are still very expensive in Peru. Importing vitamins is complicated and requires you to fill out extra paperwork because DIGEMID regulates them like they are medicines (similar to how the FDA does in the US). If you import them for personal use you should just fill out the DIGEMID paperwork with 'para uso personal - no para la venta.' Some ways to do this are to buy directly from Amazon and have the vitamins shipped to you via Skybox in Peru. They will help with paperwork.

Inkafarma and Fybeca are two pharmacy chains that carry basic vitamins like Centrum.

If you want to get higher quality vitamins try Solgar which is a decent brand. See: http://solgarperu.com/donde_comprar.php

[ToddM]

Hi,

I just joined the forum today as a matter of fact, and your post was one of the first ones that I saw. It caught my eye because I'm a sales rep with a large nutrition company here in the US, which also does business in Peru. My wife and I travel to Peru often because she's originally from Lima, and this is where her family resides. If you're still looking for info on US brand vitamins available in Peru, I'd be happy to provide you with the info.

Just let me know, and I'll send you a PM...