Ever buy medicine at a Mexican Pharmacy?

[JLSE50]

I have heard that some people buy their prescriptions at Mexican pharmacies when they are there.
Has anyone done it?
What did you do to make sure you got the right thing?
Do you need to call ahead?
What kinds of medications are over the counter and what require prescriptions?
Is it worth the hassle?

Jan

 

[Wonderwoman1982]

Just so you know, you can get ANYTHING there, whether prescription or over the counter. You don't need a prescription from a doctor, either. My husband is from Mexico, and all his co-workers also, They go to Mexico to visit family ALL the time and they get medicines while they're there. You can get anything from Viagra to antibiotics. I'm not saying it's a good idea to treat yourself, BUT if you know what you need and have no insurance, it's a GREAT thing to be able to get it in Mexico. The SAME drugs at a fraction of the cost as they sell them here. You should know EXACTLY what you need, from drug name to dosage. FOR EXAMPLE, take Claratin, it's "technical" name is loratidine, and the dosage is 10mg tablets and the drug manufacturer is Schering... You should know that kind of stuff.. That way you know exactly what you're getting.

 

[VondaP]

I live 10 minutes from the Mexico border. I buy antibiotics all the time. I have never had a problem. When you come across the border, the US agents will ask what you are bringing. If you have meds, they will ask to see the prescription. Over here the pharmacists do not keep the prescription. Some drugs are not allowed to be brought over at all. Phentermine (diet) is one of them.

Vonda

 

[disneyholic family]

well as someone who has been involved on a very high level in the pharmaceuticals industry i can tell you that there is a BIG difference between drug factories...BIG......
i for one would never ever ever buy medicine from a company that i didn't trust 1000%......

 

[Wonderwoman1982]

Well, they have the SAME drugs from the SAME manufacturers in Mexico as they do here. They aren't "made" in Mexico. They're the same in every way. AS LONG AS you know what you are getting, like I said. From drug manufacturer to name and dose.. My grandparents always got drugs there since medicare doesn't have good prescription coverage. Otherwise they'd have gone without... I know people who will try and scare you about Mexican drugs. It is because usually their income is based on profits HERE. Sometimes there IS genuine "bad stuff" going on in Mexico if you are ill informed or going in without any clue as to what you're supposed to be getting, BUT if you know what you are doing and what you are supposed to be getting, it's safe and the SAME as you'd get at any pharmacy here. My father works for PHARMACIA, a very large drug manufacturer.(Used to be UpJohn before the "buy out")I know what I'm talking about...

 

[Lowe6]

When we went in Jan 3 days into our cruise I got a strep. It had been going around our kids. I knew that strep doesn't go away by itself & i remembered that the next day we would be in a Mexico port so instead of going to the ship DOC I bought some Cipro for about $40- & 48 hrs later I felt much better.

 

[disneyholic family]

as i said, i wouldn't do it, no matter the savings...
although there have been counterfeit drugs found in the US, the number of incidents are a drop in the bucket compared to those found in mexico....
if you're interested, just look up the congressional record....there have been numerous hearings on the problem and what, if anything, the US government should do about it....

 

[Tay N Evie's Mom]

I look at it this way: If I'm that hard up for $$ that I need to consider buying my prescriptions in a foreign country to save a few bucks, then I have no business paying big bucks for a cruise!

 

[akid@hart]

No problems with antibotics bought over the counter and other things. Same brand name, some generic with a great savings. These drugs are made by the same companies that make and sell them in America. There is a pharmacia at the International pier in Cozumel and a couple downtown.

 

[Eisai Babe]

I work in the pharmaceutical industry as well. I would never purchase meds that would be prescription in the US but could be sold over the counter in another country. I just don't see a way to ensure you are getting the same exact thing unless you are buying directly from the manufacturer. I know how careful we are when manufacturing, shipping, storing, and labeling drugs here in the US. I have no idea how drugs are handled after they leave this country, unless there are strict enforcement laws in the country of distribution. Unfortunately, if you can purchase presription medications anywhere in Mexico, my confidence level would be seriously deminished that the laws governing those medications are strict enough for good controls.

 

[CruellaDuVille]

I come from a medical family. We go to Mexico at least once a year. I think we would be stupid not to pick up medications while we were down there. We've been doing it for years.

There is no difference in the generic medications sold in a licensed pharmacy in Mexico. They are clearly labeled and are manufactured by THE SAME COMPANIES that sell it to us for 10 times over in the US (the same is true with a lot of drugs in Canada).

Example: Retin A.

When I started using it it was ten bucks a tube. I CANNOT BELIEVE it's up to 80-90 bucks here. Oh, if I have a script my insurance will pay for it with a 15 dollar co-pay. I can get it here. In Mexico it's like 5 to 10 dollars a tube. I pay less and my insurance company isn't getting RIPPED OFF for eighty bucks.

The US pharmaceuticals have dupped the American public. We're paying for "world research" while the rest of the world gets cheaper drugs.

I have no problem stocking up in Mexico. I buy vanilla, tequilla, silver and pharmacuticals when I'm down there.

 

[disneyholic family]

do you understand the meaning of the word "counterfeit"???
it means the drugs look as if they are from a particular drug manufacturer but aren't...
there is NO WAY for a consumer to identify whether a drug is counterfeit or not....
this occurs in many countries besides mexico (the countries in the far east being particularly notorious), however, due to proximity, the mexican counterfeit drugs are the more common occurence in north america...

whatever....

 

[Buckaroo's Dad]

Pharmacy? We don't need no stinkin pharmacy! (Thank you, Mr. Brooks. Your Oscar is waiting.).

We have no doctor in our family, however, we do have a lot of patients. Does that qualify us as medically savvy? You see, Jesus sells whatever you might need in Mexico. Real cheap. How? Simple, no overhead. Jesus says stores are over-rated, cleanliness is a matter of opinion and knowledgable sales people is an oxymoron. How can you NOT trust someone whose name is Jesus? - no matter how you pronounce it...

Sorry for the digression, all. Just consider this a counterfeit post. lol.

 

["Ginger"]

How are we checked for bringing drugs back. Are we searched when we board the ship? I have prescripted Phentermine, how will they know if I buy it in Mexico or not?

VondaP. What about other diet drugs like Meridia, Xenical, Bontril. SR, Didrex and Tenuate their not the brand names for Phentermine are they allowed over the border?

 

[akid@hart]

Not everything is cheaper. My accupril was not a bargain there.
My son went to a doctor in Cozumel and got a prescription for a pain medication for an injury he received while visiting there, but otherwise you can not get controlled meds as far as I know.

 

[VondaP]

Originally posted by "Ginger"
How are we checked for bringing drugs back. Are we searched when we board the ship? I have prescripted Phentermine, how will they know if I buy it in Mexico or not?

VondaP. What about other diet drugs like Meridia, Xenical, Bontril. SR, Didrex and Tenuate their not the brand names for Phentermine are they allowed over the border?

I'm not sure about the others. At our bridge they have a book that shows pictures of the drugs. If you have one of them they take them away or worse. Now, some folks sneak them across. Very risky especially now. I only buy antibiotics. I

My girlfriend did find and bring over (without claiming them) a lot of phentermine. It said phentermina on the package. I told her that I wanted nothing to do with it, so I walked over first and waited for her at my car. She took a big chance. We have quite a few college kids get busted at the bridge for trying to bring over Valium, Xanax, ruffies (the date rape drug) and others.

Our dogs here are great at sniffing out drugs. I don't know how this for works for these types though.



Vonda

 

[Pugdog007]

You cannot get any pain meds in Mexico. Tried to get Lortab for DH's back. We did get BC pills and nicotene gum. You must know exactly what you're looking for including the dosage. Communication was an obstacle. Some drugs did not seem like a very good deal. Claritin was just as much as here so did not get. Only bought those things that were cheaper than my deductible would have been here.

 

[disneyholic family]

it just amazes me....
when i read a thread like this one, i realize how very long i've been living outside of the US...
i cannot imagine a conversation like this one having taken place 20 years ago....(at least not among the honest forthright middle american types who frequent disney cruises)....
i had a very weird feeling this summer when we were in the US....a feeling of a deterioration in values...sociiety....
friends of mine who are also americans living overseas all had the same feeling this summer....
this thread has intensified it....
i wonder if you all cheat on your taxes too....

 

[VondaP]

Originally posted by disneyholic family
it just amazes me....
when i read a thread like this one, i realize how very long i've been living outside of the US...
i cannot imagine a conversation like this one having taken place 20 years ago....(at least not among the honest forthright middle american types who frequent disney cruises)....
i had a very weird feeling this summer when we were in the US....a feeling of a deterioration in values...sociiety....
friends of mine who are also americans living overseas all had the same feeling this summer....
this thread has intensified it....
i wonder if you all cheat on your taxes too....

What amazes me is your response. My buying meds in Mexico or Wal*Mart for that matter has nothing to do with whether or not I cheat on my taxes. Good grief!

I, too, have lived outside of the country and I prefer the good ole USA.

May I offer a suggestion? Perhaps you should steer clear of the Disney Ships and boards, they are after all as american as apple pie. I mean this in the nicest way.

I feel better now,

Vonda

 

[ennazus]

i cannot imagine a conversation like this one having taken place 20 years ago

Well, maybe 20 years ago our health system didn't try to cut off our right arm to heal our left arm.

i had a very weird feeling this summer when we were in the US....a feeling of a deterioration in values...sociiety....

IMHO there is no question that there has been a deterioration of values & morals. But what I don't understand is how purchasing medicine at a cheaper price in Mexico is showing a lack of values? Could you please explain that to me? Also, I don't understand your analogy between cheating on your taxes and purchasing medicine in Mexico. Could you please explain that to me, also.

.(at least not among the honest forthright middle american types who frequent disney cruises)....

I take offense to your insinuation that people who purchase medicine in Mexico OR EVEN TALK ABOUT purchasing medicine in Mexico are not honest.

Also, just out of curiosity, where do you live, disneyholic family?