That's My Story

This past week, the subject of drugs came up. No, Cheech, not that type of drugs. I’m referring to actual prescriptive medications that cross the border. For years, gringos have gone across the border to obtain drugs in Mexico either because it was easier to obtain; cheaper to buy; or didn’t need a prescription. In the “old days” you could get just about anything in a Tijuana or Ensenda pharmacy for a fraction of what you’d pay at your local hometown drugstore. I remember friends who bought just about all they could carry and easily brought it back across the border. Those days have gotten more restrictive and many medications are no longer so easily obtainable. However, jumping across the border to get prescription medications is still very popular.

The discussion centered on the current status of how to get legitimate medications across the border. Enlisting the aid of my good friends, Dr. Nat Rose and his wife Pat, who have spent years in the Baja and run Pacific Beach Urgent Care in San Diego, they dove into the subject online as well as contacting the Mexican consulate. What we found out was typical of so much in Mexico. Basically, what’s written isn’t always what’s done. (For example think about Mexican fishing limits; flying with line on reels; etc.)

Here we go. See if you can follow this:
According to the Mexican Consulate in San Diego CA , to purchase a controlled substance in Mexico, the prescription must be written by Mexican doctor. That doctor must be registered with the Ministry of Health. If not, or if the medication doesn’t require a prescription in Mexico, you still need a prescription from a U.S. doctor to get the meds across the border.

That’s the short story. Dr. Rose, found the more comprehensive details with http://www.mexonline.com/medications.htm. According to their website:
“There are regulations for bringing in pharmaceuticals from Mexico, however they are changing on a constant basis. Although many drugs in Mexico are available over the counter at a pharmacy, certain prescription drugs in Mexico do require a prescription from a Mexican pharmacist, and foreigners have been known to purchase them from people not authorized to issue them. You can be arrested in Mexico if caught buying drugs without the proper prescription and the penalties are stiff, up to 25 years in jail in Mexico.

A prescription is needed when purchasing a controlled substance. This includes painkillers, tranqulizers, and some diet pills. A prescription from a U.S. doctor is not enough. Mexican law requires a prescription from a Mexican physician, and that prescription must have the seal of the state health department.

The pharmacist in Mexico is required to keep the original prescription, but you should make sure you don’t leave the store without a copy for yourself. Also, if you’re in doubt about the classification of your medication, if it’s a controlled substance, the pharmacist will have the official pharmaceutical book with that information.

Many drugs that require a prescription in the U.S. can be bought over the counter in Mexico, such as antibiotics, anti-depresants, birth control pills and heart medications. Techincally these drugs do require a prescription but the law is routinely ignored”.And here’s the important part. It’s what our own country has to say about the subject.

“ According to the U.S. Customs, to bring back prescription drugs into the U.S. you must have a prescription written by a physician licensed in the United States, have it in its original packaging and carry no more than a three-month supply AND you must declare them. If you are caught trying to bring in drugs without the above requirements you can be stopped, have your good confiscated and may be arrested.”

Having lived now in Mexico for quite awhile, from time to time a legit prescription is needed. In practice, this is what I’ve found. I go into a pharmacy and ask for the medication. They tell me I need a prescription but if I go around the hallway in back there’s a doctor there. I walk around and there’s a “doctor” at a desk with a big drug catalog. I pay him say…20 pesos. He looks up the medication and writes a prescription, I walk back around to the pharmacy counter and pick up what I need. Of course, I’ve never tried to bring back medications over the border or tried to order 300 valiums for “personal use” either. Nor will I try. One thing in Mexico, laws and rules might be routinely “ignored” but the laws are still there and if you get caught, it’s hard to argue “but we do it all time.”

That’s my story…
Jonathan