soinclined
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Medication
After having read the search results on the State Department, CBP, and others, I am more confused than I was when I started.
I am very new to travel in Mexico but I am in the last half of my life. As a result I require a lot of medication that it's getting harder and harder
to afford.
I have my US original paper prescriptions that I can't really afford to fill, can I bring them to Mexico and fill them without getting in trouble
somehow? Will I encounter trouble when I go back to California? Some of them are Schedule Two medications which seem to make some sort of difference
on some sites and none on others.
I would appreciate any help you can give me including how to properly handle this in Mexico and what to avoid.
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tjsue
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I think you now need a prescription from a Mexican doctor to bring them back into the US. I asked for a friend one day when I was in secondary, and
that's what I was told. I could be wrong, though.
[Edited on 2-13-2014 by tjsue]
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soinclined
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| Quote: | Originally posted by tjsue
I think you now need a prescription from a Mexican doctor to bring them back into the US. |
What does it cost to see a doctor in Mexico? I would think that I should be able to just carry my written prescription to a Mexican doctor and have
him rewrite it for me. Any recommendations for one you like somewhere between Rosarito and the border?
That's kind of a crazy thing, isn't it? Two prescriptions for the same pills every month, and probably still cheaper than the $500 the pills alone
cost in the US.
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vandy
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All I can suggest is to take a walk across the border and check it out.
Your American prescriptions may carry some weight with customs officials, but I have never been asked to even open my prescription bag.
The prices you will find are NOT 1/3 less than the US.
They are usually 90% less.
You know, one tenth the US cost.
Tamiflu and some other name brand medicines are about 50%.
A doctor's prescription will usually be under ten bucks, or free if he's attached to the pharmacy.
I recommend walking across because the easiest purchases are made in a pharmacia area near the border, with the best selections and quantities.
Typical pharmacies that cater to mexicans, and even their hospitals, will often have NO schedule II drugs
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monoloco
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| Quote: | Originally posted by soinclined
| Quote: | Originally posted by tjsue
I think you now need a prescription from a Mexican doctor to bring them back into the US. |
What does it cost to see a doctor in Mexico? I would think that I should be able to just carry my written prescription to a Mexican doctor and have
him rewrite it for me. Any recommendations for one you like somewhere between Rosarito and the border?
That's kind of a crazy thing, isn't it? Two prescriptions for the same pills every month, and probably still cheaper than the $500 the pills alone
cost in the US. |
If you go to a Farmacia Similares, they have doctors who will consult with you and write a
prescription for 50 pesos.
"The future ain't what it used to be"
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UnoMas
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You may find that some of the medications you take that are prescription in the U.S. you can buy over the counter in Mx. Not schedule II though.
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BajaBlanca
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I was going to suggest the same as monoloco.
However, I believe that most pharmacies will fill the prescription regardless.
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DENNIS
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Most "pharmacies" here won't carry schedule-2 meds, and drugstore doctors won't write scrips for them.
.
[Edited on 2-13-2014 by DENNIS]
"YOU CAN'T LITTER ALUMINUM"
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Pescador
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The pharmacies in tijuana on Avenida Revolucion will take your prescription and fill it except for the Schedule 2 and they probably will not have
those in stock.
You can buy anything over the counter except for serious painkillers and antibiotics.
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dasubergeek
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However, on the chance that they DO search you northbound at the border, you need to have both a Mexican and a U.S. prescription for it. Just ask the
Mexican doctor to give you a copy "pal' aduana". As counterintuitive as it sounds, Avenida Revolución is the best destination for this. The doctors
all—to a man or woman—speak good English.
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Gypsy Jan
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Hospital Los Angeles Tijuana and Hospital Medico Centro Excel
The pharmacies in these two hospitals are a good bet for taking care of your prescriptions.
(I had double bypass heart surgery at Centro Excel eleven years ago.)
You can call them at their U.S. phone number (with English speaking operators) or email them with your questions - they will respond promptly.
However, they are not located within walking distance of the border, you will need to drive or take a taxi.
http://www.angeleshealth.com/hospitals/angeles-tijuana
http://hospitalexcel.com/
[Edited on 2-13-2014 by Gypsy Jan]
“Travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry, and narrow mindedness.”
—Mark Twain
\"La vida es dura, el corazon es puro, y cantamos hasta la madrugada.” (Life is hard, the heart is pure and we sing until dawn.)
—Kirsty MacColl, Mambo de la Luna
\"Alea iacta est.\"
—Julius Caesar
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DavidE
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Mood: 'At home we demand facts and get them. In Mexico one subsists on rumor and never demands anything.' Charles Flandrau,
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CHECK YOUR U2U soinclined in the upper right hand corner of your screen and follow the instructions. Private message and you might find it
worthwhile...
A Lot To See And A Lot To Do
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cftlet
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I just take my empty script to a pharmacia and they fill it. I have never needed prescription.
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DENNIS
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| Quote: | Originally posted by cftlet
I just take my empty script to a pharmacia and they fill it. I have never needed prescription. |
Which meds? There are different categories.
There's another thing to consider....counterfeit meds. My neighbor says he can walk into the pharmacy out at the Bufadora Mall and buy Percodan
across counter. He actually believes it's Percodan which used to be called "Junior Junk" in the states.
Well....it isn't, but like voodoo, if one believes it's real.....it's real to him.
"YOU CAN'T LITTER ALUMINUM"
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tjsue
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There is a doctor on Avenida Revolución that writes prescriptions for $5, and there is a doctor in one of the pharmacies on the Plaza before you get
to Avenida Revolución that inside of one of the pharmacies, and she will write you a prescription. I don't know how much, but it won't be much. I
wouldn't risk taking any medication across the border without a prescription these days, though.
[Edited on 2-13-2014 by tjsue]
[Edited on 2-13-2014 by tjsue]
[Edited on 2-13-2014 by tjsue]
[Edited on 2-13-2014 by tjsue]
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DENNIS
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| Quote: | Originally posted by tjsue
I wouldn't risk taking any medication across the border without a prescription these days, though.
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Well...the rule is supposed to be something like this:
If a drug that requires a scrip in the states is purchased in Mexico, it had better cross the border along with a stateside scrip.
"YOU CAN'T LITTER ALUMINUM"
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DavidE
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Mood: 'At home we demand facts and get them. In Mexico one subsists on rumor and never demands anything.' Charles Flandrau,
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U.S. Customs Agents can get rather rasty if an individual does not declare their medications when asked to. The "official" limit of class 2 Sector
Salud medications is "50 doses" ask the agent when crossing to verify. More requires a USA valid Rx. But the ultimate bottom line is....."It is solely
up to the Agent whether or not to allow the medication to pass". You can also ask that of any US Customs agent. Class I Sector Salud drugs, mainly
opioids are incredibly difficult to find in Mexico except if your pharmacist has an AK47 hanging off his hip. Prices are not negotiable.
A Lot To See And A Lot To Do
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BajaBlanca
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Please let us know how your experience went.
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CakedecT
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I take Effexor xr. In the U.S. I need a prescription, about $7 a day with insurance, because I can't take generic. Found it in Ensenada at Costco no
prescription needed, about $5 a day. Found a canadian pharmacy online that had good reviews and ordered and had my doctor fax a three month
prescription I get sent to my sons house in US for about $1.35 a day. Plus $ 20 shipping for the year. I hope this helps!
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