The Skinny on Mexico

[GTOTemgesic]

On 8-1-10 the law here changed. I live in the interior. In the state of Guanajuato. Anti-biotics became restricted, nationwide. Meaning you need a receta. It will ease up. The government is doing a media blitz about it right now. Once everything calms down you should be back in business with anti-biotics. Though, most of the larger pharmacy chains, such as Ahorro and Similares, have doctors on staff. Right in the store, or nearby. At Similares it costs about 25 pesos and at some Ahorro locations seeing the doctor is free.
As for pain meds all of the stories you hear about Mexico are just that. Stories. Narcotics are STRICTLY controlled and almost never dispensed in take home form. They can only be prescribed by an anesthesiologist. A family physician can not, under any circumstance. And then you will play hell finding a pharmacy that has it in stock. Which will be none of them in a small town. Very difficult.
Which is one of many odd and frustrating quirks in Mexican law. Regarding anything, medicine or otherwise.
However, an interesting loophole I noticed is that Tramadol and Temgesic are sold freely over the counter. This must be because they are not an opiate exactly, for lack of a better way to say it. They can not be neatly classified the way something like hydrocodone for example. And in the chaos that is Mexican law those 2 slipped through the cracks.
The Tramadol is sold freely. The Temgesic is a little trickier but I am a nurse practitioner in private practice here. So, they sell things to me that they might not to other people. Though technically, they can sell it without a receta. The Temgesic is available for injection only, but they also sell syringes freely. No questions, no nothing. Ever.
Benzodiazapines are also available. By prescription and only sold in one or 2 pharmacies per town. Never in the Similares or Ahorro Farmacias. Always sold in private pharmacies owned by and physically located in private hospitals. But again, easy for me to obtain. Which is interesting because I do not have a Mexican Substancias Controlada number. They only ask for my US DEA number, which is long expired, and often not even for that. Benzo´s are a little expensive here. About $40 for 20 pills, depending on the marca. The brand. Patent medicine is still a huge business here.
Law is capricious and hit or miss here I suppose, and I have been here long enough and practicing that they know me and have eased up. Plus most people in positions of authority don´t even know the laws they are supposed to be enforcing. It really is a bit of a lawless place.
Government is fractured, complicated, cumbersome and in many instances just plain dumb.
Actually they are easy for anyone to obtain because if you know enough to tell the doctor what you want, he or she will write for it. No questions. Ever. These people labor under the impression that they are working FOR YOU. There is little or no haughty doctor attitude that you might expect in the States. Mexican people are very polite, very careful not to offend and avoid confrontation to the point that getting anything done can be a chore. The cultural mores are many.
2 years ago I got ill. Sick enough to be a bit scared. So I went to a doctor in a private hospital. I had my own thoughts about what was going on but wanted to hear another opinion. A doctor, someone far more educated than myself. Or so I thought. It is not a good idea to practice medicine on ones self.
Anyway, we were talking and I kept waiting for the punch line. Any minute now he will tell me what he thinks, and what I need to do. No, instead he asked me what I thought. I told him, he agreed. We agreed on the medication and that was it.
Mexican GP´s go to school for 5 years. That is it. Specializing requires more. One year of internship and another year of social service. Social service is required if you went to a school that is subsidized by the government. They are recouping on their investment. It is a fairly good little system. But, the point is that I went to school longer than the doctor I was seeking help from. It is a different world my friends.
I strongly concur with the other poster who advises staying away from border towns. And I would like to add tourist hot spots to the list of places to avoid. In real Mexico, the interior, things are different.
I hope this is helpful to someone. Feel free to PM me if you have questions. No subject is off limits and I do not judge. I had my own bout with addiction and pain control, so I get it. I am about harm reduction, not preaching.
Be careful out there. I wouldn´t put just any pill in my mouth that is sent to you by a dude named Jose working in an online farmacia in Guadalajara. But that´s just me....

[drboris]

Thanks @GTOTemgesic for sharing this info with the board. Anyone thinking of heading to Tijuana or Piedras Negras, Ciudad Juarez, etc or buying meds from Mexico online will likely get some food for thought from your post.

[GTOTemgesic]

Well thank you Dr. Boris. Though as I have clearly stated those would be dumb places to go in search of medication. A trip to jail or a bullet to the head maybe, but a fun-filled drug filled trip, not so much.
Though, isn´t it up to me to decide if I would like to publish my email address? Or phone number for that matter?
I am just asking.
Thanks

[VividEthex]

@GTO seems like a great informed person wish the outlook on the availabilty of diff. meds was greater we could do great things together

[GTOTemgesic]

Drug laws are a bitch. In the States and here. And yes, with the right person on the other side, great things can be done.
la Guera

[GTOTemgesic]

@GTO seems like a great informed person wish the outlook on the availabilty of diff. meds was greater we could do great things together

Don´t let your desire to do great things together be limited by the fact that what is on the menu is not what YOU want. It is what the other people want that matters.
Just some food for thought....

[noodleboy75]

Thanks for the skinny on Mexico. I've been thinking of a move that way but would've probably went to a border town or resort area. Thanks again for the heads-up.

[AB Negative]

Goodluck with that, and although this is good information, I think anyone willing to go that far into Mexico during all the chaos currently going on in the country is taking far too great a chance with their life. My experience in Mexico wasn't bad, but this was prior to the new laws & almost 10 years ago. Also it was after visiting an actual doctor there. Most of the guys claiming to be doctor's there (on the street corners) are obviously not doctors, but people who either know someone with a Control # or are in possession of a script with a (sometimes) legit control #. Just don't make the mistake of thinking that you can get anything there. I went to a lot of pharmacies just to fill a script for a common pain medicine, and probably spent $45 on the taxi just driving me from pharmacy to pharmacy.

Just something to keep in mind when and if you decide to make the journey. Also, taxi drivers seem to know more than anyone & will often be able to save you money & avoid you a lot of hassle. It pays to know at least some Spanish when you're there too. That way you've got at least some idea of what he's saying to someone else he's talking to about you...

AB-

[Geoclog]

On 8-1-10 the law here changed. I live in the interior. In the state of Guanajuato. Anti-biotics became restricted, nationwide. Meaning you need a receta. It will ease up. The government is doing a media blitz about it right now. Once everything calms down you should be back in business with anti-biotics. Though, most of the larger pharmacy chains, such as Ahorro and Similares, have doctors on staff. Right in the store, or nearby. At Similares it costs about 25 pesos and at some Ahorro locations seeing the doctor is free.
As for pain meds all of the stories you hear about Mexico are just that. Stories. Narcotics are STRICTLY controlled and almost never dispensed in take home form. They can only be prescribed by an anesthesiologist. A family physician can not, under any circumstance. And then you will play hell finding a pharmacy that has it in stock. Which will be none of them in a small town. Very difficult.
Which is one of many odd and frustrating quirks in Mexican law. Regarding anything, medicine or otherwise.
However, an interesting loophole I noticed is that Tramadol and Temgesic are sold freely over the counter. This must be because they are not an opiate exactly, for lack of a better way to say it. They can not be neatly classified the way something like hydrocodone for example. And in the chaos that is Mexican law those 2 slipped through the cracks.
The Tramadol is sold freely. The Temgesic is a little trickier but I am a nurse practitioner in private practice here. So, they sell things to me that they might not to other people. Though technically, they can sell it without a receta. The Temgesic is available for injection only, but they also sell syringes freely. No questions, no nothing. Ever.
Benzodiazapines are also available. By prescription and only sold in one or 2 pharmacies per town. Never in the Similares or Ahorro Farmacias. Always sold in private pharmacies owned by and physically located in private hospitals. But again, easy for me to obtain. Which is interesting because I do not have a Mexican Substancias Controlada number. They only ask for my US DEA number, which is long expired, and often not even for that. Benzo´s are a little expensive here. About $40 for 20 pills, depending on the marca. The brand. Patent medicine is still a huge business here.
Law is capricious and hit or miss here I suppose, and I have been here long enough and practicing that they know me and have eased up. Plus most people in positions of authority don´t even know the laws they are supposed to be enforcing. It really is a bit of a lawless place.
Government is fractured, complicated, cumbersome and in many instances just plain dumb.
Actually they are easy for anyone to obtain because if you know enough to tell the doctor what you want, he or she will write for it. No questions. Ever. These people labor under the impression that they are working FOR YOU. There is little or no haughty doctor attitude that you might expect in the States. Mexican people are very polite, very careful not to offend and avoid confrontation to the point that getting anything done can be a chore. The cultural mores are many.
2 years ago I got ill. Sick enough to be a bit scared. So I went to a doctor in a private hospital. I had my own thoughts about what was going on but wanted to hear another opinion. A doctor, someone far more educated than myself. Or so I thought. It is not a good idea to practice medicine on ones self.
Anyway, we were talking and I kept waiting for the punch line. Any minute now he will tell me what he thinks, and what I need to do. No, instead he asked me what I thought. I told him, he agreed. We agreed on the medication and that was it.
Mexican GP´s go to school for 5 years. That is it. Specializing requires more. One year of internship and another year of social service. Social service is required if you went to a school that is subsidized by the government. They are recouping on their investment. It is a fairly good little system. But, the point is that I went to school longer than the doctor I was seeking help from. It is a different world my friends.
I strongly concur with the other poster who advises staying away from border towns. And I would like to add tourist hot spots to the list of places to avoid. In real Mexico, the interior, things are different.
I hope this is helpful to someone. Feel free to PM me if you have questions. No subject is off limits and I do not judge. I had my own bout with addiction and pain control, so I get it. I am about harm reduction, not preaching.
Be careful out there. I wouldn´t put just any pill in my mouth that is sent to you by a dude named Jose working in an online farmacia in Guadalajara. But that´s just me....

Thank you so much for this post. I found it very informative.

[likeabirdwhoflew]

Good Info, thanks

[Gullible]

This info is kind of old but in df or mexico city, i bought benzos over the counter with no questions asked. I simply requested them and was given a bottle to buy. It said right on the bottle that a prescription or receta was required but apparently not. It may have changed since then so take it with a grain of salt.

[QuiteTheMonocle]

When I was a troublemaker in high school I used to take trips to TJ for illegal stuff. Mostly everyone in my area would visit the same guy. He sold anything you wanted, but if you didn't go with someone who already knows him, you would never find the place. His shed had a normal street vendor facade that sold sombreros and other miscellaneous items. It's been long since I've done any of that stuff, but I heard the guy got killed. He probably knew it was coming for him. TJ is mostly safe in the touristy areas as long as you don't get involved in anything illegal. Looking for drugs, prostitutes, etc. will most likely get you where you don't want to be. Other than that, having a few beers and tacos with friends is pretty nice and safe.

[magnolia]

I lived in a border town for severals years. I was always able to purchase my antibiotics without a prescription. I was never able to purchase any narcotics. Maybe it just depends on the town.

[drvsbsm]

I was down their not to long ago and let me tell you what, its no place to be right now. You will most likely get robbed before you get what you are looking for. Its crazy down there right now, if I was to ever go back it for sure wouldn't be where I was at before. I might find a nice spot along the coastline to vacation, but I would not go there just to get any kind of medication. It isn't what it was 5-10 years ago where you walk into a doctors office tell him what you want and walk out with a prescription. My advice stay as far away from there as possible unless you have close credible friends or family down there. I still dont think I would go again not in the near future.

[davidchally]

Thanks for the info its good to know since I live in a border town and I am prescribed tramadol so now i know i can get it OTC cheaper across!

I would like to know though are cialis, viagra and other ed meds sold over the counter in mexico or do they need a script? would a script be easy to obtain?

Thanks

[Jazie]

I personally after this year and personal friends experiences would just not risk it. The US has had an influence and even internal cities as Monterray, not just border towns are not as safe as you think.

Call me chicken, but I surely would rather have US State Police get me then Mexican Federales if I was to be caught. At least I think the toilets would be cleaner.

[mooseknuckle]

Anything can be had if you have the mighty dollar in Mexico. I own a home down there and you just need to get to know the peeps.

[james244]

yeah there is definitely a myth about how easy it is to get meds in mexico but this is not the case. i know from experience. the quality of meds coming from pakistan and india is sometimes also not so good i have not heard much about the quality of mexican meds

[schwullerusa]

Super post. But, as a person with much experience in this matter, I'd like to add my own thoughts.

I grew up here in Southern California. My friends/family and I have been going into Mexico since before I was in high school. This tends to make a place seem less 'foreign.' Also, I speak very passable Spanish, have lived in Veracruz, Puebla, DF and have visited most states in Mexico from the ugly and dangerous Tamaulipas to the sublime Oaxaca and Chiapas.

That all being said: If you don't have insurance, and you have (i.e., a recurrent sinus infection that you're already well familiar with), I highly recommend crossing the border and buying your antibiotics in Tijuana or Mexicali or wherever. I can park my car safely in California, walk calmly across the boarder into Tijuana, and buy Cipro and Amoxy and be back at my car in an hour. To illustrate this, I had a good friend visiting from China recently who was terrified of the thought of Tijuana. We got into my Mercedes and drove to Tijuana and spent the entire weekend eating, playing tennis, and watching movies.

My point is: Tijuana is NOT San Miguel de Allende, true. But it is a viable and valuable option that is no more dangerous than parts of Los Angeles, New York, or Vancouver (where I was robbed and had an expensive car vandalized).

However, there is one thing to keep in mind. If you are "up to something" (and you know who you are) then it's another story. Don't go to Tijuana or any other border town and...how can I say this elegantly. Let's just say it this way: If you look for trouble, you're likely to find more than you bargained for. But, a normal person going for antibiotics, a leather belt, and a nice lunch, NO PROBLEM.

Final thought, Tijuana or any border town, is nowhere near as nice as the interior of Mexico. But by the same token, the border towns of California or Texas are nowhere near as nice as, say, San Diego or Los Angeles or Austin, either. There's nothing unique about Mexico in that regard.

[cydyr]

Thank you so much GTOTemgesic and schwullerusa for the informative information. I am running out of sources with how stringent the US laws are and my medical provider. I will continue to do more research but the info your provided is excellent!!!