prescription drugs?
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AZTinman
Contributor
I purchase antibiotics regularly in Mexico without a prescription. Following the rules may be interpreted differently at different locations in Mexico.
Of course, sometimes there are ways around the rules in Mexico. Once, I asked about purchasing a medication at a pharmacy and was informed that I needed a prescription. I did not have a prescription, but the pharmacy folks just knew a doctor who could write me one.
Like others have stated based upon their experiences, travel in Mexico with prescription meds has never been a problem for me.
Cheaper in the U.S. probably depends upon what kind of health insurance one has. I have always paid less for meds I have purchased in Mexico, but I do not have much in the way of prescription drug coverage.
-AZTinman
Of course, sometimes there are ways around the rules in Mexico. Once, I asked about purchasing a medication at a pharmacy and was informed that I needed a prescription. I did not have a prescription, but the pharmacy folks just knew a doctor who could write me one.
Like others have stated based upon their experiences, travel in Mexico with prescription meds has never been a problem for me.
Cheaper in the U.S. probably depends upon what kind of health insurance one has. I have always paid less for meds I have purchased in Mexico, but I do not have much in the way of prescription drug coverage.
-AZTinman
gopbroek
Contributor
The pharmacy prices in the tourist areas are very high. If you have a legitimate usage or need stop by one of the Mexico quickie med stops (like a medic-quack in the US but with a doctor who actually cares) like the one across from Akia (? Used to be San Franciscos) on 30th and Juarez. Dr. Juan charges about $35 MXN ($3 USD) for a consultation / examine and if you have a remotely legitimatize need for script he will write it. With Mexican script you can go to any of the major grocery stores and get meds at a legitimate price and have a reasonable expectation that you are getting the real medication.
I have yet to see a price in Mexico that Costco didn't sell cheaper.
I have yet to see a price in Mexico that Costco didn't sell cheaper.
It's a law. In Mexico, that and a loose suggestion are close to synonymous.
---------- Post added September 4th, 2014 at 11:08 PM ----------
I don't, but I can't afford to run afoul of any regulations regarding medical practice.
Right after the new law was enacted I tried to buy an antibiotic for otitis at the Mega. I was told I couldn't do this. A classmate was with me and she actually had a card copy of her medical license with her for some weird reason, but they just laughed her off. I'm aware that interpretations of the rules vary, but nobody would let someone just buy antibiotics in the US or let a foreign doctor prescribe them, so there should be no expectation that Mexico would allow this.
I'm referring to, and familiar with, retail prices.
AZTinman
Contributor
Based on the posts in this thread, it's obvious that experiences with and perspectives about purchasing meds in Mexico vary.
I pulled out two bottles of antibiotics we purchased in Rocky Point, Sonora without a prescription in late July this year. One's a bottle of '100 500 mg capsules Amoxicilina' ($20.00) and the other is a bottle of '50 1000 mg capsules Amoxicilina Acido Clavulanico' ($30.00).
A couple of years ago, I was taking Diovan (BP meds). With little prescription coverage on my health insurance, the cost of this medication seemed really outrageous. I tried to purchase this particular med at several pharmacies in Rocky Point. Most didn't even stock this particular medication. Two shops had it, but wouldn't sell me any without a prescription. Both offered to contact a local doctor who would be happy to write a script for a small fee. I really wasn't that interested in pursuing a purchase that much so I passed.
-AZTinman
I pulled out two bottles of antibiotics we purchased in Rocky Point, Sonora without a prescription in late July this year. One's a bottle of '100 500 mg capsules Amoxicilina' ($20.00) and the other is a bottle of '50 1000 mg capsules Amoxicilina Acido Clavulanico' ($30.00).
A couple of years ago, I was taking Diovan (BP meds). With little prescription coverage on my health insurance, the cost of this medication seemed really outrageous. I tried to purchase this particular med at several pharmacies in Rocky Point. Most didn't even stock this particular medication. Two shops had it, but wouldn't sell me any without a prescription. Both offered to contact a local doctor who would be happy to write a script for a small fee. I really wasn't that interested in pursuing a purchase that much so I passed.
-AZTinman
This costs USD$11.11 full retail at Target or Walmart. You overpaid by nearly 100% by buying in Mexico.
Hard to tell what you have there. It could be extended-release 1000 mg amoxicillin with 62.5 mg of clavulanic acid (generic Augmentin XR) or it could be some size of non-XR amoxicillin and clavulanic acid that isn't available in the US. If the former, you saved about half by buying in Mexico.
BTW, I can't think of any plausible reason why a person would need a hundred amoxicillin capsules unless they have a sizable family each of whom had culture-confirmed amoxicillin-sensitive bacterial infections. Part of the reason antibiotics are restricted is that massive overuse of them has led to ever-more untreatable bacterial infections.
You don't specify size, but most sizes of valsartan can be obtained for USD$45-55 per month. Cheaper than a few minutes in the ICU post-stroke. I'd hardly call it "outrageous". Until you can post a Mexican price, there's no reason to suspect it's necessarily cheaper in Mexico, anyway.
Valsartan shouldn't require a prescription in Mexico.
Sue Sue
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Ask your pharmacist to print up an extra prescription label for each medication. Then, put the label on a medication travel keeper or small plastic ziploc bag which contains only the amount of meds needed for your trip. (Do add a few extra of each med, just in case you lose one or have a trip delay) This way you can transport only the quantity you need and leave the big bottles at home.
AZTinman
Contributor
mstevens,
Good comments and questions... Even back when I had prescription drug coverage with my health insurance, I couldn't get 30 Amoxicillin at Walmart for less than $10.00. At least, the Walmart's that filled my prescriptions in Colorado didn't charge less than $10.00 for 30 pills. Sorry to offer my actual experience with purchasing prescription meds in the U.S. in light of what you know about 'full retail' pricing, but my experience was what it was. I guess nobody explained that they shouldn't charge more than 'full retail' to those pharmacist folks and the companies they worked for. I sincerely hope that other folks have had a more positive experience with prescription med purchases than I've had.
Why 100 Amoxicillin pills? That's a pretty easy question. That's the size bottle they had. And no, I don't use Amoxicillin on a regular basis. It's simply there if I need it as have an aversion to going to the doctor unless it's absolutely necessary. The Amoxicilina Acido Clavulanico works better than regular Amoxicillin when I do need an antibiotic. I researched the cost of Amoxicillian Acido Clavulanico in the U.S. prior to making purchases in Mexico; it was substantially less expensive in Mexico than in the U.S.
Regarding my commentary about the cost of Diovan, the cost is outrageous when 30 pills cost me $75.00 (BTW... that was through the Walmart pharmacy). Again, that's the full retail price I paid because I had zero prescription drug insurance coverage for that particular medication. Yeah, I think that's outrageous when there were less expensive prescription BP meds that would accomplish the same thing. It's also outrageous when one considers the reason my cardiologist had me on expensive BP meds. I don't even have high blood pressure.
You are correct; I never posted a price paid in Mexico for Diovan. Of course, please note, my post didn't make any statement about the drug being cheaper in Mexico than the U.S. I simply stated that I had tried to purchase it. Clearly, I believe paying $75.00 a month for a prescription is outrageous. I think I'm entitled to my opinion. When I explained my concern to my cardio doc, he agreed and switched me to a less expensive BP med. The cardio doc I was seeing actually questioned why Diovan was costing $75.00 at the local Walmart. He called and spoke to the Walmart pharmacist. When he hung up, he looked at me and said, "They're charging you $75.00 for it!" I already knew that.
I do have an artificial aortic heart valve clicking way in my chest. (I could do my rant about the cost of something about the size of a nickel costing about as much as a small economy car. The R & D costs for my particular valve were paid off long ago, but the company hasn't reduced the cost... but there's no need to go there) My heart functions and all the related stuff are perfectly normal. BP meds were insurance as things healed-up after my 2007 AVR surgery. The cardio docs just thought it would be a good idea for me to stay on BP meds even though I didn't really need BP meds as the post-surgery years passed.
I've never tried purchasing Coumadin in Mexico. Rat poison is pretty cheap in the U.S. even without prescription drug insurance.
There are a lot of variables within the U.S. medical, drug and health insurance industries that I don't claim to understand. About seven years ago when I purchased an INR monitor to manage my blood clotting levels, my health insurance company refused to pay the cost of $2,500.00 for the monitor. When I called the company I was trying to purchase the monitor from, I was quoted a non-insurance company purchase price of $1,200.00. Now, I'm sure the company still made a profit when I paid $1,200.00. Why was their full retail price for me less than the full retail price they were charging the insurance companies for the same machine?
I guess the short point here is pretty simple. Yes, I've purchased prescription meds like Amoxicillin without a prescription in Mexico as recently as late-July and I paid less than I've paid for these meds than I've paid for these meds in the U.S. I know plenty of other folks who've had the same experience. My comments may be contrary to what you think and/or believe, but my experiences are what they are.
-AZTinman
Good comments and questions... Even back when I had prescription drug coverage with my health insurance, I couldn't get 30 Amoxicillin at Walmart for less than $10.00. At least, the Walmart's that filled my prescriptions in Colorado didn't charge less than $10.00 for 30 pills. Sorry to offer my actual experience with purchasing prescription meds in the U.S. in light of what you know about 'full retail' pricing, but my experience was what it was. I guess nobody explained that they shouldn't charge more than 'full retail' to those pharmacist folks and the companies they worked for. I sincerely hope that other folks have had a more positive experience with prescription med purchases than I've had.
Why 100 Amoxicillin pills? That's a pretty easy question. That's the size bottle they had. And no, I don't use Amoxicillin on a regular basis. It's simply there if I need it as have an aversion to going to the doctor unless it's absolutely necessary. The Amoxicilina Acido Clavulanico works better than regular Amoxicillin when I do need an antibiotic. I researched the cost of Amoxicillian Acido Clavulanico in the U.S. prior to making purchases in Mexico; it was substantially less expensive in Mexico than in the U.S.
Regarding my commentary about the cost of Diovan, the cost is outrageous when 30 pills cost me $75.00 (BTW... that was through the Walmart pharmacy). Again, that's the full retail price I paid because I had zero prescription drug insurance coverage for that particular medication. Yeah, I think that's outrageous when there were less expensive prescription BP meds that would accomplish the same thing. It's also outrageous when one considers the reason my cardiologist had me on expensive BP meds. I don't even have high blood pressure.
You are correct; I never posted a price paid in Mexico for Diovan. Of course, please note, my post didn't make any statement about the drug being cheaper in Mexico than the U.S. I simply stated that I had tried to purchase it. Clearly, I believe paying $75.00 a month for a prescription is outrageous. I think I'm entitled to my opinion. When I explained my concern to my cardio doc, he agreed and switched me to a less expensive BP med. The cardio doc I was seeing actually questioned why Diovan was costing $75.00 at the local Walmart. He called and spoke to the Walmart pharmacist. When he hung up, he looked at me and said, "They're charging you $75.00 for it!" I already knew that.
I do have an artificial aortic heart valve clicking way in my chest. (I could do my rant about the cost of something about the size of a nickel costing about as much as a small economy car. The R & D costs for my particular valve were paid off long ago, but the company hasn't reduced the cost... but there's no need to go there) My heart functions and all the related stuff are perfectly normal. BP meds were insurance as things healed-up after my 2007 AVR surgery. The cardio docs just thought it would be a good idea for me to stay on BP meds even though I didn't really need BP meds as the post-surgery years passed.
I've never tried purchasing Coumadin in Mexico. Rat poison is pretty cheap in the U.S. even without prescription drug insurance.
There are a lot of variables within the U.S. medical, drug and health insurance industries that I don't claim to understand. About seven years ago when I purchased an INR monitor to manage my blood clotting levels, my health insurance company refused to pay the cost of $2,500.00 for the monitor. When I called the company I was trying to purchase the monitor from, I was quoted a non-insurance company purchase price of $1,200.00. Now, I'm sure the company still made a profit when I paid $1,200.00. Why was their full retail price for me less than the full retail price they were charging the insurance companies for the same machine?
I guess the short point here is pretty simple. Yes, I've purchased prescription meds like Amoxicillin without a prescription in Mexico as recently as late-July and I paid less than I've paid for these meds than I've paid for these meds in the U.S. I know plenty of other folks who've had the same experience. My comments may be contrary to what you think and/or believe, but my experiences are what they are.
-AZTinman
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