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mrsgroom

Oct 28, 2009, 4:43 PM

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bring medicine accross the board Laws

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Hello, I plan to visit and maybe live in MExico can anyone tell me how I should handle bring in my medications. I take several and need to know if I can bring them with me and also if I can have them sent into the country by mail or UPS>
Thanks for you help in advance. Sherry

gsherwin

Oct 29, 2009, 8:23 AM

Post #2 of 12 (466 views)

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Re: [mrsgroom] bring medicine accross the board Laws

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My understanding and experience has been that medications are not a problem if they are kept in the original bottles from the pharmacy. You might also want to travel with a copy of the script for the prescriptions. Statistically, chances are very good you will not be searched at either border but it is always better to be prepared.
I was here, where were you? Godot

johanson

Oct 29, 2009, 8:53 AM

Post #3 of 12 (451 views)

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Re: [gsherwin] bring medicine accross the board Laws

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I've been traveling between Lake Chapala and Seattle or Vancouver about 4 times per year for 12 years. I've been stopped and checked, but they were interested in my Star Choice receiver, or other electronics. They have never asked me about my meds, but as was said above bring your Rx with you. Oh and I bring large quantities, you know 90 pills per med at a time

esperanza / Moderator

Oct 29, 2009, 9:49 AM

Post #4 of 12 (432 views)

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Re: [mrsgroom] bring medicine accross the board Laws

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You can easily bring prescription medicines into Mexico. As an earlier poster mentioned, be sure to bring them in the actual prescription bottle and, if possible, bring the doctor's written prescription with you. It's unlikely that your medicines and/or prescriptions will be scrutinized, but better safe than sorry.

Having medicines shipped to you in Mexico is another story. Unless you have a special permit to receive them here (a permit acquired in Mexico, not in your country of origin), medicines are frequently held in customs and are not released until you have the permit.

A friend recently had some meds shipped to her in Mexico City. The shipment came into Mexico via FedEx, but the package did not arrive when it should have. Because my friend could track the package, she could see that it was stalled in customs. She called FedEx and was told that she would need to get the permit for FedEx to deliver the meds. The FedEx employee said, "You should know that the permit is expensive and takes a long time to receive." When my friend asked how long it took to get the permit, the FedEx employee told her it would be two months.

Depending on where you're going in Mexico, you might be able to ship your medicines to a Mail Boxes Etc site. I've heard that at least in the Lake Chapala area, the San Antonio Tlayacapan MBE office has a permit to receive meds.

http://www.mexicocooks.typepad.com

RickS

Oct 29, 2009, 10:48 AM

Post #5 of 12 (414 views)

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Re: [mrsgroom] bring medicine accross the board Laws

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Sherry I see that you have been on Mexconnect for several years so you may already know this, but.....

Many medications available to you in the US may be available to you in Mexico. Some won't and other meds not available in the US will be available in Mexico. Maybe on your visit, preparatory to a possible move down, you could check out what you are taking (or a viable substitute).

On an 'earlier-this-year' forum post it was mentioned that 'many/most' Walmarts here offer a generic list similar to their program in the States (Canada?). And there are other non-Walmart sources. The post I am referring to listed the Walmart 'generic' list and other information. You can see the post at:

http://www.mexconnect.com/...t%20medimart;#123832

Good luck.....

(This post was edited by RickS on Oct 29, 2009, 10:57 AM)

mazatlanlee

Oct 29, 2009, 9:31 PM

Post #6 of 12 (344 views)

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Re: [RickS] bring medicine accross the board Laws

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Mrsgroom, Everything posted so far is correct, to the best of my knowledge. I've had many years of experience in bringing medications into Mexico from the US. I'd like to add a few observations (from personal experience) to what's been posted above.

Make a copy of your original RX script for each medication, and keep it with your legal documents whenever you are traveling to your destination in Mexico, whether by land or air.

If any of your medications are in the 'controlled substance' category, be prepared to show your ID along with the copy of your RX script, because you may be asked to prove that you are, indeed, the person named on the medication. This did happen whenever the authorities opened our RV refrigerator and saw the pre-packed syringes of my husband's rheumatoid arthritis medication. Not a problem as long as your paperwork is in order.

The 'permit' required to have your medications delivered via Fed-Ex or other carriers, might be a total stumbling block, IF it's the same permit that we were told about by the Aduana authorities in Guadalajara after they confiscated two cartons of medical equipment (owned and used only by my husband ... cpap and nebulizer and oxygen concentrator, etc) We were told that the 'permit' is issued ONLY to medical care facilities (read: hospitals) legally licensed to do business in Mexico, and that there was no way we could qualify for such a permit. In the same shipment, I had pre-packaged sterile saline solution syringes, necessary to keep his intravenous port cleaned out.... Aduana told me that those syringes full of salt water were DRUGS, and that I'd never be able to import them, and if I persisted in trying, they were going to charge me with drug smuggling.

If you have medications you take on a regular basis, I do suggest that you research the availability and cost of buying them in Mexico, and that any medications you must bring with you from NOB, are in your possession at all times while in transit. One time, I was able to go to the states and pick up my husband's medications, and bring them back with me via air, but I was prepared with a copy of his RX scripts, his US drivers license, his passport and his FM-3, including copies of the pages showing his last return to Mexico, as 'proof' that I was bringing the medications to him. Fortunately, that was the one time I wasn't questioned!

Hope that some of the answers and advice you've gotten is of help in your particular situation. Lee
Lee's Photos: Beyond the Guardrails

gpkisner

Oct 30, 2009, 8:34 AM

Post #7 of 12 (315 views)

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Re: [esperanza] bring medicine accross the board Laws

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At one time I think you could arrange to have meds sent to the US consular agent nearest you, but you would have to verify this.

belgique

Oct 31, 2009, 4:01 AM

Post #8 of 12 (283 views)

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Re: [mrsgroom] bring medicine accross the board Laws

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Some have mentioned availability in MX pharmacies. I know first hand that Class 2 meds (e.g., pain meds) are not readily available even in cities like Guad. When we finally did find them (at a hospital pharmacy), they were priced like gold and very limited quantity. This was in spite of us having a very capable Pain Management Doc in PV on the case.

gpkisner

Oct 31, 2009, 8:55 AM

Post #9 of 12 (253 views)

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Re: [belgique] bring medicine accross the board Laws

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Are you talking narcotic pain medicines? If you mean normal meds like diclofenaco, ketorolaco or metamizol sodico (the Spanish names)--they are sold everywhere OTC.

belgique

Oct 31, 2009, 9:00 AM

Post #10 of 12 (248 views)

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Re: [gpkisner] bring medicine accross the board Laws

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Nope...the high test stuff: oxycodone, duragesic patches. When a pharamcist there see's the Rx their eys get big and the head starts shaking.

gpkisner

Oct 31, 2009, 9:05 AM

Post #11 of 12 (246 views)

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Re: [belgique] bring medicine accross the board Laws

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I've luckily never needed such meds, but I think they are still probably cheaper here then in the US--even if they are hard to find. The SAM's here says they can get any medicine in one day--I've never tested this promise, though. Also, if you are over 60 you can get an INAPAM card which gets you a 5% discount on medicines at many stores or a special SAM's card that gives a 7% discount.

belgique

Oct 31, 2009, 12:42 PM

Post #12 of 12 (215 views)

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Re: [gpkisner] bring medicine accross the board Laws

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Nope. Trust me...the Oxy had to be DHL'ed in from Guad to PV hospital to hospital. Can't tell you how many pharmacies we went to, including Sams in both PV and Guad. The patches were REALLY hard...only 1 hospital had a few. The cost was astronomical for both compared to the US. and, again, we were under the care of a Mexican Pain Specialist. The only solution for us (as RV'ers) is to get a 90 day supply from our US Dr and make sure we return NOB by the 90th day.