Your Mexican Pharmacy: Safe Medications from Mexico

How Safe Is It to Buy Prescription Drugs in Mexico?

It is now very profitable and convenient for many people to order drugs online. And this is often done from other countries. If we talk about US residents and those who visit Mexico for tourism, they are the ones who order drugs here more often than others. But how safe is it? This issue should be looked into in more detail.

Today, more than 130 million US citizens take at least one prescription drug every day. As you know, these drugs can be very expensive in the country, and prices continue to rise every day. Therefore, the question arises — where to find these drugs, but at lower prices? The most popular solution is to order online from Mexico.

Why buy drugs in Mexico

Prescription drugs are one of the largest and most profitable businesses, according to reports from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Today, about 50% of Americans need prescription drugs. Prices continue to rise to this day. On average, prices have increased by 8% over the past year, as confirmed by data from the US Department of Health. The cost of some drugs has increased by 500%.

The main reason for such high prices is drug patents. This provokes a constant increase in cost, since pharmaceutical companies can set and regulate prices on their own. Unlike European countries or Canada, for example, in the US there is no special government regulation. This allows monopoly companies to increase the cost of prescription drugs at their own discretion. As a result, Americans are forced to significantly overpay for something they actually cannot live without. As a result, many people are forced to look for alternative ways to get medical care. One of the most popular solutions is to order medical products through Mexican online pharmacies. This method is especially popular among residents of the southern and western states. After all, you can get to the border with Mexico on your own, or place an order at a minimum delivery cost.

Another important factor is the availability of certain drugs that can only be obtained in the US with a prescription. When it comes to medications like Nexium, Celebrex or Lipitor, you don’t need a prescription to order them in Mexico. But that doesn’t mean you can now safely go to Mexico, buy large quantities of medications and bring them to the US. There are certain rules and restrictions in place.

What is the danger of unlicensed pharmacies in Mexico?

Trying to find the cheapest drugs, some customers forget about the importance of licenses and quality certificates. There are pharmacies that are unlicensed. What is the threat and danger?

The thing is that such pharmacies can sell drugs that use the wrong dosage of active ingredients, or use their substitutes. In other words, this is a risk of buying counterfeit drugs that will be ineffective. Even worse, if the drug turns out to be dangerous to your health. Instead of the expected effect of normalizing your condition, you may only get worse. Such pharmacies often sell drugs that have had their license revoked, or they are illegal. This is an increased risk to your health. Plus, if you bring these drugs to the US, you may have serious legal problems. But don’t be scared. All this applies only to unlicensed and unofficial Mexican pharmacies. There are many large companies and pharmaceutical companies operating in the country that offer excellent quality products with proven effectiveness and at affordable prices.

How to buy medicines in a Mexico drugstore correctly

If you decide to take advantage of the great deals offered by Mexican online pharmacies, then be sure to follow a few key rules. They will help you find the necessary drugs, guarantee their quality, safety and effectiveness, and also save a lot on the purchase.

How to Import Drugs from Mexican Online Pharmacies to the US

The easiest option is to order drugs through an online pharmacy in Mexico that provides certified products approved by the ministries of health of both countries. That is, there are no obstacles to goods from Mexico ending up in your US. According to the rules, importing drugs, including prescription drugs, is possible subject to several basic conditions. For example, a valid prescription, a certificate from the attending physician. Let’s look at several key rules that you must strictly follow.

• Original packaging. Medicines must be in the packaging in which they were given to you. It is prohibited to transfer funds to other containers, use other containers, etc.
• If you import drugs with certain active ingredients, they must be declared. This must be done at the stage of customs and border control. CBP specialists will carefully check the declaration and compare it with the drugs you are importing from Mexico.
• Label. It is important that when receiving drugs in Mexico, the container has the full name, address of the pharmacy, name of the doctor who issued the prescription, and the prescription number. The absence of this information may be grounds for not allowing the goods to cross the border. Moreover, suspicious drugs may be sent for examination. The main task is to prevent the illegal import of narcotic substances.
• Number of doses. In accordance with the current regulations, you can order the necessary drugs from Mexico in a limited number of doses. This limit is no more than 50 units. All of them are intended exclusively for personal use. In this case, the number of prescriptions does not matter. The main thing is that the number of doses does not exceed 50.

What to do if the drug is not approved in the USA?

Some people need to buy drugs in Mexico that have not received official approval in the USA. The reasons may be different, but most often it is the presence of certain side effects or the inclusion of prohibited components. What to do in such a situation? You can order drugs that are not approved in Mexican pharmacies. But only if several conditions are met, they will not be confiscated at the border:

• No analogues in the USA. Permission to import is possible if the drug from Mexico is intended for the treatment of serious diseases. But at the same time, there are no effective analogues in the USA. You will be surprised, but in fact this is not such a rarity. Some drugs from Mexico are the only alternative. Therefore, US residents can only rely on them to help in treating their disease;
• Promotion of the product in the country. The drug must not be intended for promotion and commercialization in the USA. If it is proven that the pills are imported for the purpose of their further advertising, they will be confiscated at the border. If the drug is for personal use only, there will be no problems;
• Unjustified risk. Taking such pills should not provoke an unjustified risk. Therefore, drugs with excessive side effects may be prohibited from being imported into the country;
• Written confirmation. A person must write a statement in writing. The document should indicate that the imported drugs are intended only for personal use for therapeutic purposes;
• The total amount of the imported drug should not be more than the supply for the next 3 months. This indicator is determined based on the doctor’s conclusions and the prescription.

CBP representatives may refuse to import drugs from Mexico if they are on the FDA list of import warnings. Or there is reason to believe that the imported pills are intended for commercial distribution, causing serious side effects.

What Do You Need to Know about COFEPRIS?

The American FDA has been discussed many times. But in the context of buying medicines in Mexico, it is very important to discuss another important issue — COFEPRIS. You need to find out what it is, how it works and what its main functions are.

The secretariat of health plays a key role in these matters in the country. In fact, this is the main regulator in Mexico. The agency is responsible for the country’s health policy. In particular, it decides on the regulation of manufactured and sold drugs, medical equipment and devices. The general law on health care sets out all the main aspects regarding the import and export of all types of medical products and also food products.

COFEPRIS is a department under this agency. Its functions are the import of medical devices and drugs, as well as the issuance of permits for advertising these products. The Committee for Protection against Sanitary Risks, or COFEPRIS for short, was founded in 2001.

Today, it is a completely autonomous and decentralized government agency. The commissioner acts as the head. Moreover, the commissioner is appointed exclusively by the President of Mexico. In fact, it is like the Minister of Health in some countries. The main task of the commissioner is to control local medical institutions, implement sanitary standards, comply with advertising requirements and monitor the production of medicines in the country. Also, the commissioner, like the entire COFEPRIS department, is responsible for the expertise and import of all medical products.

Criteria for Choosing Safe Mexican Pharmacies

Before purchasing goods in one of the pharmacies in Mexico, it is recommended to carefully study all available options and choose the safest, most reliable and high-quality one. To help you make a decision, our experts have prepared some useful recommendations for you. Based on these tips, you can find the best option based on your own needs and general rules for safe shopping.

1. License. Obviously, the presence of a license is a key factor that you should consider when choosing a pharmacy in Mexico. In online drug stores, you should check the presence of a license and detailed information about the permit document. We advise you to check when it was issued, by whom, and for how long. A license is your guarantee of safety. This is a confirmation that the company offers only certified, government-approved drugs. Buy drugs only in licensed pharmacies to eliminate the risk of buying counterfeit, fake and other low-quality products.
2. Assortment. Pay attention to what range of medicinal products the online pharmacy in Mexico is ready to offer. A large assortment indicates that the company works with a large number of suppliers. That is, it is a large chain pharmacy that can satisfy the needs of almost every customer. But in Mexico, there are also online pharmacies that specialize in certain groups of drugs. For example, these can be anticancer drugs, drugs to combat cancer, hepatitis, and other serious diseases. Your choice largely depends on what drugs you need to buy.
3. Prices. Many buyers believe that you should always look for a pharmacy with the lowest prices. Of course, in Mexico, drugs are really cheaper than in the USA, Canada, and many European countries. But a low price can hide the corresponding quality, counterfeit products, fake drugs, and so on. The best thing to do is the following. Find several pharmacies that are licensed and ready to offer the list of products you need. Compare prices and choose the option that is more financially beneficial for you. You should not buy drugs in frankly cheap pharmacies. Excessively low cost compared to competitors is a reason to doubt the quality and authenticity of the offered goods.
4. Delivery. One of the undeniable advantages of online pharmacies is the ability to arrange delivery. You do not have to go anywhere. It is enough to indicate the address when placing an order and wait until it reaches you. When choosing an online pharmacy in Mexico, be sure to study the terms, rules and cost of delivery. For example, when ordering for a certain amount, delivery can be free. Or vice versa. Low prices for goods will be offset by the high cost of the delivery service.Another important factor is delivery times and compliance with storage conditions. Some categories of drugs require mandatory transportation in specialized containers, refrigerators, and have a limited shelf life. Therefore, it is extremely important that a Mexican pharmacy can guarantee timely delivery and compliance with transportation conditions. If they are violated, the medicine will lose its properties. Or even worse — it can become toxic and dangerous for your body.
5. Discounts and bonuses. Many customers become regular customers of Mexican online pharmacies due to favorable prices, fast and convenient delivery, as well as additional benefits. This is an opportunity to receive bonuses for purchases, accumulate a discount for a regular customer. Study the terms of cooperation that the company offers you. Many of them are ready to offer a discount on the first order, or provide you with a cumulative system for regular orders. This will allow you to find a regular supplier of the necessary drugs, as well as significantly save on purchases in the future.
6. Staff. It will not be superfluous to check the competence of the staff and the attitude of employees to customers. Many large online pharmacies in Mexico offer the services of consultants, pharmacy doctors. With their help, you can learn some details about drugs, and make sure that the order is correct. The priority factors for you should be affordable prices, high quality, ease of ordering and confidence in the authenticity of the drugs purchased. You can get all this if you choose one of the best Mexican pharmacies.

Comparison of Drug Prices

Obviously, for most buyers, the key factor is price. It is not possible to compare prices for absolutely all products within the framework of this review. But we can compare several popular items that are presented in all Mexican pharmacies from the top 3.

• Generic Flomax. In MexPharmacy, the drug is presented in packages from 30 to 360 tablets — a total of 6 options. The price depends on the number of tablets ordered, and varies from $ 33.09 for 30 tablets to $ 257.66 for 360 tablets. This is from $ 1.09 to $ 0.72 per tablet. In Mexican Pharmacy, this same drug is sold in packages of 30, 90 and 100 tablets. The price of 30 tablets is $ 36.99.
• Generic Propecia. For a package of 60 tablets of this drug, you will have to pay $ 50.99 in MexicanPh. Competitors charge $45.62 and $48.32 for this drug at MexPharmacy and Fahorro, respectively;
• Generic Uroxatral. At MexPharmacy, you can order this product in a 10 mg dosage in packages of 30, 60, 90, 120, and 180 tablets. The smallest package will cost $80.51 or $2.69 per tablet. If you take a package of 180 tablets, then you will have to pay only $1.62 for 1. The other two pharmacies from the top 3 offer packages of 30, 90, and 180 tablets in a similar dosage. At the same time, the starting price is $89.99 for the smallest package.

As you can see, the prices do differ. But you should take into account that Mexican pharmacies often have promotions, delivery prices differ, and also offer individual discounts and bonus programs.

It is important to choose Mexican pharmacies based on the main criteria, including, of course, the presence of a valid license. This is an axiom that you will never tire of repeating. Only licensed pharmacies in Mexico are trustworthy and provide a real opportunity to purchase the necessary goods at affordable prices. Your health is in your hands!