Medicines in Mexico

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VanGoVibes

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Hi everyone. WereW heading to the Parker, AZ area soon for the Van Build Party that starts November 1. We were going to swing by our Doctor's office for exams and rx refills but we live in Panama City! 

What is your experience with pharmacys in Algodones Mexico. Can I get BP meds there?

Thanks
Kathy
 
You can get anything there, except controlled substances. I got a years supply of lisinipril for about $10.


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Thanks I was wondering about the prices as well. All my meds are generic with no controlled substances.

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One annoyance is that they might not have your meds in the dosages your MD prescribed. For example, mine prescribed 600mg of one of my drugs but they only have it in 300mg. So I had to get twice as many pills. Another annoyance is that some mends come only in boxes of 15 or 30 instead of jars of, say, 100. With the boxes and foil blister packs inside you walk away with a lot of unnecessary packaging.
 
Noodly is correct and it is best if you bring a list of medications and dosage as well as generic options. And there isn’t a pharmacist who dispenses the medications, you have to buy the full box or bottle for most medications.

My asthma medication is about $200 to $330 with out insurance. I pay $56 with my insurance in the states. In Mexico the exact same medication (advair discus) was $38. So it is much cheaper for most medications, than using insurance in the states, unless you have amazing insurance.

I believe you can call the Purple Pharmacy in Los Algadones and ask about prices and availability.


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Another Lisinopril addict here.

I wonder, there has been news over past years of how people in China produce fake pills, and then secretly ship them into the US in small bundles, and which then get diffused surreptitiously into the open market. I wonder how you can trust pills from a place like Mexico. ???

ALso, I've seen videos of people walking into Algodones at the gate by the Indian reservation. Blanch, do they check for a passport there? One guy in a video was in and out with no ID, or just his driver's license, I forget which.
 
First - no prescription is needed.
Second- you will need a passport to get back in to the states. You do not need a passport to enter Mexico.


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I have the passport card which works. I have my 5 meds on a list and also the pill bottles. I am also going to ask about the legitimacy of the drugs at the pharmacy.

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Oh, and the clerks in the border farmacias all speak English.
 
I'd better get that passport before I leave Idaho. I would love to be able to get my meds without having to get the approval of my NP who does nothing of use for me other than prescribe pills.

I frequently check my blood pressure so I'd know within a day or two if the pills aren't real Lisinopril - but actually, I use Lisinopril-HCTZ - I hope they have that too.
 
I also got my dental work done there. I have no complaints. And if the medication was counterfeit I would be unable to breathe and my BP would be through the roof, so I know the stuff I got is exactly the same as what I get in the states.

I also like the idea of a country that allows me to purchase what I need without tipping my doctor $95 to write a prescription.


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Blanch said:
I also got my dental work done there. I have no complaints. And if the medication was counterfeit I would be unable to breathe and my BP would be through the roof, so I know the stuff I got is exactly the same as what I get in the states.

I also like the idea of a country that allows me to purchase what I need without tipping my doctor $95 to write a prescription.
Yeah, my doc makes me come every 6-months just so his assistant can measure my BP, and I have to tip him $185 each time. Life in 2018.
 
I need to go back for blood work for my BP because these meds can mess with your kidneys. Although my mom was on BP meds for 40 years with no problems.

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Sometimes it's good to check in with the MD to find out if you need to keep taking the meds or if they need to me changed.
 
This is probably typical of the border-town Lisinopril meds...I bought a few bottles in Los Algodones when I was there:


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Mission accomplished. Parked in the Quechen Tribe parking lot. Cost $12 because we're towing a cargo trailer. Shopped at the Purple Pharmacy. It's correct about med dosages. Some pills need to be cut and some only come in boxes of fourteen. We bought six meds then sat outside to regroup to see if we had enough. Then we went and bought some more. Some we're very cheap. We have to figure it out if it's cheaper than insurance. If you don't have insurance then it's a bargain.

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