Buying antibiotics in Mexico

[Martini Mom]

What I REALLY wish I could get/find in Mexico is my mom's asthma meds. :(

[bills blasters]

I don't know what any of this has to do with the simple question that was asked at the start of the thread?????

Claudia

[Martini Mom]

I don't know what any of this has to do with the simple question that was asked at the start of the thread?????

Claudia

 

Cruise Critic, where tangents prevail. ;):D

[BeachChik]

I don't know what any of this has to do with the simple question that was asked at the start of the thread?????

Claudia

 

And how was your comment helpful to answering the question?

 

Things get off topic sometimes. That's how message boards work.

Edited February 16, 2012 by BeachChik

[Emperor Norton]

I'd like to thank the people that self medicate with antibiotics for helping create antibiotic resistant strains of bugs.:mad:

[kayhold]

I'd like to thank the people that self medicate with antibiotics for helping create antibiotic resistant strains of bugs.:mad:

 

While I understand your logic, you could also say "I'd like to thank people who are overweight/eat junk/have terrible diseases/insert other incredibly nitpicky thing here who drive up health insurance costs, so I can't afford it and need to self-medicate!"

 

I've had kidney infections so many times that if I had one, and didn't have insurance, I would gladly self-medicate to save myself the $300.

[CWcruisers]

I support you a 110% on that, as a small business owner we paid premiums that were beyond stupid, in addition they never paid claims for anything. When the bill collectors started calling we paid them to save our credit rating and gave the finger to US healthcare. We are now self funded, self insured, funny thing - its always interesting to see how much gets dropped of a bill when you have a handfull of "Franklins" and yes we have seen 50k procedures dropped to 18K is you pay cash same day.

 

 

People who have never been self employed do not understand the exorbitant taxes and cost that we pay for the privilege for being in control of our own destinies. When my DH and I were starting out, we had several years without insurance, and you are absolutely right, the cash discount and the interest free loans that Doctors and Hospitals will give you are huge.

 

We are now paying preminum that are beyond stupid and considering quitting. If I put the $700/month I am paying for premiums into a health savings fund, I will be able to cover quite a few scenarios. We also paid every dime that we owed to the Doctors and Hospitals in those lean years, no one was cheated.

[cdamion]

I'd like to thank the people that self medicate with antibiotics for helping create antibiotic resistant strains of bugs.:mad:

 

Why do you assume that those that self-medicate with antibiotics are unnecessarily taking them. I know my body and when I have something that is typically something that needs antibiotics. Not sniffles or a cold, but sinus infections or something like bronchitis. Add an expensive doctor appointment and expensive pharmacies just to get the same old z-pac.

[Bobba22]

Hi all:)

I have been reading this thread with much interest. I agree totally that the cost of Health Care in this country has gotten totally out of control. I want to save money as much as the next guy when it comes to necessary things. The one issue that hasn't been discussed is the growing issue of Counterfit Drugs being introduced into the marketplace. It has become one of the most serious issues in WorldWide prescription dispensing. How do you know what you are buying or taking is what you need or think it is?

This problem is now becoming very prevalent in this country as well. The FDA has published many warnings with regards to Counterfit drugs, but most go unheeded due to the High cost of the real thing:

Know the Risks When You Buy Prescription Drugs in Mexico

 

• Drugs you purchase in Mexico may be counterfeit. The FDA estimates that a significant amount of drugs available in Mexico may be counterfeit (Source: FDA Initiative to Combat Counterfeit Drugs, last updated 9/10/2009).
  
• Check to make sure you are dealing with a licensed pharmacy. Mexican pharmacy employees may not have any medical training.
  
• If the drugs you purchase in Mexico are worthless or do you harm, you may have difficulty resolving your complaint.
  
• You might not be able to determine where the drugs were manufactured or how they were handled.
  
• Dosages and drug names may be quite different than they are in the U.S. and the amount of active ingredients may be different than in the U.S. Not all drugs will come with instructions for use, and if they do, they’ll likely be in Spanish.
  
• Breaking U.S. laws regarding importation of foreign drugs may lead to your arrest in the U.S. Do not lie to U.S. Customs.
  
• Breaking Mexican laws regarding purchasing of drugs may lead to your arrest in Mexico. Penalties for drug offenses are strict, and convicted offenders can expect large fines and jail sentences up to 25 years. Unknowingly breaking the law, or getting a Mexican prescription, even unknowingly, from someone who is not authorized to issue it does not excuse a U.S. citizen from prosecution in Mexico.
  
• You must declare the drugs at Customs upon your return. Customs permits people to bring back reasonable amounts of medications for personal use, but does not allow stockpiling or purchasing large amounts of drugs for what will be assumed is a commercial or resale purpose. If the medication is a controlled substance, a reasonable amount means up to 50 combined total doses.
  
• If you do bring a prescription drug that is a controlled substance into the U.S. from Mexico, it must be for legitimate personal medical use. It should be in the original container, which must identify the substance and the name and address of the dispenser.
  
• If you lie to customs about having drugs and you are caught, the consequences could be simple, like having the drugs taken away, or very serious, such as going to jail.
  

I am not posting this to dissaude anyone from purchasing what they need at a savings, but as a warning of what the reality is.

I am a Pharmacist at the local Hospital here and due to the economy, currently there are Many life saving drugs which are totally unavalible. Patients have to make due without them. At times like these, Counterfiters have a field day!!

I would just ask you to be cautious!

 

Later

BOB

[JenzyKY]

I think it is simply scary that people actually buy meds from these shady looking stores. There is simply no guarantee as to what you are getting. Surely theres a cheaper place to get medications that is not a third world country!!! Your body does not need antibiotics to fight off a sinus infection. Plus, antibiotics are already overused. I can't imagine the next superbug that is going to show up. The ones now are quite deadly and are picked up in the general population.

[Martini Mom]

Your body does not need antibiotics to fight off a sinus infection.

 

While that can be true sometimes, that's dead wrong other times. Not only does it sometimes require antibiotics, but it can also require steroids.

[kayhold]

Hi all:)

I have been reading this thread with much interest. I agree totally that the cost of Health Care in this country has gotten totally out of control. I want to save money as much as the next guy when it comes to necessary things. The one issue that hasn't been discussed is the growing issue of Counterfit Drugs being introduced into the marketplace. It has become one of the most serious issues in WorldWide prescription dispensing.

 

I had forgotten about this until you mentioned it.

 

I have Behcet's disease. it is EXTREMELY rare in the US and there isn't really any recommended medication for it. After 2 years, 3 hospitalizations and almost dying, we finally found a medication that worked for me - Humira. The problem was that since it was NOT indicated for Behcet's, insurance wouldn't cover it.

 

This is your living - you know how much Humira is out of pocket. It was costing me almost $2000 a month out of pocket. Humiras assistance program only reduces your co-pay IF your insurance pays. We made too much for other assistance. We wiped our savings and went REALLY deep into debt, almost lost our house.

I had considered ordering it overseas, but the counterfeit thing stopped me.

Luckily, after a year of paying for it, insurance saw it was working and decided to pick up the tab.

Edited February 17, 2012 by kayhold

[BeachChik]

I think it is simply scary that people actually buy meds from these shady looking stores. There is simply no guarantee as to what you are getting. Surely theres a cheaper place to get medications that is not a third world country!!! Your body does not need antibiotics to fight off a sinus infection. Plus, antibiotics are already overused. I can't imagine the next superbug that is going to show up. The ones now are quite deadly and are picked up in the general population.

 

I have had a sinus infection twice since November. I was given antibiotics by my doctor both times.

[jonbgd]

, but sinus infections or something like bronchitis. .

 

For sinus infections antibiotics dont do much most of the time and bronchitis can be viral not batcerial

[JenzyKY]

While that can be true sometimes, that's dead wrong other times. Not only does it sometimes require antibiotics, but it can also require steroids.

 

Yes, it CAN need antibiotics but people go to the doctor expecting antibiotics.

[Emperor Norton]

Why do you assume that those that self-medicate with antibiotics are unnecessarily taking them. I know my body and when I have something that is typically something that needs antibiotics. Not sniffles or a cold, but sinus infections or something like bronchitis. Add an expensive doctor appointment and expensive pharmacies just to get the same old z-pac.

 

Because AFAIK you're not actually a MD.

[Martini Mom]

I had forgotten about this until you mentioned it.

 

I have Behcet's disease. it is EXTREMELY rare in the US and there isn't really any recommended medication for it. After 2 years, 3 hospitalizations and almost dying, we finally found a medication that worked for me - Humira. The problem was that since it was NOT indicated for Behcet's, insurance wouldn't cover it.

 

This is your living - you know how much Humira is out of pocket. It was costing me almost $2000 a month out of pocket. Humiras assistance program only reduces your co-pay IF your insurance pays. We made too much for other assistance. We wiped our savings and went REALLY deep into debt, almost lost our house.

I had considered ordering it overseas, but the counterfeit thing stopped me.

Luckily, after a year of paying for it, insurance saw it was working and decided to pick up the tab.

 

Very true! DH is on a MS med (injection) that costs almost $3000 a month :eek:. Luckily, the insurance covers it and we got the pharm company to cover the deductible and copays. The pharmaceutical company is actually 100 times more helpful, informative, and caring than the insurance company that we pay so much money to each month.

 

As much as I can't stand our Kaiser insurance, I'm glad we have it. DH considered cancelling it and putting that money into an account for medical issues (like a previous poster mentioned). Luckily he didn't. Shortly after that chat he was hospitalized and had VERY expensive and extensive testing done.

[richstowe]

I have read this thread and don't have a thing to add to the topic.

 

Off topic I have to wonder why the worlds richest and most powerful country can't afford health care for all.

Every other half civilized country has medical care (and often drug and dental) for everyone.

 

I love the USA but for the life of me, on this issue ,I think you guys are nuts.

[kayhold]

Very true! DH is on a MS med (injection) that costs almost $3000 a month :eek:. Luckily, the insurance covers it and we got the pharm company to cover the deductible and copays. The pharmaceutical company is actually 100 times more helpful, informative, and caring than the insurance company that we pay so much money to each month.

 

As much as I can't stand our Kaiser insurance, I'm glad we have it. DH considered cancelling it and putting that money into an account for medical issues (like a previous poster mentioned). Luckily he didn't. Shortly after that chat he was hospitalized and had VERY expensive and extensive testing done.

 

People just assume if you have insurance, it's great!

 

My husband and I tried to have a baby for 7 years and were told it would never, ever happen. 0% chance even after fertility treatments.

I dropped maternity coverage.

 

Do I really even need to say what happened?

 

Not only did I go through an entire pregnancy with no maternity coverage, my gall bladder went bad and they blamed the pregnancy and refused to cover that, too. We went almost 40k in debt with that WITH insurance. We're still paying it off and my kid is 6!

 

We did change from that company (BCBS of Georgia) and went to Aetna and they are generally awesome and the very few times they refused something, I really did understand their side.

 

But, awesome as they are - because I'm on immune suppressants, I pick up infections easily. I contracted listeria during the outbreak last year.

 

Treatment for listeria is IV antibiotics every 4 hours for 4 weeks (3, but they did me 4.. during Thanksgiving and Christmas LOL)

I had to come home and self-administer them because insurance didn't want to pay for me to stay in the hospital. Understandable, right?

 

My OOP for the IV treatments? almost $7000. I got very,. very lucky and the Dr was willing to write most of it off so my portion was $700.

 

The outrage here should not be that people are self-medicating.

 

The outrage should be that people feel they have no other choice.

 

I honestly hope the classist people who think people DO have a choice, never find their-self in that kind of situation.

Edited February 17, 2012 by kayhold

[richstowe]

kayhold

 

You make my point.

[trooper 1]

We were going to get some in Belize while we were there in December (we were going to get a bunch of Z-Pack, when my husband gets a cold it goes directly to his chest and he requires Z-Pack to clear it up) however, we found that with our insurance we pay less here at home for a prescription of Z-Pack than we would've there (in Belize the cost was like $8 per pack and a prescription wasn't required). Now in a few months when our insurance coverage changes, we might decide to start buying some of our meds overseas.

 

Just a note of caution if you are abroad and buy a Z pack(s): If you are on a blood thinner (e.g. warfarin, coumadin) the ingredients in a Z pack can seriously affect your pro time blood level. This could be harmful to your health. I found this out personally. I would have to visit the ship's doctor and have him readjust the daily dosage of the meds. Check with your pharmacist for possible drug interactions.

[kayhold]

kayhold

 

You make my point.

 

<3

 

I agree with your point.

countdown to... "BUT MY TAX DOLLARS!"

Edited February 17, 2012 by kayhold

[BeachChik]

 

The outrage here should not be that people are self-medicating.

 

The outrage should be that people feel they have no other choice.

 

I honestly hope the classist people who think people DO have a choice, never find their-self in that kind of situation.

 

Exactly!!!! So agree.

[Martini Mom]

Yes, it CAN need antibiotics but people go to the doctor expecting antibiotics.

 

You are absolutely right! I used to work in medical offices. Patients didn't just "expect" antibiotics, they demanded them. The docs did their best to deny these people and would often given them a prescription decongestant, just so they felt they were being "treated" and were not leaving "empty-handed." :rolleyes:

 

My kids are 14 and 11 and have only been on antibiotics a couple times in their lives (actually maybe 3 times each). I am not a cheerleader for antibiotics, but I like to have them on hand just in case...kinda like earthquake supplies. ;)

[FightOnRon]

I have read this thread and don't have a thing to add to the topic.

 

Off topic I have to wonder why the worlds richest and most powerful country can't afford health care for all.

Every other half civilized country has medical care (and often drug and dental) for everyone.

 

I love the USA but for the life of me, on this issue ,I think you guys are nuts.

 

Some of us think we're nuts too. I have traveled a bit and I find we are some of the only ones (that are rich and powerful) that don't look out for ourselves. And let's not get started on education.

 

I don't know if I would trust myself to prescribe myself the correct drugs (watching HOUSE on tv doens't make me a doctor),,and I m not so sure what I would buy in Mexico is real or not. If I thought it was all real,,I would buy some blue pills.