Testing on an Adderall tablet from Cabo San Lucas, Mexico, got here again constructive on Jan. 27, 2023. Pharmacies there are promoting counterfeit prescription capsules laced with illicit substances and passing them off as authentic prescription drugs.
Wally Skalij/Los Angeles Occasions through Getty Pictures
cover caption
toggle caption
Wally Skalij/Los Angeles Occasions through Getty Pictures
Testing on an Adderall tablet from Cabo San Lucas, Mexico, got here again constructive on Jan. 27, 2023. Pharmacies there are promoting counterfeit prescription capsules laced with illicit substances and passing them off as authentic prescription drugs.
Wally Skalij/Los Angeles Occasions through Getty Pictures
Mexican pharmacies that cater to U.S. vacationers are promoting medicines that seem protected however are ceaselessly laced with lethal fentanyl and methamphetamine.
That is the conclusion of new analysis that examined medicines bought legally in 4 cities in northern Mexico the place vacationers from the U.S. typically search low-cost well being care and prescription drugs.
“For capsules bought as oxycodone, we examined 27 and located 10 or 11 of them contained both fentanyl or heroin,” mentioned Chelsea Shover, a researcher on the UCLA Faculty of Drugs.
She mentioned the habits by retail pharmacies in Mexico places unsuspecting individuals at excessive threat of overdose and demise.
“After I see there are fentanyl capsules someplace that appear to be [prescription drugs], I do know there need to have been individuals who’ve died from that,” Shover mentioned.
Her workforce additionally discovered medicines bought at Mexican pharmacies laced with methamphetamines.
Whereas these drug shops promote medicines to Mexican customers, Shover says their important clients look like Individuals.
“Comparable merchandise can be found at a a lot cheaper price in Mexico, so Individuals do journey to economize.”
Two Democratic lawmakers despatched a letter to the U.S. State Division calling for a journey advisory to warn Individuals of the hazard of buying medicines in Mexico.
“We must be completely very involved,” mentioned Rep. David Trone (D-Md.), one of many authors of the letter. “We have now virtually 12 million Individuals visiting Mexico yearly.”
Based on Trone, pharmacies boosting earnings with the high-risk follow are positioned in communities the place Individuals journey searching for reduction from high-cost prescription medicines bought within the U.S.
“There’s actually a pharmacy on each nook, they’re in all places down there, as a result of the value of medication is cheaper.”
On Saturday, the Los Angeles Occasions reported State Division officers apparently knew in regards to the hazard posed by Mexican pharmacies as way back as 2019 however didn’t challenge a high-profile alert to vacationers.
Based on the newspaper’s investigation, at the very least one U.S. traveler is thought to have overdosed and died after taking medicines bought at a drug retailer in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico, in 2019.
Rep. Trone mentioned if U.S. officers knew about unsafe medicines being bought at authorized retailers in Mexico, they need to have warned vacationers sooner.
“We have heard nothing again [from the State Department] and it’s extremely irritating,” he added.
The State Division despatched a press release to NPR saying it would not touch upon the letter from lawmakers.
On background, an official pointed to an advisory included within the State Division’s commonplace on-line details about Mexico that urges vacationers to “train warning when buying medicines abroad.”
“Counterfeit treatment is widespread and should show to be ineffective, the flawed power, or include harmful substances,” the advisory reads.
There isn’t any reference, nevertheless, to the particular dangers of harmful medication laced with fentanyl bought at authorized pharmacies.
Throughout a press briefing Monday, spokesman Ned Value mentioned American officers always replace security advisories issued for Mexico.
“We’re all the time info to find out whether or not it’s needed to maneuver our journey warnings in a single course or one other,” he mentioned.
Earlier this month, 4 Individuals had been kidnapped by gunmen whereas touring to Mexico to hunt low-cost medical care. Two of them had been killed.
That case had already raised considerations in regards to the security of medical tourism within the nation.