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Bringing back medications


Xmansmom
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According to the US Customs website:

 

http://www.cbp.gov/xp/cgov/travel/id_visa/kbyg/prohibited_restricted.xml#Medication

 

 

"Please note that only medications that can be legally prescribed in the United States may be imported for personal use. Be aware that possession of certain substances may also violate state laws. As a general rule, the FDA does not allow the importation of prescription drugs that were purchased outside the United States. Please see their Web site for information about the enforcement policy for personal use quantities."

 

 

Digging around the FDA website, I found:

 

http://www.fda.gov/AboutFDA/Transparency/Basics/ucm194904.htm

"Is it legal for me to personally import drugs?"

 

http://www.fda.gov/Drugs/DrugSafety/ucm170594.htm

"Importing Prescription Drugs"

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Pay cash and don't declare it on the customs form and you should be OK.

 

It's up to you if you wish to take the risk.

 

 

This sort of advice could get someone in a heap of trouble.

It is never a good idea to fail to declare anything purchased abroad let alone medications.

 

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No problems but it was small quantities.

 

I think that's a part of the issue too - small quantities for immediate personal use. I forgot my meds on a trip and fortunately was able to buy some there; it never occurred to me to declare them on my way back (to Canada, not US though) - they were a part of my personal items no differently in my mind than if I had bought band-aids or cough syrup.

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We live in Mexico for part of the year so have a good feel for the situation. As of about 2 years ago Mexico has adopted a national law that says that pharmacies can not dispense antibiotics without a script written by a Mexican physician. This was intended to stop abuse of antibiotics which are a big issue since germs mutate to deal with common antibiotics and become resistant. But some Mexican pharmacies ignore the law and continue to dispense.. and others dispense phony antibiotics which are basically sugar pills. So do you want to gamble? But here is another news bulletin. Many of the best and most popular antibiotics like Cipro and Zithromax actually cost as much, or more, in Mexico then they do in the USA. Since we live here a few months a year we like to bring our own drugs...and actually get a Cipro script from our US doctor and have it filled before we come to Mexico. Since we happen to have a prescription drug plan, we actually pay a lot less for antibiotics in the USA then we would pay in Mexico.

 

Hank

Edited by Hlitner
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Since we happen to have a prescription drug plan, we actually pay a lot less for antibiotics in the USA then we would pay in Mexico.

Hank

 

Does this factor in the cost of the Dr. Visit to receive the script? I bought 100 amoxicillin for $25 in Belize. My Dr. Charges $75 (with insurance) for a visit to get diagnosed + a script, which is $4 @ Target. So almost $80 for 10 days of pills vs $25 for 100.

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Does this factor in the cost of the Dr. Visit to receive the script? I bought 100 amoxicillin for $25 in Belize. My Dr. Charges $75 (with insurance) for a visit to get diagnosed + a script, which is $4 @ Target. So almost $80 for 10 days of pills vs $25 for 100.

 

I guess it depends on the plan and the doctor. My co-pay is only $10 and with my doctor knowing my medical history, if I told him I was traveling and wanted to be on the safe side it is unlikely he'd even make me come in for a visit and would just write the script. The usual I pay at the most is $20. If it is specialized (which amoxicillin is not) it would be max $30. Once when traveling to England I had a touch of bronchitis but it was supposedly the coldest winter in ages in London. So to be on the safe side, I called the doctor and asked him for a double prescription so I wouldn't be far from home without the medication. Therefore, for a 20 days prescription it only cost me $20.

Edited by notentirelynormal
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Does this factor in the cost of the Dr. Visit to receive the script? I bought 100 amoxicillin for $25 in Belize. My Dr. Charges $75 (with insurance) for a visit to get diagnosed + a script, which is $4 @ Target. So almost $80 for 10 days of pills vs $25 for 100.

 

What the heck do you need 100 Amoxicillin pills for? Are you planning on swimming in raw sewage?

 

People who abuse antibiotics are the reasons that they are becoming less and less effective. I was talking with my pharmacist the other day, and he told me that he has had people complain to him that the Dr. did not give them a script for antibiotics for a cold or the flu. Well, duh.

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What the heck do you need 100 Amoxicillin pills for? Are you planning on swimming in raw sewage?

 

People who abuse antibiotics are the reasons that they are becoming less and less effective. I was talking with my pharmacist the other day, and he told me that he has had people complain to him that the Dr. did not give them a script for antibiotics for a cold or the flu. Well, duh.

 

Nicely said! No one needs antibiotics "just in case" unless one is truly traveling somewhere without medical care and where accidents are common......Cruises don't count, but a month trekking the the Amazon would.

 

The misuse of antibiotics - and the mis-disposal of antibiotics - is a huge problem, and is becoming a worse problem. But I guess it's a NIMBY issue......as long as you're not the one with a resistant bug that can cause life-threatening pneumonia or septicemia, it doesn't really matter as long as you can have your "just in case" antibiotics. Infections to multi-resistant bugs cost about $50 million dollars and 50,000 lives a year.

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Nicely said! No one needs antibiotics "just in case" unless one is truly traveling somewhere without medical care and where accidents are common......Cruises don't count, but a month trekking the the Amazon would.
And has been pointed out by some others, unless you get the proper tests, you cannot even know if the antibiotic you are taking is effective against what you actually have. There is no one antibiotic that cures everything possible. Furthermore, if you have a viral infection, no antibiotic will do anything to help you. I am always amazed at people who take on their own an antibiotic and feel better a few days later. It most certainly was not the antibiotic that did this. It was the virus working its way through your system.

 

The misuse of antibiotics - and the mis-disposal of antibiotics - is a huge problem, and is becoming a worse problem. But I guess it's a NIMBY issue......as long as you're not the one with a resistant bug that can cause life-threatening pneumonia or septicemia, it doesn't really matter as long as you can have your "just in case" antibiotics. Infections to multi-resistant bugs cost about $50 million dollars and 50,000 lives a year.

The problem in this day and age is that people have been trained to think that no matter what is wrong with them, a pill will take care of it.

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What the heck do you need 100 Amoxicillin pills for? Are you planning on swimming in raw sewage? .

 

Split among me & 2 other friends. About 3 x a year I'll get a sinus infection. Nice to not have to go to my Dr. Whom I've been seeing for over 15 years and he has NEVER offered to just "write me a script".

 

S-O-C-K-S. In Spanish means "it is what it is".

Edited by happybooker1
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Split among me & 2 other friends. About 3 x a year I'll get a sinus infection. Nice to not have to go to my Dr. Whom I've been seeing for over 15 years and he has NEVER offered to just "write me a script".

 

S-O-C-K-S. In Spanish means "it is what it is".

 

So you get the same bacterial sinus infection annually? My last sinus infection was viral so antibiotics wouldn't work. By the way, the reason why your doctor has never offered to just write you a script for antibiotics is because they can't. Antibiotics is not a maintenance medication. If your doc gives you a script without seeing you and gets audited, he/she would get in trouble.

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Before a non-medical person decides to self-prescribe amoxicillin for a recurrent (chronic) sinus infection (which might actually be caused by something as obscure as a dental infection) they might want to do a little self-education (as opposed to self-prescribing). Try using Google and type in "MRSA and sinusitis." And this is just one pretty well known problem with constant use of amoxicillin or other antibiotics. So instead of dealing with a relatively simple chronic sinusitis, one might one day find themselves trying to deal with a massive drug-resistant infection which could even turn out to be a flesh-eating bacteria.

 

There is a good reason why several respected international medical organizations have urged countries (like Mexico) to tighten up their antibiotic dispensing practices. These days one should always consult with a trained medical practitioner before taking any antibiotic.

 

 

Hank

Edited by Hlitner
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So you get the same bacterial sinus infection annually? My last sinus infection was viral so antibiotics wouldn't work. By the way, the reason why your doctor has never offered to just write you a script for antibiotics is because they can't. Antibiotics is not a maintenance medication. If your doc gives you a script without seeing you and gets audited, he/she would get in trouble.

 

Hmmmm. In Post #12 in this thread NotEntirelyNormal states her Dr. would. I was just pointing out MY Dr. wouldn't.

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Hmmmm. In Post #12 in this thread NotEntirelyNormal states her Dr. would. I was just pointing out MY Dr. wouldn't.

 

You didn't answer my question as to whether or not your 3x annual sinus infection is the same bacteria.

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Hmmmm. In Post #12 in this thread NotEntirelyNormal states her Dr. would. I was just pointing out MY Dr. wouldn't.

 

Yes, but my doctor knows my medical history, knows what I am allergic to, knows what I can and can not take and is very careful about what he prescribes because he knows I'm careful. I'm allergic to so many antibiotics that I'm extremely careful to not abuse any antibiotic. I can't afford to take them when I don't need them. He knows that I can't use certain drugs "just because". If, and when, he prescribes an antibiotic he knows it's a serious issue. Funny enough, my daughter seems to have the same reactions that I do and calls me and says "mom, can you take this drug?". Then she lets them prescribe.

 

I had to laugh at a friend of mine who said "but you take so many drugs"..... I commented "if I actually TOOK those drugs I wouldn't have them left over. Yes, I have them---and that's the point. I'm extremely careful and take minimum drugs for pain and whatever.

Edited by notentirelynormal
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In addition to considering the salient cautions stated herein, I would be wary of how the meds are stored. I saw antibiotics sitting on shelves near windows in stores where the temperature was quite hot inside. I wonder what chemical changes might be happening in that heat.

Edited by Bookish Angel
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In addition to considering the salient cautions stated herein, I would be wary of how the meds are stored.

 

Also important. I would never be so nationally-centric as to say that it is not safe to buy medication abroad or in another country (after all, people in those countries get sick and buy medication too), but you do need to take care and pay attention to what you're getting. A reputable pharmacy will take care of their medications, regardless of whether they require a prescription or not - but a reputable pharmacy might not be the cheapest place to get medication.

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Split among me & 2 other friends. About 3 x a year I'll get a sinus infection. Nice to not have to go to my Dr. Whom I've been seeing for over 15 years and he has NEVER offered to just "write me a script".

 

S-O-C-K-S. In Spanish means "it is what it is".

 

There is no way that sharing antibiotics "among friends" is even considered a good idea. Each person should be prescribed a script only after a trained medical person has actually looked at you and determined that you will benefit from antibiotics.

 

...And the reason your Dr. will not just "write you a script" is because he is doing his job correctly. You still have not told us though why you think that the antibiotics are needed. Typically with a viral infection, it will heal itself and you will feel better in spite of the antibiotics.

 

Self-prescribing of any medication (especially antibiotics) can and will cause problems.

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Back to answering the OP's question....... I didn't buy, like, suitcases full of drugs, but I have bought medications (over the counter) at a pharmacy many times when out of the country. I've just tossed the container in my toiletries bag and never had it looked at or questioned when coming through customs.

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