From Ajijic looking south.
Artist rendition of Ajijic and clouds. | Section 2 Mexican Drugs: Is that drug, the one just handed to you by the young clerk in the chain farmacia, the actual CORRECT drug as prescribed by your physician? Or is it an almost the same name but a different drug completely? How do you know? (continued below)
Welcome to Prescription Drugs In Mexico Now. Over the next few pages the most popular drugs (prescriptions) of Canada & the U.S.A. will be presented getting you acquainted with all the varied names to be found as you come to Mexico. Well, bad news, there are more names in Mexico for us all to be confused a great deal.
The Brand Names from the U.S.A. and Canada will be introduced. Then we will add an example of a popular Mexican Brand Name equivalent to the drug you find in Canada or the US.
To the left you will find the top prescriptions from the United States.
After adding all the Brand Names, we will add the Generic Names. This, I find is the best way to assure yourself of getting the right drug!
Last we will add two features that will bring you right into the Pharmacy in Mexico. An interactive feature that allows you, by just CLICKING on the Mexican Generic example, see a list of the published Brand Names for this drug in Mexico. And, by CLICKING on drug names in this list, you will see the Manufacturers Drug Specific Data Sheet.
I suggest that initially you go page by page as you become familiar with this site. Later the short cuts will be evident to take you immediately to the page you need.
And I suggest you get familiar site and page search (find) tools. I use GOOGLE, and I like the "FIND" tool because it is page specific. The other tool, "Search Site", does just that. It yields too many results from throughout the entire site.
(cont. from above)
Recall that in the USA & Canada, Pharmacists are highly educated (at least 7 years) and respected members of the health care team. Think about that when the teenage clerk at the farmacia 'reads' your drug order - prescription - and then hands you a pack of pills that looks like nothing you've ever seen before. Or better yet, when you explain in broken English - very broken Spanish what drug you think you need / want, and in perfect Spanish - broken English, a 'drug' is placed in your hand!
And when is a prescription not a prescription?
Oops! I've just lost you. So, let's cut to it right away. Let's talk about the pharmacy system
in Mexico.
Yes, you can obtain most drugs without a written Rx order. Just walk into a farmacia, ask the clerk, and you are on your way. But review the actual laws regarding drugs. It is illegal to obtain 'drugs' without a physician - patient relationship. Duh, that is called a 'prescription.' That's it! So it is best to have a written order in your possession, especially when crossing the border back to the states.
Now, if you are self medicating, or if you are self diagnosing, fine. Enjoy your short life and being detained at the border.
But, if you are a regular patient who is being seen by a physician for any of life's maladies,
this site is for you. I figure you are thinking about relocating to Mexico, and even though your prescription care is usually the absolute LAST thing you think of, even after the dog's shots, it is the first thing I think of.
Look at the list to the left. This list contains over 200 of the top selling prescriptions in North Americain 2007 - 2008. Over 80% of all the prescriptions sold are in this list, so most of your drug orders can be found here. And this list will be our primary starting point for the drug information we provide.
Yes, that's right, drug information! Info is all we have to offer. And if you'd like to pay for this info, we can aim you in the right direction.
Over the next few web pages, we will provide you with easy to use lists of drugs as they appear in Canada and the USA. Then we tie them together with the equivalent drugs in Mexico. Examples of the brand names you will find in Mexico, and there are many, will be offered for your use.
And your use is what it is all about. During your first 3 or 4 months in Mexico, you will need to see a physician and also develop a working relationship with a real farmacist / pharmacist. They do exist outside of the chains, and we suggest you find one you like and trust.
This web site and it's examples, are intended to assist you as you 'break' into life in Mexico. We will also direct you to other sites that will assist you as you become an expatriate, tourist, or vacationer.
What drugs will you find in Mexico? You will find the same drugs, but often with different names, packed differently, printed in Spanish, and everything is in pecos! What is 37 cents in pecos?
Right, no need for a written prescription for anything except what we call 'controlled drugs.' Narcotics and / or drugs with high abuse potential. Again, you don't need a written prescription! But, also, there is no pharmacist to talk with. This is a problem.
In the next few pages, we'll show you the top drugs from Canada as well as those in Mexico. This is just to put you at ease. What if your drugs are not listed here, well, we can take care of that.
We'll provide a mechanism for you to submit your prescription drugs. It is very high tech and it's called e-mail. Then we'll add them to the master list, you will have them, and the list grows for the benefit of all.
Knowledge is power, and when it comes to drugs, the more you know can save your life.
Looking North from Ajijic to the mountains.
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That USA Name Drug In Mexico! ? Is it the Correct Drug? Is it the actual drug as ordered by your physician!!!! |