Job Discussion Forums

cgage · Joined: 14 Oct 2006 Posts: 73 Location: Memphis

This has been partly discussed before but since I'm getting ready to go and work in Mex: I am an insulin diabetic and also use pain medications which are controlled substances in the US. A doctor told me that in Mex you can get a whole lot of stuff like this over the counter. I also heard Rx's are easy to get from doctors (not always the case in the US)
I also heard that some pharmacies have a doctor on duty that can write them.
Anybody know about this?

J Sevigny · Joined: 26 Feb 2006 Posts: 161

I've had mixed experiences with this kind of thing myself. Generally, in Guadalajara, you have to have a prescription for any "controlled medication." This is not true in border cities where pharmacies make tons of money selling zanax and valium to kids from Texas.

Pharmacies here are surprisingly serious about the prescription thing.

For me, for the medication I need, it's come down to finding a doctor who will give me the prescriptions I require. I've found that private docs and high priced private hospital clinics (say 300 pesos for a consultation) are more accomodating in this regard than say, the IMSS or the DIF, both government clinics.

cangringo · Joined: 18 Jan 2007 Posts: 327 Location: Vancouver, Canada

Hmmm, here in Monterrey they don't seem to care too much about the prescription thing, however I am asthmatic not diabetic. I know you can get antibiotics without prescription and we have some pharmacies with doctors on site and they're cheap so I don't think it will be difficult for you in a place like this.

hlamb · Joined: 09 Dec 2003 Posts: 431 Location: Canada

It depends on what kind of drug you need. Antibiotics are non-prescription, so if you know what you need (generic name), no problem. The same goes for birth control pills. However, I recently needed Valium (related to dental surgery) and I needed a prescription for that and had to visit 7 pharmacies before I found one who stocked the stuff.

El Gallo · Joined: 05 Feb 2007 Posts: 318

Because antibiotics and some other drugs that would normally require prescriptions in the US and Canada can be bought over the counter, it's pretty tempting to self medicate in Mexico (especially if you are a poor English teacher who thinks he / she can't afford a doctor visit). Please be careful. I bought an antibiotic for an ear infection when I first came here and spoke less Spanish. Unknowingly, I took a penicillin derivative I was allergic to and made my problem a lot worse. At the very least, go to the doctors sometimes adjacent to the pharmacies for an inexpensive consultation before you self medicate. It may save your life.

Also many Americans and Canadians overuse antibiotics. The reason I'm allergic to penicillin is that every time I sneezed or sniffled as a child, my parents ordered a shot of penicillin causing me to develop an allergy. Most colds are caused by viruses which aren't eliminated by antibiotics. Overuse of antibiotics in a country where they are readily available can cause allergies or cause the drugs to be ineffective as bacteria develop immunities because of their over-use.

hlamb · Joined: 09 Dec 2003 Posts: 431 Location: Canada

ls650 · Joined: 10 May 2003 Posts: 3484 Location: British Columbia

El Gallo · Joined: 05 Feb 2007 Posts: 318

I'm not sure how common it is but I developed the allergy at 30. The doctors told me my body had built up an intolerance of it. It is pretty serious because alternative antibiotics sometimes aren't as effective and sulfa drugs sometimes have an interaction with sunlight.

J Sevigny · Joined: 26 Feb 2006 Posts: 161

I highly recommend staying away from the 20 peso, Dr. Simi-type doctors. I don't understand my colleagues who complain about med companies in the states being in bed with doctors and then come to Mexico and visit doctors whose mission is to sell medicine made by the company they work for. I've heard several horror stories about Dr. Simi but can't verify them so won't repeat them.

What I can say is that DIF clinics contract real doctors and in Jalisco charge 35 pesos for a visit. Any decent position should give you access to IMSS, which despite what people say, has been a lifesaver for many, many Mexicans. There's also a way to independently enroll in IMSS for something like 1,800 pesos a year.

MELEE · Posted: Mon May 14, 2007 9:41 pm Post subject:

I decided not to say anything when I saw the first post this morning, but now I can't keep quiet.

PLEASE don't use the DIF (Desarollo Integral de la Familia). They have a limited budget that they use to help poor families in Mexico. No matter how little an English teacher in Mexico might be making, you do not classify as "poor". If you use their services you are taking away from what they can offer to people in need.

IMSS has a set list of medications that the doctors can prescribe for each ailment. So some of our teachers have had good luck and can get the medications they need for long term care free from IMSS, but others haven't had such luck. One such teacher had previously tried the drug IMSS uses for migranes and knew that it didn't work for her. Another teacher with high blood pressure was on another medicine in the states, came here and tried the IMSS medicine for a while, but it did not work well for him so he had to go back to buying his old medicine out of pocket.

In my city a consultation with a private doctor only costs 100 to 300 pesos. So many times I prefer to pay the 100 than wait half the day at IMSS.

danielita · Joined: 06 Mar 2006 Posts: 281 Location: SLP

srtab · Joined: 16 Oct 2005 Posts: 24 Location: Arizona

What about birth control pills? I am considering bringing a supply, but my health care will only give me the cheaper price for 1 month at a time. (The regular price is $50 / month! Ouch!) Soooo... not sure what to do. I considered going off of it...

any advice, ladies?

J Sevigny · Joined: 26 Feb 2006 Posts: 161

DIF has a limited budget. IMSS has a limited budget. So it's OK to go to IMSS but not DIF? Hmmm.

Those limited budgets come from our taxes and not all of us make as much as you might think, Melee. We have teachers making 2,000 a month and can't afford a visit to a private doctor. But most of us at my school, I think, pay taxes. I do, anyway.

I go to the DIF here in Guadalajara. There is generally nobody waiting to see the doctor. I pay the 35 pesos. The doctor sees me, recommends a medicine, and I go out and buy it. It costs the doctor less than 30 minutes and costs the DIF virtually nothing besides maybe the price of the little piece of paper on which they write my name.

My point is not that everyone should go out and run to the DIF. My point is that if you are broke and sick, as I have been at times, DIF is a better option than Dr. Simi.

MELEE · Posted: Tue May 15, 2007 4:41 pm Post subject:

cangringo · Joined: 18 Jan 2007 Posts: 327 Location: Vancouver, Canada

I wasn't suggesting that one should overuse antibiotics...I know about the superbugs etc. I was just pointing out that if one does need them they are available without prescription here.

I have heard horror stories about the IMSS here...so I guess it depends - I have also heard good things about Dr. Simi. I do know that I'm not going to a specialist every time I have a pain like people here do. We have lots of clinics around but it's hard to find one open in the middle of the night. I have also heard about people being left at the scene of an accident because they didn't have enough money to pay for an ambulance...that is scary.