Job Discussion Forums

heyduke11 · Joined: 05 Jan 2008 Posts: 8

I have type 2 Diabetes and need to take two different pills for it. How does the cost of prescription drugs compare to price in the States.

kosherpickle · Joined: 24 Nov 2006 Posts: 93

well, i don't know how it compares with other medications, but in the states my birth control is $30 for the generic with no insurance, in mexico it's about $13 for 3 months worth. which is a big difference for someone who makes as little as i do.
that is the only medication buying experience i have had so far.

Phil_K · Joined: 25 Jan 2007 Posts: 2041 Location: A World of my Own

You will be pleased to know that awareness of diabetes in Mexico is very high, with regular reports on the news and in the newspapers, and that food products for diabetics are widely available.

hoshi · Joined: 16 Apr 2007 Posts: 17 Location: Minnesota, USA

Well, I have to take valium for a medical condition I have . It costs me about $25/mo to get it from Target in the US. In Mexico it ranged from 400-600 pesos depending on the farmacia and deals they had going on. It seems kind of strange shopping around for prescription drugs, but it paid off for me.

MELEE · Posted: Tue Jan 22, 2008 2:12 pm Post subject:

It totally depends on what the medicine is.

Mexico has a fairly large pharmacuitical industry and drugs made in Mexico can be much cheaper than in the US. They are also priced to be sold to Mexicans in a country where most do not have private insurance plans, so I believe there is less mark up.
However, some medications are imported. These can be very expensive. On several occasions I have had to buy medinices made in Germany or France for myself or my daughters and these are very expensive. I had one injection that cost 50 dollars in the US, in Mexico the price is 1,500 pesos. (This is an injection Rh- women need after giving birth so don't worry, I doubt you'll need it). Luckily, I was able to get it for free from IMSS.
There are also some alternative treatments for diabetes in Mexico if you are interested in exploring that sort of thing.

gypsygirl1475 · Joined: 03 Dec 2007 Posts: 78

I am not sure what treatment my father-in-law had for his diabetes but it was very inexpensive, we had to pay cash because he does not have insurance, but he does not have diabetes now. All he had was a series of injections. Now all we have to do is make sure he watches his diet and keep his doctor's appointments.

heyduke11 · Joined: 05 Jan 2008 Posts: 8

Thanks for the information. I take Metformin & Glipizide for diabetes. I can actually get it cheaper here in the states without insurance. I pay $4.00 each at Walmart for a month supply. I also take the Generic Ambien (Zolpidem). I shoped around and found it going for anywhere from $14.00 to $124.00. With insurance it was $30.00. Makes me wonder how prescription drugs are priced. I doubt I will be able to find it cheaper than Walmart but was just hoping it wasn't over priced in Mexico.

gypsygirl1475 · Joined: 03 Dec 2007 Posts: 78

Most people take other drugs similar to the regular ones. I have found that when I have replaced drugs that the Mexican form are far more better and with less side affects, maybe not all are the same but this is my experience. You might want to research the companies that make your medication because most of them also make their own generics which are usually identical in results. My mother was a pharmasist and let me in on this information when I didn't have health insurance.