Taking Prescription Medication To Mexico

October 19, 2014
Michael Ryan
Rx Medicine

Prescription Medicine

You should take care if you need to carry medication with you on your trip to Mexico.  You may need that medication for your general health, but it could land you in legal trouble if you are not careful.

When you take your personal medications across the border, you will not be liable for duties payable.  The most important thing to do if you are carrying prescription medication is to carry copies of your prescriptions to allow you to prove that the medicines are for your own personal use.  You should not carry excessive amounts of prescription medication with you as this may appear suspicious.  You will be able to get away with the prescription copy and explanation better if you are carrying a reasonable amount of medication in line with the length of your stay.

Important Points To Remember

The authorities in Mexico will pay special attention to those who are carrying psychotropics, such as opiate derivatives and Valium, as well as HIV drugs.  If you are from an area where medical marijuana is legal, you would be better off to leave it at home.  Although there is a lot of information regarding medical marijuana and how it should be handled, the Mexican law enforcement authorities have a zero-tolerance policy when it comes to anything linked to marijuana.

The laws regulating controlled substances differs greatly between the US and Mexico.  Mexican public health laws with regard to pharmaceuticals are not very clearly stated.  For more information, you should visit the Mexican Federal Commission for Protection against Health Risks’ website.  Items such as heart medications, antidepressants, antibiotics and birth control pills require prescriptions from a Mexican doctor who is licensed, but they are also sold over the counter.

Medical Care for Mexican Tourists

Foreigners are offered free emergency medical attention in Mexico.  There are many government clinics and hospitals across the country.  Focus should be placed on ‘emergency’ in this case.  You may find that the public healthcare system is not as comprehensive in Mexico as it is in the US.

If you take care with the types of medication you carry and ensure that you have the necessary paperwork, you should not experience any problems with the authorities.

Do Not Forget Your Mexican Auto Insurance Policy

To ensure that you are able to obtain the best medical care or be returned home for medical care if required, you should consider travel insurance.  When you buy Mexican auto insurance for the vehicle you intend driving to Mexico, you should ascertain if you would be covered for airlifting back to the US in the case of a serious accident. You can  purchase your Mexican insurance policy from this URL.

Mexican Insurance

It is vital that you obtain the correct Mexican car insurance policy for your needs.  You should consider the value of your vehicle and ensure that you are suitably covered in the event of an accident.  Mexican roads are not of the same standard as in the US and, depending on the area you are traveling in, you may be surprised by animals crossing the road.  This could quite easily result in a vehicle accident.

In this case, it is essential that you have adequate liability coverage for any damage you may cause to third parties.  If you are driving a vehicle of high value, you may want to consider obtaining comprehensive Mexican auto insurance.