Buying OTC Medications at Mexican Pharmacies: What Travelers Should Know

Every country has its own rules on what drugs you can purchase over the counter, and which ones require prescriptions. Mexico is no exception. For many American travelers, a trip to Mexico is an opportunity to purchase OTC medications at an affordable price.

That said, safety comes first! And following the law is pretty darn important too. Before you purchase — or ingest — any medication, please educate yourself about what you are getting and its potential effects.

I am not a doctor or a pharmacist. Consult your own medical professional before taking any medication.

Before my visit to Puerto Vallarta, I’d heard you could buy a lot of medications over the counter there. Like, drugs we need prescriptions for in the United States are OTC in Mexico.

What I wasn’t prepared for was the sheer number of farmacias. In PV’s Zona Romantica, aka tourist party central, there was a white farmacia on every block. Literally. Every. Block.

And when we boated off to Yelapa, a tiny indigenous village that doesn’t even have cars, I was shocked to count not one, not two, but three pharmacies.

Most of these Mexican pharmacies are tiny. Like, you walk in and you’re already at the counter. All or most of the medications are kept behind the counter, where you can read the labels on the boxes. And in most of the little farmacias, no prices were listed. The excpetion: The farmacia inside Soriana, a big Target-style store, posts prices.

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What OTC drugs can buy at a Mexican drugstore

The signs posted outside will let you know: Mexican pharmacies sell lots of medications over the counter. I saw offers for Viagra, Tramadol (an opioid) and Flexiril (a muscle relaxant). I even saw Ozempic advertised at one farmacia.

According to my own experience and other sources, you may see the following drugs for sale OTC at farmacies in Mexico:

• birth control pills
• some anti-depressants
• Ozempic and Wegovy (some say you need a prescription to bring it back home)
• Viagra
• Tramadol
• Flexiril
• anabolic steroids
  
  According to Mexican healthcare provider CMQ, you can buy everything except antibiotics and “controlled medications” without a prescription in Mexico.

What drugs you can’t buy OTC at Mexican pharmacies

I asked for Scopalamine patches, which I use for seasickness, but the pharmacist had never heard of that drug. I also didn’t see Vicodin or Oxycontin advertised. Adderal is not supposed to be sold OTC in Mexico, so if you see any for sale, be skeptical.

CMQ lists the following as requiring prescriptions in Mexico:

• antibiotics
• Valium
• Xanax
• Ritalin

What medications I bought at the farmacia

On the advice of my SCUBA instructor, I bought a motion sickness drug called Diphenidol. It’s not sold in the US. I was pleased to see it only cost $1 (16 pesos) for 30 tablets.

Unfortunately, Diphenidol didn’t stop me from getting seasick on the SCUBA boat. I later bought a Mexican brand (or generic?) of Dimenhydrinate, aka Dramamine, for $1.60.

I also bought Tramadol ($5.50 for 10 tablets) because I have tennis elbow from rock climbing. However, I didn’t find it effective against the pain. I felt more relief form the ibuprofen I’d brought from home.

Which pharmacy should you visit in Mexico?

Most of the farmacias I saw in PV appeared to be the same chain — Farmacia PV. However, they sold medications for different prices. Pharmacies in tourist areas charged much higher prices than those shopping districts frequented by locals.

Other pharmacies I have seen recommended in Mexico:

• Costco
• Soriana
• Farmacia Guadalajara
• Farmacia del Ahorro
• Yza
• Walmart
• Chedraui

Navigating a Mexican pharmacy

These stores are nothing like Walgreens or CVS. You usually can’t browse the stock and pick up what you want. You have to ask for it at the counter. Fortunately — at least in tourist areas — they tend to list everything they sell on big posters, so even if you don’t speak Spanish, you can always point.

Before you go, read this guide to navigating Mexican pharmacies!

Beware of these risks of buying from Mexican pharmacies

Of course, it can be risky to take any prescription drug without consulting a doctor. You wouldn’t catch me personally messing around with the Human Growth Hormone I saw advertised.

But the scariest thing I read about Mexican OTC drugs were reports that some pills sold in legitimate pharmacies in Mexico contain Fentanyl.

Because of the counterfeit risk, the CDC recommends against buying medication outside the United States. They note that up to 41% of medications sold in low- and middle-income countries (like Mexico) are counterfeit. That compares to less than 1% in the United States. But if you do buy drugs abroad, the CDC shares some safety tips, including sticking to licensed pharmacies and asking about the drug ingredients.

MedAire also offers tips, including this one: Drugs sold as controlled substances like opioids or stimulants are frequently counterfeit.

Finally, you should know that you could get fined if you try to import medications from Mexican pharmacies into the United States.

The Customs and Border Patrol web site states: “[I]n most cases, it’s illegal for a U.S. citizen to obtain drugs from outside the United States and import for personal use.”

But in practice, it’s well known that Americans routinely cross the border to purchase medications, but with prescriptions and OTC. If you do decide to bring OTC drugs back from Mexico, follow this expert advice:

The CBP says you must carry medications in their original packaging and declare them. They also say you should carry a prescription or doctor’s note.

Drugs that are specifically banned from import to the United States

While CBP says you’re not supposed to bring any drugs purchased in Mexisco across the border, there is one category of drugs they call out specifically as banned: “narcotics and certain other drugs with a high potential for abuse.” CBP warns of “severe penalties” if you are caught with these drugs at the border. They include:

• Rohypnol
• GHB
• Fen-Phen

What will happen at the border if the CBP says your medication purchased in Mexico isn’t allowed?

If you attempt to bring banned narcotics across the border, of course you could be prosecuted. But what about if you bring an ordinary OTC medication puchased at a Mexican pharmacy, but you accidentally don’t follow CBP policies? According to Dayo Dental, a Mexican practice, CBP could confiscate the medication.