Antibiotics at Walmart in PV without an Rx

[57redbird]

I know you can buy them at Pharmacias but can you buy them at Walmart without a prescription?  TIA.

[57redbird]

Bump & hoping Hank or Ine will be able to answer.....TIA

[Ine]

I am not  so sure about Walmart, they can be rather strict.  The same for many of the Farmacias Guadalajara. 

There are a few farmacias with a free consult with a doctor they might be helpfull to you. However I was told that although the consult is free the medicines are sometimes more expensive. 

I never needed antibiotics around here, so I cannot be of any more help.

 

[Mike45LC]

I do not know the answer, but I have purchased antibiotics from some pharmacies in PV that I suspect were fake.  Maybe just outdated, but they did not have the smell that I associate with antibiotics, and they seemed ineffective.  I would hope that Walmart's pharmacy would be more reliable -- if they can sell w/o a prescription.

[riffatsea]

It is not legal to buy without a scrip. IF you do then you are purchasing at your own risk since you have no idea what you are getting.

https://www.kpbs.org/news/2010/aug/25/buying-antibiotics-mexico-without-prescription-thi/

Article about need for scrip  in Mexico.

Edited January 17, 2020 by riffatsea

[idahospud]

At Walmart you have to pay for a dr consult before getting antiobiotics. I can't remember exactly what I paid, but it seems it was around $12 USD last year. The pharmacy in the mall right next door doesn't require a consult for antibiotics. 

[pink845]

I hope that Walmart Mexico exercises some control and does not give out antibiotics like candy.  The overuse of antibiotics — especially taking antibiotics when they are not the appropriate treatment — promotes antibiotic resistance.   Self medication of antibiotics will eventually lead to harm and when you truly need an antibiotic, one will be up the creek without a paddle.  Are these drugs super expensive in the US that people need to get them in Mexico?  Maybe we are super protected here in Canada by our drug prices.  

 

If you are ill and warrant a course of antibiotics, I am sure the ship doctor will prescribe right there on the ship and you will know that they are not outdated.  I see drugs in some of these third world countries sitting on ledges in the sunlight in clear bottles and I get the shivers all the time knowing that their effectiveness is truly shot.

[jean87510]

17 hours ago, pink845 said:

I hope that Walmart Mexico exercises some control and does not give out antibiotics like candy.  The overuse of antibiotics — especially taking antibiotics when they are not the appropriate treatment — promotes antibiotic resistance.   Self medication of antibiotics will eventually lead to harm and when you truly need an antibiotic, one will be up the creek without a paddle.  Are these drugs super expensive in the US that people need to get them in Mexico?  Maybe we are super protected here in Canada by our drug prices.  

 

If you are ill and warrant a course of antibiotics, I am sure the ship doctor will prescribe right there on the ship and you will know that they are not outdated.  I see drugs in some of these third world countries sitting on ledges in the sunlight in clear bottles and I get the shivers all the time knowing that their effectiveness is truly shot.

I absolutely agree with this.  Spend a little extra for antibiotics on the ship rather than take a risk which could cost you a lot.  You are already paying for an expensive trip.  Why not just go to ship dr?  Recently, I was on a cruise that left out of San Juan.  We were in Culebra for 3-4 days prior.  I ended up with an infection but did not want to go to the clinic on Culebra, nor did I want to go in San Juan when we were driving through from Ceiba airport to San Juan.  I waited until I got to the ship and was diagnosed and given antibiotics.  Luckily, my medical insurance covers the visit and pills (we have pretty good insurance).  I would never purchase any antibiotics from anywhere I wasn't sure of.  If you are looking to just buy antibiotics on the black market, then maybe you should not be spending money on cruises and use for better health care coverage.  I know it is none of my business how people live their lives; however, it is really dangerous to try to obtain medications illegally without a prescription.

[57redbird]

Thanks for the replies ---- I'm trying to convince somebody that it's not in their best interest to buy them that way.

[Hlitner]

Not sure about Walmart and have doubts.  Technically, it is now illegal for a pharmacy to sell any antibiotics without a prescription from a doctor licensed in Mexico.  But there are still some pharmacies that will sell them, although they might add an additional fee (some of which might be used to later obtain a prescription to cover their backs).  You can certainly give it a try if you happen to be in Walmart, but if they say No.....do not push the issue.  Smaller pharmacies are more likely to fulfill your request.

 

Hank

[57redbird]

33 minutes ago, Hlitner said:

Not sure about Walmart and have doubts.  Technically, it is now illegal for a pharmacy to sell any antibiotics without a prescription from a doctor licensed in Mexico.  But there are still some pharmacies that will sell them, although they might add an additional fee (some of which might be used to later obtain a prescription to cover their backs).  You can certainly give it a try if you happen to be in Walmart, but if they say No.....do not push the issue.  Smaller pharmacies are more likely to fulfill your request.

 

Hank

Thanks, Hank --- I'll pass that along, too.

[Hlitner]

1 hour ago, 57redbird said:

Thanks, Hank --- I'll pass that along, too.

Just to be clear, we never buy drugs at Walmart.  We have used Costco, but most of our drugs are purchased in town where we live 10 weeks a year.  There are many pharmacies in PV and we tend to use the ones with the best reputations which would likely require a doctors prescription.  But if I want to buy antibiotics without a script I would use a smaller pharmacy.  Bottom line is you just walk in and ask.

 

Hank

[Mike45LC]

On 2/9/2020 at 1:02 PM, pink845 said:

I hope that Walmart Mexico exercises some control and does not give out antibiotics like candy.  The overuse of antibiotics — especially taking antibiotics when they are not the appropriate treatment — promotes antibiotic resistance.   Self medication of antibiotics will eventually lead to harm and when you truly need an antibiotic, one will be up the creek without a paddle.  Are these drugs super expensive in the US that people need to get them in Mexico?  Maybe we are super protected here in Canada by our drug prices.  

 

As to US drug prices, sometimes the US prices are out of control.

 

The retail price of my asthma medication at my local CVS Pharmacy (a national chain in the States) is about $300 for a one month supply.  

 

The same exact medication, manufactured by the same exact company but in New Zealand, costs $70 per month when I buy it mail-order from a Canadian pharmacy which honors my US prescription.  That is the total cost, without any contribution from my health insurance.  (My health insurance won't contribute to the cost of my importation of prescription medications.)

 

If I buy the same medicine in the States (whether from CVS Pharmacy or from Costco), with my insurance company paying part of the price, my contribution (or "co-pay") is over $200 per month.  

 

That is why I have been buying it from Canada for many years.

 

I do NOT buy my medications from Mexico because of my fear that the medications might not be pure, might be less than full-strength, might be expired and repackaged, ….   

 

[doctoranna]

Agree with Pink845.  Most routine illnesses are viral anyway, so antibiotics are useless and contribute to overall resistance.  For specific infections like bladder infections or maybe sinus infections (most of which are also viral), it is best to speak with a physician who is familiar with the patterns of resistance among the local bugs rather than to just take antibiotics willy-nilly.  Many basic antibiotics are relatively inexpensive in the US (Keflex, amoxicillin, sulfa, etc). Also keep in mind when taking antibiotics in Mexico that many of them cause photosensitivity reactions, so if you are going to take an antibiotic for a legitimate purpose, stay out of the sun!  As an MD, I would not take an antibiotic purchased in Mexico unless I was legitimately ill and it was the only alternative.

[canadjineh]

Hubby often gets UTI's due to bladder surgeries he's had.  Usually there is a doctor who speaks English well and can do a test or at least check you out first.  We had this happen on Isla Mujeres (I know, wrong coast, lol) and had no problem getting a scrip and an effective antibiotic for a decent price.  We were not on a cruise but were land based for two weeks in a little local hotel. I might be more suspect of some countries in Africa or out of the way places in Asia, but really Mexico is not as backward and 'third world' as many people think, the locals in these places need doctors & prescriptions too, and we just asked at our hotel who they trusted.  

[CheckersMidwest]

We always buy a few antibiotics when in Mexico. (Although it's cancun,  cozumel.....). I do not have insurance. I have to take an entire day off work - without pay - to go to the doctor. So for say, a sinus infection, that I get once every fall and maybe again in the spring.....it cost me hundreds of dollars plus the full cost of the medicine. I can buy a 10 day supply of keflex (yes, it is what is prescribed for sinus infection) for $3.

[oyme]

On 2/10/2020 at 10:18 AM, 57redbird said:

Thanks for the replies ---- I'm trying to convince somebody that it's not in their best interest to buy them that way.

I actually don't blame them for wanting some to hold onto. I already know my Doc will prescribe on day 8 if I still am sick. I feel like as long as you aren't using them on day 1 or 2 it makes sense to want to have some laying around just in case. When you're sick, who wants to go to the doctor? Because I don't. I wanna lay around being sick, lol.

 

Not in their best interest more d/t the chance of being fakes. That part is scary. I saw a documentary on fake medicine, some of the things put in there are scary. I can't fully remember the documentary but I know there was some scary stuff in there.

Edited May 19, 2022 by oyme

[Hlitner]

I am going to ignore the issue of whether buying and determining your own antibiotic needs is a good thing and just deal with the OP's question.  I cannot speak specifically to Walmart (in PV) since we do not buy our meds at that store (we live in PV 10 weeks a year).  But I have purchased antibiotics without a prescription (most recently in March) in PV.   Technically, the rules/law in Mexico does require a prescription (from a Mexican physician) to purchase most antibiotics.  However, in practice most pharmacies ignore the rules and will sell you the drugs.  

 

As to "fake drugs" I do not think that is much of an issue with relatively low cost antibiotics purchased at legitimate pharmacies in PV.   Drugs like Keflex, the various penicillin's, Cipro, tetracycline, etc. are easy to get and reasonably priced.  

 

Hank

[Wildcatllamas]

I always buy antibiotics in Mexico. I have a ranch and to bring the vet out it is $250 trip fee, usually a $150 for the exam and then the antibiotics, the last time, they were an additional $35.

 

When I have an animal with an abscess I know what to do. I currently can buy liquid PenV without a script in the states, but many vets are trying to get a law passed to prevent that. So for my small animals I buy the capsules in Mexico and the large animals, I keep my fingers crossed that they don't stop ranchers from being able to buy liquid antibiotics.

 

[ATSEAMYLIFE]

If you can find a Roma they have a doctor on site or next door.  I would use them before I would battle the crowds at Walmart or Costco.  

[puggleperson]

I hate to say this but I’ve never had a problem getting controlled substances at the mall pharmacy but I don’t know about antibiotics. . If they sell Vicodin and Xanax I’m sure they wouldn’t mind selling antibiotics 😂😂😂 

That was the old me though,  the last time I did that was in 2019.