Mexico’s “Russian Roulette” Pharmacies
Americans trying to avoid high drug prices run the risk of getting counterfeit and adulterated meds
American drug prices are sky-high. Prescriptions cost more in the U.S. than any other country. It is understandable that many patients save money by filling their prescriptions abroad.
About 1.7 million Americans annually cross the Mexican border looking for inexpensive prescription meds. Hundreds of small pharmacies cram the main streets of bustling tourist towns in northern Mexico. Los Algodones, for instance, a town of 5,000 just across the border from Yuma, Arizona, has about 250 doctors and dentists catering to Americans who fill their orders at more than twenty drug stores. On the busiest days, about 15,000 Americans cross the border to fill prescriptions. Some of the local pharmacies advertise their specialty; one, for instance, is nicknamed “Viagraland.”
Drug prices in Mexico can be about 80% cheaper than …
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