U.S.-Mexico bordertowns: a hub of pharmaceuticals not FDA appoved

Mexican pharmaceuticals are entering the U.S. at a staggering rate that is growing annually. The majority of drugs are not approved by the Food and Drug Administration and could potentially harm those who take them.

A large number of elderly make yearly treks to Mexican border towns, such as Nogales, Sonora, to purchase generic drugs at a discount price. But the larger majority are under the age of 35, according to Dr. Marvin Shepard at the University of Texas College of Pharmacy.

In Nogales, several 'farmacias' line Avenue Alvaro Obregon, the main street, providing ready-to-sell prescription drugs along with hastily written prescriptions to anyone with the money to buy them.

Dangerous drugs like Somas and Vicodin, both considered controlled substances by the FDA and U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency, line the pharmacies' shelves and are just a two of vast selection.

Mexico is a fun place to visit and my friends and I often go south for an afternoon to have lunch and a few beers at one of the many bars. The food is good, the beers are cheap and the experience is worth the drive. The problem is the annoying drug peddlers on the street.

A man working for the 'veterinarian clinic' located on a second story above Avenue Alvaro Obregon tried to coax us up by asking, "Steroids, steroids? Testosterone?" After saying no several times the man decided to walk next to us down the strip and began showing labels of the steroids he sells. "Only $150 dollars."

This experience is not the first time I have experienced the pressure put on tourist to purchase illegal substances. Popular Mexican spring break locations offer the same drugs. Pharmacists tell U.S. citizens the best ways to get the drugs past the border. They tell you one suggestion is to buy a souvenir and conceal or mail it to a U.S. address for an additional fee.

In 2003, more than 2,000,000 packages of pharmaceuticals made their way into the country through the mail system. Another, perhaps larger number of drugs are smuggled into the country.

Boldenone Undecyclate, a steroid made by Quality Vet,
a Mexican steroid labshut down in late 2005.

The 'farmacias' are a major source of revenue for the Mexican economy and the government has failed to provide strict regulation on the booming industry.

Mexican Pharmaceuticals at the Border... OR, Where the Pain Pills AT? is a film made by University of Arizona student about border pharmacies and their clientèle. The film interviews a student who was caught with drugs without a prescription at a border crossing and a Mexican pharmacy owner. It is one of the first documentaries to investigate this rising issue along the U.S.-Mexico border.