The US Division of State has issued a journey warning about harmful counterfeit drugs bought in pharmacies in Mexico that always include fentanyl.
The journey advisory posted Friday says Individuals ought to “watch out when shopping for medicines in Mexico.”
Small pharmacies in vacationer areas and border areas typically promote marketed medicine similar to OxyContin, Percocet, Xanax, and others with out a prescription.
The State Division warned that such drugs are sometimes counterfeit and “might include lethal doses of fentanyl.”
“Counterfeit drugs are simply marketed on social media and might be bought at small, non-chain pharmacies in Mexico alongside the border and in vacationer areas,” he mentioned.
A research led by researchers on the College of California, Los Angeles discovered that 68% of 40 Mexican pharmacies visited in 4 cities in northern Mexico bought oxycodone, Xanax or Adderall, and that 27% of these pharmacies bought pretend drugs.
UCLA mentioned the research, printed in January, discovered that “conventional pharmacies in vacationer cities in northern Mexico are promoting counterfeit drugs containing fentanyl, heroin, and methamphetamine.
These drugs are bought primarily to American vacationers and infrequently pose as managed substances similar to Oxycodone, Percocet, and Adderall.”
“These counterfeit drugs pose a severe overdose threat to purchasers who imagine they’re getting a recognized quantity of a weaker drug,” mentioned Chelsea Shover, resident assistant professor of drugs on the David Geffen Faculty of Medication at UCLA.
Anecdotal proof means that the issue exists in seaside resorts like Playa del Carmen and Tulum, not simply in border cities.
The State Division didn’t reply to a request for touch upon whether or not any Individuals overdosed or died from drug gross sales in Mexico.
A State Division spokesperson wrote in response to the request that “The US State Division has no larger precedence than the security of US residents overseas. We take significantly our dedication to supply Americans with clear, well timed, and dependable details about each nation on the earth to allow them to make knowledgeable journey selections.”
