With new healthcare it cost me $6500.00 before I get any coverage. If I buy my meds in Mexico I could avoid using our system and save a lot. Just checking if anyone else has had success with this?
A quick search of online Mexican pharmacies showed some diabetes meds but no insulin. I didn’t see any of the more modern type II diabetes meds. They do list Metformin for sale. I searched for blood glucose test strips and it came up empty. I read that you’re limited to bringing back a personal 3-month supply.
We do have all sorts of insulin here in Mexico, except for the newer fiasp we also have most glucose test strips. There is no prescription needed for any of those.
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Im looking for Victoza and Tresiba. Never heard of Fiasp, thanks, I might
go to Canada for that! Ill be in Los Algodones April 12, I need to find a
pharmacy with my stuff.
Frances Fletcher
Cool I was thinking about moving closer to Canada if Trumpcare became law, but I am already in Texas.
What about Glipizide? Does anyone know if Metformin is the only prescribed drug available.
It is a long story, but my cruise line destroyed my insulin and I had to buy insulin in Mexico I was able to replace my insulin without a problem and it didn’t require a doctor to intervene. Medications are less well controlled compared to the US, but with care in selecting where you purchase supplies, you should not have a problem. But do not think you can just go purchase supplies in Mexico thinking you can just avoid high prices in the US, it just doesn’t work that way.
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What cruise line? I was a musician for 4 years on Carnival.
It would be worse taking insulin on a land base job though.
This was actually with Carnival, you can read the story in my post “Gosh - Sorry about your FROZEN INSULIN!.” This was a few months after starting insulin. These days I would just keep my insulin in my room in a Frio.
Agreed. Not all pharmacies have good training so you have to double check before buying. Not all cities have all types of medication and/or insulins so it is sometimes complicated.
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¡Hola! ¿Cómo estás Mariana? Thanks for the information on insulin availability in Mexico. Can you please help me with a couple more questions?
- Insulin does not require a prescription, correct?
- Do you know how much can be purchased at one time?
- Are insulin pump supplies available?
- Are these available through mail order pharmacies?
Gracias.
Hola @Painter1
- Correct, insulin does NOT need a prescription.
- You can buy as much insulin as you want. Take into consideration there are not many people (as compared to the US) who use insulin so availability is a thing. You would expect for each pharmacy to have perhaps 3 or 4 vials of different types of insulin.
- No, pump supplies have to be acquired via Medtronic (this is the only insulin pump we have here)
- Yes, most pharmacies have their online system.
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Gracias Mariana. Good to know. We are planning a move to Costa Rica in the future, so we are checking all possibilities for medicines.
Hi there I am a mom of a newly diagnosed Type 1 girl. My parents are currently in Mexico near The Yuma az border having dental work done. I was wondering if you know if they could get my daughter an Insulin Pump at a pharmacy there? Thankyou for your help 
Be careful about buying medicine in Mexico something like 40% of it is fake.
@katzgar Is there any documented proof behind your statement. I find it hard to believe 40% is fake.
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Yes, yes, yes, 1,000 times yes. I recently lived for 2 years on the US/Mexico border, but in Mexico, and it was so easy getting insulin in there. I would walk into any number of pharmacies, tell them I needed a pen of Tresiba, pay them about $20, and walk out 5 minutes later. If I crossed the border into the US the pharmacy would have asked for my prescription before doing anything, told me I’d have to wait two hours for them the fill the prescription, and would have charged me $400 without insurance for the exact same medicine. Needless to say, I bought pretty much everything in Mexico and I rarely had trouble finding what I needed.
@katzgar’s comment about 40% of medicine in Mexico being fake is ill-informed and is needless fear-mongering. The Tresiba and Novolog I purchased in Mexico were the exact same thing I would get in the US. Mexico has a well-developed health care system and the level of care you can receive there is well above the level of care in the US, especially if you are an expat and you can afford it. I am a fluent Spanish speaker, however, which takes a lot of fear out of the equation. I can understand how someone not familiar with the country, culture, or language might be hesitant at first to trust something so unfamiliar, but once you do and once you figure it out, you’ll dislike the health care system in the US even more then you probably already do.
I left Mexico about a year ago and I don’t wear a pump, so I cannot comment on the availability of pumps. I also don’t know about the availability of Trulicity or Victoza because I wasn’t using them at the time. But it terms of insulin, they had it all, it’s always the genuine thing, and it’s so affordable.
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I suggested had anybody has a question about this Google counterfeit meds
in Mexico it is a significant problem and part of what the cartels
manufacturer
I’d go to Canada first, but thats closer to me. Please remember that if the need for insulin is dire, you can purchase a short and long acting insulin over the counter (no Rx) at Walmart for $20/bottle.
I am curious if we can purchase a pump there, and what the cost would be. My daughter is having some anxiety and depression due to the amount of injections daily, and I’m hoping that a pump may help. Currently we are able to get insulin at a reasonable price with our copay of our insurance
Sorry @Shauna3 I do not know about pump costs in Mexico. I would think you should be able to get a pump through you insurance for a type 1 child, most likely for less expense than paying full price in Mexico. You should stay in the US for your daughters pump due to the continuing cost of pump supplies for which you will need you insurance to pay for.