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Published: February 2002
US Customs announced that medicines from a Baja California chain of pharmacies will be confiscated at the border. Starting today, medicines purchased from farmacias VIDA SUPREMA, a Tijuana based chain of twenty pharmacies are "medicinas non gratis" into the United States. US Custom's beef isn't with the medicines that VIDA SUPREMA sells, but rather with the farmacia chain itself -- The US Attorney General says that the pharmacy is somehow linked to the infamous Arellano Felix drug cartel and the ban is one way the United States plans to combat profits and money laundering.
For medicine purchasers, this shouldn't even be a blip on the radar screen -- the chain is limited to Tijuana and Mexicali, and isn't really considered to be one of the major players in the steeply competitive retail pharmacy trade in Mexico.
The noticeable effect will be at US Customs when returning to the USA. The agent in the kiosk will be looking for, among other things, a tell-tale plastic sack or sacks sitting on the floorboard or seat. He will then ask if the sack contains medicines. If yes, you will be asked to furnish a receipt showing the items and the name of the pharmacy.
When entering the US, you are considered guilty until proven innocent, so a sack of medicine without a receipt is very likely to be confiscated. It doesn't matter if the medicines are over the counter or controlled, or if you have a valid Mexican prescription, if the medicines were purchased at Vida Suprema or they have no sales receipt proving they were purchased elsewhere you might as well kiss them goodbye.
Note that confiscation of the medicine is the extent of punitive action, unless of course you somehow run afoul of long-standing regulations (to brush up existing rules and regulations, refer to the several articles on purchasing prescription medicines on the People's Guide web site).
I plan on being organized to the point where when the Customs Agent asks me to declare and I reply "Medicines for my personal use". I will have receipts, stapled and in-hand ready to pass over to him
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