Mexican authorities have issued a series of serious concerns, including the sale of expired or potentially counterfeit medicines, at 23 of the 55 pharmacies they visited in the resort cities of Cancun, Tulum and Playa del Carmen. The pharmacy was closed after discovering fraud.
A series of four-day raids, dubbed “Operation Albatros” by the Mexican government, took place months later. Los Angeles Times Survey Drugstores in major tourist destinations across Mexico have revealed they are selling counterfeit pills containing fentanyl and methamphetamine.
It’s not clear if anyone has faced criminal charges, but a Mexican federal health official said: statement On Tuesday, authorities seized 21 products, seizing a range of drugs they plan to test for adulteration, including fentanyl.Raids in the Yucatan Peninsula come weeks later similar operation Four people were arrested on the other side of the country and about 25,000 pills were seized from a Los Cabos pharmacy.
Mexican drugstores have long sold a wide range of over-the-counter medicines, including those that require a prescription in the United States. Until recently, pharmaceutical market experts generally believed that over-the-counter tablets – unlike tablets sold on the street – were at least: The store owner and the person in charge of packaging said so.
And in February, The Times announced the results of the survey After trying the drug at pharmacies reporters visited Tijuana, San Jose del Cabo and Cabo San Lucas. In each city, some of the over-the-counter tablets sold as oxycodone or Adderall tested positive for fentanyl or methamphetamine. UCLA research team recorded the results of the investigation at about the same time.
A pharmacy window in Quintana Roo, Mexico, has signs informing customers that services have been suspended.
(Mexican Federal Sanitary Risk Prevention Commission)
Over the next few weeks, reporters identified at least six infected people. overdose or death For years, grieving families have warned lawmakers and federal officials of the dangers after they took drugs purchased from Mexican pharmacies.But the U.S. State Department did not explicitly warn the public of the danger until March.
The Times reported on June 14th. Broader research Countries around the country have documented the problem, including Tulum and Playa del Carmen, two of the three cities targeted by Operation Albatross. More than 50% of the 55 pills bought nationwide by a Times reporter were counterfeit. More than a third of the alleged pain relievers were actually fentanyl, and 80% of the Adderall samples contained methamphetamine or, in some cases, MDMA.
Mexican federal prosecutors told reporters at the time that officials were interested in the Times investigation and hoped to file charges against possible prosecution. A few weeks later, a judge gave the go-ahead to raid pharmacies in Cabo San Lucas and San Jose del Cabo, and got a box of cash and pills.
UCLA researcher Chelsea Chauver said she had been waiting for months for the Times’ findings and similar results she and a team of other researchers documented in four cities in northwestern Mexico. , has asked for answers and action. earlier this year.
“Stopping the sale of counterfeit tablets in individual pharmacies is an important step and it’s good to see it happening,” she said. “It’s also important that the government continues to warn travelers and locals about the problem, because perhaps many other pharmacies are experiencing this.”
In a statement on Tuesday, authorities said the recent raids in Quintana Roo were carried out “in response to various civil complaints”, adding that millions of tourists visit the area each year. Some pharmacies sold irregular pills only to foreigners in a bid to target tourists, according to a statement issued by Mexican health authorities, jointly with the country’s navy, which supported the operation.
When a Times reporter visited Mexico earlier this year, he found dozens of pharmacies selling counterfeit drugs in busy tourist and hotel districts. Sales clerks spoke to customers in English and often quoted prices in US dollars.
Health officials said in a statement on Tuesday that some of the pharmacies raided had provided advertising cards with addresses and phone numbers. They expressed concern that pharmacies were selling prohibited substances and medicines without the necessary prescriptions. During five trips to Mexico this year, reporters have acquired more than 20 such cards. In many cases the phone number was not working or no one answered.
Aside from concerns over counterfeit and expired medicines, health officials said in a statement Tuesday that pharmacies were operating without the necessary health licenses, stocking tablets without proper documentation from drug suppliers, He also confirmed that he was giving prescription drugs without a doctor’s signature. Some stores lacked patient data or had no evidence of legal possession of the controlled substance on hand.
Mexican health official went on to say They work to circumvent regulations and protect people from companies that unfairly market controlled substances, which could potentially “endanger the health and even lives of those who take them.” said there is.
