PUERTO VALLARTA - An in-depth investigation by The Times has uncovered a rampant counterfeit medication issue spanning across several popular tourist destinations in Mexico, including Puerto Vallarta.
The investigation revealed that over 50% of the 55 pills bought in 29 different pharmacies from eight cities were fake, with dangerous substances such as methamphetamine and deadly fentanyl posing as Adderall, Percocet, and other opioid painkillers.
These counterfeit medications were discovered not only in independent pharmacies but also in recognized regional chains in Puerto Vallarta and Nuevo Progreso. Even sealed bottles purchased at these stores were found to contain these powerful drugs, indicating a sophisticated operation likely linked to drug cartels.
"These counterfeit pills show an utter lack of control in pharmacies. It’s institutionalized murder,” commented Vanda Felbab-Brown, a senior fellow at the Brookings Institution, who has extensively studied drug cartels.
Although it is impossible to determine the exact death toll due to the lack of comprehensive toxicology testing in Mexico, it has been confirmed that at least half a dozen Americans have either overdosed or died after consuming these counterfeit pills.
The Times' investigation found the widespread presence of these counterfeit medications in tourist hot spots, including Playa del Carmen, Cozumel, Tulum, Los Cabos, and Puerto Vallarta. Counterfeit medications were easily purchased over the counter at many locations, and in Puerto Vallarta, a popular resort town, they were even available at a well-known pharmacy chain.
“Counterfeit pills are one of the greatest threats to the safety and health of Americans today,” stated DEA Administrator Anne Milgram, addressing the issue of fentanyl-laced pills. However, the concern now expands beyond Americans, as counterfeit pills are now common throughout Mexico, potentially affecting tourists from outside the Americas.
In Puerto Vallarta, a city known more for its appeal to gay tourism than medical tourism, powerful medications are readily sold over the counter in drugstores nestled between bars and boutiques.
Times reporters bought and tested a range of medications from tourist-friendly areas. The majority of the medications were easily available over the counter, often for less than $20 each. In Nuevo Progreso, bottles of oxycodone that turned out to be counterfeit were available for as little as $40.
In more upscale areas like the Riviera Maya, pharmacies were less willing to sell powerful narcotics without a prescription. Yet, when these medications were available, they were often sold as multi-tablet blister packs or entire bottles, sometimes priced at over $700 U.S. per bottle.
“Governments need to mount a really serious warning campaign,” Felbab-Brown warned, suggesting that European governments need to be proactive in educating their citizens about the potential risks when traveling to these areas.
The investigation has shed light on the disturbing presence of counterfeit pills in Mexican pharmacies, a matter of global public health concern. Not only are these counterfeit drugs potentially lethal, but the ease of acquiring them over the counter in Mexican pharmacies adds a new level of concern for tourists traveling to these areas.
