Cancun & Mexican Caribbean Pharmacies Closed After Selling Tourists Fake Pills 

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Last Updated 9 months ago

There are few things regarding safety that travelers to Cancun and the rest of the Mexican Caribbean have to worry about when visiting.   

Petty crimes like pickpocketing and getting scammed by fake tour operators are about the extent of crime that tourists typically deal with in popular Mexican Caribbean vacation destinations.   

But the discovery of multiple pharmacies selling tourists fake pills has led to concern regarding tourist safety and has resulted in more than 20 pharmacies being closed in Tulum, Playa del Carmen, and Cancun. 

The Discovery Of Fake Pills In The Mexican Caribbean 

The discovery of the fake pills found in a total of 23 pharmacies spread out between Tulum, Playa del Carmen, and Cancun was made by the Ministry of the Navy.   

In an operation that took officials four days, a total of 55 pharmacies were inspected.   

The 23 pharmacies that were found to have fake pills that did not contain in them what was advertised were immediately shut down. 

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What’s In The Fake Pills 

The fake pills that were seized in this most recent inspection of pharmacies have not yet been analyzed.   

Usually, these drugs are found in pills being passed off in pharmacies as things like Percocet, Oxycodone, and Adderall.   

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@dr.phreshh I visited a pharmacy in mexico.. you dont need prescription to buy medicine👀😬…#pharmacist #pharmacy #learnontiktok #relateable #prescription #mexico #fyp #fypシ #xyzbca ♬ Madommaherbal – Madomma Naturals

The Dangers Of Fake Medicine 

Just a small amount of the dangerous drugs found in fake pills in the Mexican Caribbean, particularly fentanyl, can cause one to overdose.   

So when tourists buy a pill, thinking it is a drug that they know the dosing of, they don’t know how much of or what drug they’re getting.   

In February, an Assistant Professor at the UCLA School of Medicine commented that “fake pills pose a serious risk of overdose for buyers who believe they are acquiring a known amount of a less strong drug.” 

@callmebelly they got it all 💊 🇲🇽 #mexico #pharmacist #pharmacy #travelwithme ♬ Blue Blood – Heinz Kiessling

The Extent Of The Problem 

This is not the first time that fake pills have been discovered in Mexican Caribbean pharmacies.   

In fact, in March, the U.S. State Department issued a warning to travelers about the sale of pills containing fentanyl in pharmacies.   

This is after a UCLA study found that 27 percent of a total of 40 pharmacies in Mexico that were visited were selling fake pills.   

@light_travels #mexico #carribean #cancun #shocking #dontdodrugs #vacation ♬ original sound – Travel Agency

An Ongoing Battle 

In the past, fake pills like the ones found in the pharmacies in Tulum, Playa del Carmen, and Cancun were strictly sold to visiting tourists.   

But in this case, some of the pharmacies actually advertised the fake pills.   

Some were even offering home delivery for nearby locals, according to reports.   

@bunk.police Replying to @🤴🏼 THE RESULTS ARE IN—today we are sharing the outcome of our Adderall, Hydrocodone, and Oxycodone tests from pills purchased at pharmacies across Mexico. Over the past few months, we have been investigating the reports of adulterated pharmaceuticals being sold as authentic pills from licensed pharmacies across Mexico. To get to the bottom of what was actually going on, members of our team went undercover to travel to six popular tourist destinations across Mexico. Posing as tourists interested in pills that typically require a prescription in the U.S., we traveled to Tijuana, Cabo San Lucas, Puerto Vallarta, Cancun, Playa Del Carmen, Cozumel, and Tulum to obtain a variety of commonly purchased pills, and began testing. Here is what we found. ADDERALL: Out of nine total samples • Zero were legitimate • Six contained Methamphetamine • Two of the samples were unidentifiable by our lab • One sample contained Aminorex, which was removed from the US market in 1972 due to causing pulmonary hypertension HYDROCODONE: Out of seven total samples • Five were legitimate • Two total contained Fentanyl • One contained both Fentanyl and Xylazine OXYCODONE: Out of 15 total samples • Eight were legitimate • Four total contained Fentanyl • One contained both Fentanyl and Xylazine • Three were unidentifiable by our lab For more information on our time in Mexico, check out the @VICE News article linked in our bio. https://www.vice.com/en/article/m7bbxv/mexico-pharmacies-fake-pills-cjng-sinaloa-cartel #mexico #travelmexico #traveladvisory #publichealth #vicenews #travelingmexico #adulteration #lacedpills #publichealth #publichealthandsafety #harmreduction #adulterated #bunkpolice #drugeducation #drugtestingeducation ♬ Spider-Man 2099 (Miguel O'Hara) – Daniel Pemberton

Warnings For Tourists 

While most travelers won’t go looking for these pills at a pharmacy in any of these places while on vacation, it’s important to warn tourists of how dangerous it can be.   

Illegal drug manufacturers and dealers are putting these fake pills that can possibly contain dangerous amounts of fentanyl in these pharmacies, and there is no way of knowing if a pill is fake until it is too late.   

It goes without saying that if tourists should need medication, to only take something after seeking it out from a trusted source, like a doctor.   

@nagygogettaaa ASK & you shall receive 💪🏽#cancun #noprescription #resort #summer2022 ♬ original sound – Nagygogettaaa

The Closed Pharmacies 

There is no information on whether the pharmacies that were shut down will reopen in the future.   

It is also unclear how many pharmacies were closed in each destination.   

But what is clear is that tourists should be very cautious about purchasing anything at a Mexican Caribbean pharmacy.

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