Pharmacies in Tijuana, Mexico

One of the biggest counterparts to the Mexico dentist industry is the pharmacy industry in Tijuana, and other cities throughout Mexico. For decades, US citizens have been crossing into Mexico for discounted medications and medications that may not be available in the US. This is a time-worn practice that has led to mixed reviews by media outlets and government institutions. Is is important to understand that there are many reputable pharmacies in Mexico that do dispense safe and effective medications. There are a few bad seeds, but there are easy to avoid.


It is important to only do business with the pharmacy or pharmacies that your Mexico dentist recommends, and to only obtain medications you are legally allowed. Prescriptions by Mexican dentists are typically written for anti-inflammatory medications and antibiotics to treat dental infections before and after root canal therapy, dental extractions, and dental implants. Mexican dentists are not authorized to write prescriptions for narcotic pain medications. In Mexico, only medical doctors can write prescriptions for controlled substances (such as Vicodin). Beware of any dentist or pharmacy that claims they can provide Vicodin or any other narcotic to you. In the past, many US citizens came to Tijuana to fraudulently obtain these powerful medications, and many pharmacies were more than willing to dispense them without a prescription as long as the customer paid the right price. This practice is diminishing, as the government has cracked down on this illegal trade. Penalties are severe, so we do not recommend obtaining controlled substances or trying to bring them across the border, it is not worth the possible jail time, or at minimum the unpleasant suspicion, detention, and search and seizure it might bring to you.

It is also important to understand that antibiotics do require a prescription in Mexico. In the past, it was very easy to obtain antibiotic medications without a written prescription. This practice is coming to an end as well, as these medications are being overused and bacteria and viruses are gaining resistance to them, in effect creating “superbugs”. When an antibiotic is used improperly and not under the supervision of a medical doctor, the bacteria being treated will not be completely wiped out, and will only grow stronger as a result. In response to these superbugs, the US and Mexican governments now mandate all pharmacies to require prescriptions for these medications. If you try to cross over the border into America with an antibiotic but without a prescription, American customs will likely confiscate the medication.