NUEVO PROGRESO, Mexico Many Americans visit Mexico to buy low-cost prescription drugs. But starting next month, Mexican pharmacies will no longer sell antibiotics over the counter.
In Mexican cities up and down the border, you'll find discount drug stores within walking distance of the U.S.
They are cheaper over here, said Angel Marroquin, who takes advantage of the lower prices.
Antibiotics top the list of popular medications available in Mexico without a prescription at a fraction of the U.S. price.
Generations of Mexicans have popped penicillin at the first sign of a sore throat. Now, health authorities here have ordered a crackdown to control the growth of drug-resistant strains of bacteria. At the end of August, Mexican pharmacies will require a prescription.
The law does not specify that Americans must have a prescription from a U.S. doctor. Many Mexican border pharmacies have a doctor right next door who takes walk-in appointments and can write a prescription on the spot.
Pharmacy clerk Noel Vasquez said it's easier and cheaper to visit a doctor in Mexico, so people will adapt. But some Mexicans are stocking up on antibiotics while they are still sold over the counter.
Pharmacies in Mexico will start asking for a prescription for antibiotics on August 25.
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