Pharmacies in Nogalas, MX? (Nogales: for sale, real estate, cabinets)

[ontheGtrain]

Originally Posted by NORTY FLATZ

Always a great idea to smuggle drugs across an international border for "friends..."

I'll be presenting whatever I purchase to customs. Nobody is smuggling anything.

[tijlover]

Originally Posted by ontheGtrain

Thanks for the info. When dealing with customs, legally speaking, are you only allowed to buy drugs for yourself or is it legal, as far as customs is concerned, to also purchase something for someone in your family or a friend?

I don't overdo it! I usually buy Inhalers, like Symbicort, Braseltec and Combivent. I don't usually buy more than 3 of each and if questioned, I tell them that the price was cheaper by buying 3. I have seen some Americans, over the years, buy a box-full of meds to take across the Border, but I'm too chicken to do that unless I were crossing from Tijuana to San Ysidro/San Diego.

The border crossing at Tijuana is the busiest border crossing in the world, and they simply don't have time to do what Custom Guards at Nogales do, look thru your bags. I've crossed at Tijuana some 80+ times the past 20 years and no Custom guard ever checked the contents of my bag. So this was new to me, when I moved to Tucson, and finding out the guards in Nogales look thru your bags.

I've also found, over the years and crossings, the race of your guard can make a difference, but I'm not going to elaborate as I'll be accused of making racist comments.

[steiconi]

I've only walked across the border at TJ once, about 2 years ago. I was carrying a 3 foot tall tin cactus lamp. The guard laughed about my carrying this huge thing as he looked through my bag. He did not, however, unwrap the plastic on the lamp and look inside. I could have had a ton of stuff in there!

Walking across at Nogales, I was carrying a ceramic sink.
Why do the guards always laugh at me?

[tijlover]

I was walking across from Tijuana one time, not realizing that you can't bring fruit from Mexico into the U.S., and the Guard asked me what I was bringing across, and I fetched this delicious orange out of my bag and? You'd swear to God I was carrying a Grenade! He ordered me to deposit it into a nearby bin, and in the process, he created a big scene over it!

[ontheGtrain]

I went this morning and it didn't take long at all. Parking was 2 dollars an hour that I prepaid at a kiosk right across the street from the POE that had security in the lot. I walked a few blocks south of the port of entry and got prices at a few pharmacies. The last one I visited was a super deal. 180 dollars for my meds, all in blister packs, that would cost me 900+ here in the U.S. I spoke with a few people while I was waiting in line to go south and everyone said no prescription was needed unless I got controlled substances so I didn't bother visiting a doctor and I didn't have any issues coming back through customs. My only regret is I didn't buy more. Thanks for all the helpful replies.

[tijlover]

^ So it wasn't such a terrifying ordeal as you thought it would be! Yes, you should have bought more! Another alternative to Nogales is La Prieta, across from Douglas, AZ! A much longer drive!

[ontheGtrain]

Originally Posted by tijlover

^ So it wasn't such a terrifying ordeal as you thought it would be! Yes, you should have bought more! Another alternative to Nogales is La Prieta, across from Douglas, AZ! A much longer drive!

Yes you are correct about my concerns but you hear so much about all of the violence there so it kind of puts you in that fearful frame of mind. It was a bit of a bizarre type market but I was raised in Brooklyn, NY so I'm use to that type of environment on the street. All and all, it was a piece of cake and I'll be going back next month. Thanks again for all the kind advice. The savings are too good not to go.

[planchik]

Originally Posted by ontheGtrain

I went this morning and it didn't take long at all. Parking was 2 dollars an hour that I prepaid at a kiosk right across the street from the POE that had security in the lot. I walked a few blocks south of the port of entry and got prices at a few pharmacies. The last one I visited was a super deal. 180 dollars for my meds, all in blister packs, that would cost me 900+ here in the U.S. I spoke with a few people while I was waiting in line to go south and everyone said no prescription was needed unless I got controlled substances so I didn't bother visiting a doctor and I didn't have any issues coming back through customs. My only regret is I didn't buy more. Thanks for all the helpful replies.

out of curiosity, how many pills/packs of each drug did you buy? i heard there's a limit on how much you can bring with you back, but i haven't tested it myself at nogales. i usually buy my stuff down in Rosarito (about 1 hour south of san diego) which is where i usually go. everything over there is over the counter pretty much. i usually go to walmart pharmacy and load up there.

also, which parking lot exactly did you park in? the one right across burger king?

[ontheGtrain]

Yes the one at the end of the interstate that is across from Burger King. They have a sign at the entrance to the lot with the price. It has always been 2 dollars per hour when I've gone late mornings on week days. The stuff I bought came in boxes with only a couple of pills per box but I have to take quite a few pills per day so the bag has what appears to be a lot of stuff in it but it's really only 1 months supply. When the customs people asked me once I told the guy it was 1 months supply. They didn't seem to care much about it. I think the rule is you can buy 3 months worth of drugs at a time but I'm not 100% sure about that.

[planchik]

Originally Posted by ontheGtrain

Yes the one at the end of the interstate that is across from Burger King. They have a sign at the entrance to the lot with the price. It has always been 2 dollars per hour when I've gone late mornings on week days. The stuff I bought came in boxes with only a couple of pills per box but I have to take quite a few pills per day so the bag has what appears to be a lot of stuff in it but it's really only 1 months supply. When the customs people asked me once I told the guy it was 1 months supply. They didn't seem to care much about it. I think the rule is you can buy 3 months worth of drugs at a time but I'm not 100% sure about that.

thank you. i was there a couple days ago and, like you, i had to get some pills that only came with a few pills per box. however, to minimize the amount of packets i fit about 4 to 5 foils into each box so that only amounted to a handful of boxes. they didn't really care at the border, he just asked me whats in the bag i sad some meds an opened the bag for him, i had a total of like 8 boxes i think and that was it. i did find that parking lot too, it was $5 per day.