EL PASO, Texas, Feb 23, 2009 (UPI via COMTEX) -- One-third of El Paso, Texas,
residents cross the Texas-Mexico border to Ciudad Juarez, Mexico, for medication
and healthcare services, researchers said.
Researchers at The University of Texas School of Public Health El Paso Regional
campus found cross-border medication shopping and medical attention can present
health dangers -- including medications laced with toxic substances that are
banned in the U.S. market; incorrect medications or dosage prescribed by
unqualified personnel; and counterfeit medications.
Dr. Victor Cardenas said the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and Texas State
Board of Pharmacy do not have strict regulations against cross-border medication
and U.S. Customs typically allows the entry of limited quantities of
medications.
The study, published in the Journal of the National Medical Association, found
while 33 percent travel from El Paso to Ciudad Juarez, 5.2 percent travel from
Ciudad Juarez to El Paso seeking more affordable and easily accessible
medication and healthcare services.
"This (study) is a mirror of what happens across the entire U.S.-Mexico border.
The three main reasons people travel across border lines are affordable
medications and services; savings on doctors' fees by using a pharmacy attendant
as a doctor; and the attentiveness of bilingual pharmacy attendants who can
answer questions in depth for patients," study investigator Jose Rivera of The
University of Texas at Austin said in a statement.
URL: www.upi.com
Copyright 2009 by United Press International