US Warns Over Fake, Dangerous Pills Being Sold In Mexico

Washington: The US State Department has issued a travel warning over dangerous counterfeit pills being sold at pharmacies in Mexico. The notice says that the drugs often contain fentanyl.

The travel alert posted Friday says Americans should “exercise caution when purchasing medication in Mexico.”

Small pharmacies in tourist areas and border regions sometimes sell medications advertised as OxyContin, Percocet, Xanax and others without a prescription.

The State Department warned that such pills are often counterfeit and “may contain deadly doses of fentanyl.”

“Counterfeit pills are readily advertised on social media and can be purchased at small, non-chain pharmacies in Mexico along the border and in tourist areas,” it said.

A study led by researchers at the University of California, Los Angeles found that 68% of the 40 Mexican pharmacies visited in four northern Mexico cities sold Oxycodone, Xanax or Adderall, and that 27% of those pharmacies were selling fake pills.