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Binational
Policy Council Issue Paper on Prescription Drug Issues at the San Diego-Tijuana Border |
SOUTHERN
CALIFORNIA/BAJA CALIFORNIA ISSUE BRIEFING: PROBLEMS RELATED TO CROSS-BORDER TRANSPORT OF
PRESCRIPTION DRUGS FOR ILLEGAL SALE & USE IN THE U.S. |
| Purpose of this Issue Briefing: This
Briefing’s purpose is to 1) open dialogue on problems in the U.S.-Mexico Border
Region related to cross-border transport of prescription drugs for illegal sale and use in
the U.S.,specifically in Southern California and 2) provide an overview of the problems
along with proposed strategies and tactics. |
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| Problem:
For decades, pharmacies located in border cities in Mexico have been destination spots for
many U.S. residents seeking low-priced or familiar medications. This practice, however,
has evolved into an illegal business for people on both sides of the border and has become
a significant public health and safety problem. |
| Large quantities of
both legal and illegal pharmaceuticals are smuggled into the U.S. from Mexico and find
their way into shops in the U.S. These unlicensed facilities, or illegal clinics, have
become centers where the practice of diagnosing illnesses and prescribing medications by
unlicensed pharmacists and doctors is common. Contributing to the problem is the smuggling
of banned or highly restricted medications in the U.S. that are smuggled in from Mexico
and resold in the U.S. As a result, several children have died in Orange County after
receiving injections by unlicensed pharmacists. A recent series in the L.A. Times also
reported that health officials fear numerous children and adults are becoming ill after
using medications without anyone connecting their symptoms to the drugs. Another problem
is the increasing use of pharmaceuticals, especially banned medications such as Rohypnol,
by many youths who cross into Mexico to purchase them. Discussion: The cross-border transport of prescription drugs for illegal
sale and use in the U.S. raises several public health and safety issues. Many U.S.
residents either lack sufficient access to health, are accustomed to purchasing remedies
they used back in their home countries or are accustomed to getting medications without a
prescription. As such, they rely on illegal back-door clinics or shops to fulfill their
prescription drug needs. |
ROHYPNOL
(Flunitrazapam): Also known as roofies, ruffies, R-2, roachies, rope, rib or roche.
- Is 10 times more potent than valium
- Is odorless, colorless and tasteless
- Banned in the U.S. but used in 60 countries to treat severe
insomnia including Mexico
- Effects include impaired judgement and motor skills, amnesia,
blackouts, and seizures
- Increasingly being used by high school and college students
as an "alcohol extender"
- Young people are attracted by the low cost, usually below $5
per tablet
- Has been associated with dozens of sexual assault and rape
cases throughout the U.S.: Unsuspecting women are slipped rohypnol into their drinks,
minutes later they begin to have "blackouts." The women wake up 6 to 8 hours
later and often have been sexually assaulted. However, they cannot remember any of the
events due to the amnesia effects of rohypnol.
- The Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) is currently trying to get
the drug re-classified as a drug with no medical purpose, like heroin and LSD. Rohypnol is
currently in the same class of drugs as marijuana.
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| Another issue is
enforcement at the U.S.-Mexico border, in Mexico, and in U.S. communities such as Los
Angeles and Orange Counties. Frequently changing federal laws and regulations often lead
to confusing information about what can be brought into the U.S. and in what amounts. In
some local U.S. communities like Los Angeles, increased coordination between health
officials and law enforcement has led to investigations of illegal back-door shops and
arrests of people illegally selling prescription medications. Strategies toward Binational Collaboration and
Solutions: The public health and safety problems related to the illegal sale and use
of pharmaceuticals can be reduced through the implementation of several strategies. Among
those are:
Increase Collaboration among
Various Organizations to Improve Access to Healthcare: A large portion of the
population lacks access to adequate healthcare and various health and community
organizations are striving to improve people’s access to appropriate health care. At
the same time, there are several alcohol and other drug programs who also wish to reduce
the public health and safety problems associated with the unsafe use of prescription
drugs. Through increased collaboration, these two groups can work together to promote
access to healthcare through a variety of methods such as increasing the dissemination of
information on which health facilities distribute low-cost prescription drugs to those
sectors of society who rely on unlicensed clinics to obtain medications.
Provide Support for Binational
Enforcement of Existing Laws:
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- Support federal officials by placing the smuggling of
prescription drugs higher on the drug war agenda and to improve the detection of the
smuggling of illegal prescription medicines.
- Support the efforts of public health officials, law
enforcement, and community organizations’ efforts to investigate and prosecute those
that knowingly sell or smuggle illegal prescription drugs. In addition, support state and
local legislation that will increase the penalties to those caught illegally selling or
smuggling prescription drugs.
- Support Mexican Health officials who have begun to implement
pharmacy training programs, public awareness campaigns and who have attempted to adopt a
code of good practice including a strict ban on sales of controlled drugs without a
prescription.
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| The problems with the illegal sales of
pharmaceuticals is growing in Southern California:
In Orange County, two toddlers died after
receiving injections from an unlicensed physician
Doctors and health officials state that the
scope of the problem of unsafe and illegal use of drugs purchased through back-door
clinics is difficult to assess because the majority of these cases are not part of any
official reporting system
Several locations where people purchase
prescription medications include swap meets, unlicensed clinics, and markets
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Promote Mexican Businesses: Many recent
immigrants, those without sufficient health care and others looking to purchase cheaper
medication legally purchase prescription drugs in Mexico. The safe business practice by
pharmacies that legally sell pharmaceuticals should be promoted and information on those
businesses that are safe should be provided to consumers.
Create a web site where information can be
obtained: A bilingual web site can expand availability of information to the
public and law enforcement agencies at the Border and local communities. The web site will
be a simple-to-access site where people can obtain information on the types of
pharmaceuticals that can be allowed into the U.S. and quantities permitted as well as the
manufacturer names.
Promote a Resource Center: Develop a
resource center to work throughout the Border Region to coordinate information and
collaboration. The resource center can develop a web-site and collect data and
information. The resource center will be a central area where regional groups can access
information regarding problems, action steps and policies regarding the illegal sale and
use of prescription medications throughout the Border Region.
- Community Advocacy through Newsmaking: Use
media advocacy to encourage public and policy- maker discussion and action on the
transport of prescription drugs to the U.S. for illegal sale and use. By strategically
using the media, public health officials, law enforcement and community organizations can
place this issue higher on the public agenda, begin to change community norms regarding
prescription drugs, and provide support to policy-makers and officials who move to enact
effective policies.
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How
to Participate
Participate in the Binational Business
Policy Council: The Council is a policy-focused work group that includes business
leaders, trade associations, enforcement agencies, public health officials, community
organizations and policy makers from the U.S. and Baja California. The Council formed to
make policy recommendations that will reduce the health and safety impact of cross-border
transport of prescription drugs for illegal sale and use in the U.S. and to promote safe
business practices in Mexico. Meetings of the Policy Council are open to anyone interested
in helping to reduce and prevent health and safety problems related to unsafe use of
prescription drugs. Call IHA at (619) 474-8844 to be added to the mailing list and
notified of future meetings of the Binational Business Policy Council.
Join the growing team of skilled
newsmakers: Attend media advocacy workshops in English or Spanish and participate in
newsmaking opportunities. Participants learn how to develop high volume community-based
news generation as a central public information strategy to send policy-focused messages
and support law enforcement activities. Workshops are open to anyone interested in
learning how to become an effective newsmaker on this and other issues. Call IHA’s
Communication Department at (619) 474-8844 ext. 31 for a calendar of upcoming newsmaker
workshops.
Be part of the solution and contribute yours ideas! Call
Anthony Ramirez at (619) 474-8844 x 17 to join the dialogue on how to improve public
health and safety in our communities! |
Policies and Action Steps Taken:
- In Los Angeles County, law enforcement and
public health officials have created a task force that has led to the arrest of more than
50 people and have conducted more than 150 investigations of unlicensed shops that sell
prescription drugs
- California State Assembly Health Committee
Chairman Martin Gallegos is pushing for a bill that would make it a felony to illegally
sell pharmaceuticals in California
- California County Governments now have more
authority to create task forces to investigate unlicensed clinics and back-door shops
- Penalties have been strengthened by
increasing fines and allowing county officials to close a business after an owner’s
second conviction
- The Pharmaceutical Association of Tijuana is
working in collaboration with Tijuana’s Chamber of Commerce, state health officials,
and Baja California’s Secretary of Economic Development to stop the growth of
pharmacies in Tijuana and to enforce existing law and regulations.
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This issue briefing was prepared by Anthony Ramirez of the
Institute for Health Advocacy (IHA) with funding from San Diego County Health and Human
Services Agency, Alcohol and Drug Services. |
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