The Legal Importation of Prescription Drugs into the United States from Mexico: A Study of Customs Declaration Forms

Abstract

The nature and magnitude of the problem of the diversion of prescription drugs from legal to illegal markets have been identified as a high priority by the federal government. This study was based on a random sample (2,005) of declaration forms of persons declaring Mexican prescription drugs at the US Customs office in Laredo, Texas. Of the 75 different types of drugs, the most frequently declared drugs were Valium (71%), Rohypnol (46%), and Tafil (25%), drugs highly associated with nonmedicinal use among United States teenagers and young adults. These data reinforce a documented need for more transnational cooperative efforts between the United States and Mexico.