Cedars-Sinai physician Lifshitz contends the differing drug standards in Mexico and the United States end up hurting far more people than anyone knows--on both sides of the border.
"I think it's scary," she said. "These drugs are toxic."
Times staff writer James F. Smith and researcher Greg Brosnan in Mexico City and staff writer H.G. Reza in Orange County contributed to this story.
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From Drug Companies, to Mexico to Southern California
1. Drugs banned or restricted in U.S. are manufactured internationally. Some end up in Mexico.
2. and are transported to Tijuana.
3. sold to buyers in farmacias.
4. smuggled across the border
5. and resold at U.S. swap meets and botanicas.
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About This Series
After two Orange County infants died following treatment and injections of medication by illegal providers serving Latinos, The Times assembled a team of reporters here and in Mexico to investigate this underground medical phenomenon. The team spent three months following the trail of dangerous medications from Mexico, through the border and into Southern California.
Today: The back rooms of some markets, dress shops and swap meets peddle drugs that are banned or tightly restricted in the United States because of severe side effects that can kill. These drugs are smuggled in from Mexico, where looser drug laws allow multinational drug companies to sell them much more freely.
Monday: Millions of prescription drugs are pouring into the United States from border towns, virtually unchecked by customs inspectors more intent on stopping contraband like cocaine.
Tuesday: Economic, political and cultural forces push many immigrants to seek help from unlicensed medical providers using illegal or unproven drugs. These immigrants either reject the U.S. system of health care or conclude that it has rejected them.
The entire series will be available on the Times Web site: www.latimes.
com/mexdrugs.
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Brand Names and Manufacturers of Frequently Seized Drugs
The following drugs are among the most common medications seized in raids of back room pharacies and illegal clinics in Southern California. These medications have been banned or highly restricted in the United States because of severe, potentially fatal side effects. Drugs in italics are those most commonly found in U.S. raids:
Generic names: Dipyrone, "Mexican aspirin," Metamizole
Brand names: Conmel, Conmel Plus, Dalmasin, Fardolpin, Magnol Atlantis, Magnopyrol, Neo-Melubrina, Prodolina, Utidol
Brand names of medicines that include dipyrone: Anespas Compuesto, Bipasmin Compuesto, Buscapina Compositum, Busconet, Busprina, Buticina Compuesta, Colepren, Retodol Compositum, Selpiran
Manufacturers: Atlantis, Columbia, Diba, Farcoral, Hoescht Marion Roussel, Promeco, Quimicason's, Randall, Rimsa, Rudefsa, Sanofi Winthrop, Siegfried
Uses: Severe pain, fever. Is mixed with other medications for stomach, gastrointestinal and kidney pain, nausea and vomiting.
Warnings: associated with fatal immune-deficiency disease caused by severe loss of white blood cells, bone marrow destruction, increased risk of shock
Misuses: Minor pain, headaches
Status: FDA approval withdrawn: 1977
Generic name: Chloramphenicol
Brand name: Chloromycetin, Clorafen, Cloramfeni Ofteno (eye infections), Cloramfeni Ungena (eye infections), Cloran, Clordil, Paraxin, Quemicetina
Brand names of medicines including chloramphenicol: Cloran Otico Grin, Fibrase, Levodexan, Levofenil, Pre Clor, Soldrin Otico, Sulfa Cloran Grin, Ulcoderma Unguento
Manufacturers: Columbia, Diba, Grin, Grupo Warner-Lambert (Parke-Davis), Lakeside, Merck Mexico, Pharmacia & Upjohn, Quimica Knoll, Sophia,
Uses: Infections in patients with cystic fibrosis, typhoid fever, Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever, cholera, meningitis. Is used alone or in combination drugs for ear and eye infections.
Warnings: Can cause fatal blood diseases leading to leukemia, irreversible bone marrow depression, gray baby syndrome
Misuses: Bacterial infections, trivial infections like influenza, colds, throat infections
Status: FDA required that drug inserts include a "black box warning," its most severe warning, 1961.
Generic name: Lincomycin, Lincomicina
Brand names: Lincocin, Princol, Rimsalin
Manufacturers: Pharmacia & Upjohn, Provit, Rimsa
Uses: Serious streptocuccus, staphyloccus infections
Warnings: Can cause fatal colon inflamation, associated with fatal "gasping syndrome" in premature infants, jaundice
Misuses: Upper-respiratory tract infections, minor bacterial or viral infections, meningitis, gonorrhoeae
Status: FDA required that drug inserts include a "black box warning," its most severe warning, 19975.
Generic name: Betamethasone, methocarbamol, indomethacin
Brand name: Artridol
Manufacturers: Rimsa
Uses: Rheumatism, bursitis, tendonitis, arthritis
Warnings: May cause drop in white blood cell count, moon face disfiguration known as Cushing's syndrome, intestinal bleeding
Misuses: Minor pain, convulsions, ulcers, hypertension
Status: Drug has never been submitted for use in the United States.
\o7 Sources: Drug Facts & Comparisons, Martindale Pharmcopoeia, Mexican Dictionary of Pharmaceutical Specialties, drug insert literature\f7
