Mexican Government Changes Rules on Controlled Pain Medications

According to yucalandia.com, the Mexican government now requires that every prescription for controlled pain medications (like barbituates and opiates) include the patient’s CURP number.

As has happened with Immigration & visas and Customs & importing vehicles, the Mex. Gob. now tracks prescriptions with a new national computer data-base system.

This presents significant problems for Visitors in Mexico on Visitante / Tourist visas, because they have no CURP number.

CURP numbers are mostly equivalent to having a US Social Security number – so temporary visitors to Mexico do not get CURPs with their visas. Residents, as Residente Temporal and Residente Permanente, do get CURPs as a part of their visa.

Specifically, medical tourists who come to Mexico for economical treatments cannot get controlled pain medications under this new policy.

We will provide updates, if there are changes in the law/rules, or if an amparo is filed.