Over-the-counter medicines are putting the Mexican community on alert after hearing about the dangerous effects they can cause.
The old practice of going to the pharmacy to get medicine for an infection is a custom that Mexican immigrants are leaving behind, particularly because authorities have warned about the side effects that self-medicating can cause and the abuse of some pharmacists.
Many buy over-the-counter medicines because they find it difficult and expensive to see a doctor.
Susana Marrero said that self-medicating is no longer a safe practice. “On television they say it all the time, and now, with all the things you see, it’s better to be careful.”
Marrero, originally from San Luis PotosÃ, Mexico, comments that in her home they no longer use as many medications as before because of the alerts that have been issued by authorities. “You think that medications don’t cause any harm, and later you discover that it’s better to use natural things.”
Some Mexicans, like Ramon Carrasco, prefer natural medicine. “Every day they discover new things. A few days ago they said that they said that pregnant women can’t drink coffee, and now they are saying this. I hardly ever get sick, but when that happens I go to the doctor and I use home remedies.”
Carrasco, 46, from Guadalajara, Mexico, commented that he has always been cautious with medicine. “I don’t like them, not even when they are prescribed. I think we should let the body cure itself,” he concluded.
