Is it legal to bring prescription drugs that are legal in the US and that couldn't be used for "recreational purposes" (such as birth control pills) from Mexico into the US? Do you have to declare them at the border?

Yes, a legal prescription drug is totally legal to be brought in Mexico and into the US... I just had friends get some for me and saved a BIG bundle...If you are bring across a "normal" amount , they will say nothing, but if you are tring to cross with a barrell of whatever, they will get a little upset...dMy friends picked up for me a years supple of BP medicine,. so that will tell you what you can expect...

Here's the good news:

"The drugs available in Mexico are often significantly cheaper than they are in Arizona.
Even if you do not have a prescription, you can often purchase the drugs you are looking for if the drug is not a controlled substance.
Mexican pharmacies may ask for a prescription, but you can sometimes get one there if you do not have a prescription.
If you have a prescription from your physician, you can often get good quality medicines.

Here's the bad news:

In many cases, you do not know where the drugs were made or how they were handled.
If you receive directions for use at all, they might not be in English.
You must declare the medications at Customs upon your return. Customs permits people to bring back reasonable amounts of medications for personal use, but does not allow stockpiling or purchasing large amounts of drugs for what will be assumed is a commercial or resale purpose.
If you lie to customs about having drugs and you are caught, the consequences could be simple, like having the drugs taken away, or very serious, such as going to jail.
When buying drugs inspect the packages to make sure that they are correct. Inspect the foil wrappers to make sure that the quantity inside agrees with the number posted on the box, and that the drugs inside are the correct ones. All Mexican drug packages have a "fecha de caducidad" which is the expiration date."

Here's a link for more information

http://seniorhealth.about.com/cs/prescriptiondrugs/

Do you know if you have to show proof of your prescription? Did you know if steroids are still coming over the mexican border?

Technically, you're supposed to have proof of your prescription, but they rarely ask for one in pharmacies in Mexico. Often, rather than visiting the doctor, people will simply ask the pharmacist for advice, and the pharmacist will recommend the medicine that he thinks they need.

However, I've never asked for any drugs that could be used for anything I didn't really need down there. I suppose if you wanted codeine or something else that could be abused, they might be stricter.

As far as steroids are concerned, I believe they are still being smuggled over the border.

Thanks for the information, Moe and Donrent!

WmWallace. I heard different stories regarding the law on legal prescriptions. I saw a show once that said you can legally cross the boarder with prescription drugs to Texas, but once in Texas, under their law they can take it away because it wasn't filled in the state where the prescription was written. I found a link for legal information on customs and legal drugs.

http://www.wecaremedicalmall.org/legal_information.htm

I was in Mexico last year and found the only concern at the boarder was the amount of cigarettes you were taking over.

Thanks Moe and Sarai!