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Delays in Customs Procedures, Followed by Prohibited Importation of Cosmetics, Toiletries, and Medicines


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This topic about the importation of prescriptions, cosmetics, and toiletries, etc., could easily fit in either of two different forums: (a) the Health and Healthcare forum, or (b) this forum about mail forwarding services. It was a flip of the coin that was the deciding factor.

If any CL member feel strongly about relocating this topic to the Health and Healthcare forum, please send a PM (private message) to @Admin_01 with your feedback.

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What is the procedure to receive an item through the mail that customs considers "medication".  If the item is accompanied with a copy ( I'd not want to lose the original) of the prescription...is that all that is required? . Lately customs has been a real pain. 

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I receive normal old guy prescriptions like blood pressure and cholesterol stuff from the US.  It's shipped to my Florida forwarding address and arrives here in a couple of weeks.  Panama slaps a $5.00 per shipment fee for "pills" but with my medical insurance, they are still cheaper than buying in a pharmacy here.

There's no procedure at all.  Just expect a customs fee.

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My experience is similar to Uncle Doug's, but I'll add a few details that might help.

I maintain my U.S. Medicare coverage through an HMO in California, since I maintained a residence address in the locale where that HMO provides coverage.  My primary care doctor in the U.S. provides the prescription updates about once a year and this information is on file with Walgreen's.  Whenever the 90 day provision period arrives, Walgreen's automatically ships the two Rxs to the California address and charges a few dollars to my Visa.  The person who lives full time at that address then forwards the package (special delivery with a tracking number and signature required) to my Florida Eshop address (Mail Boxes Etc. would also work).  They then forward the package to Eshop in Boquete.  This works quite smoothly and maybe it takes 2-3 weeks from the time Walgreen's ships to the time I make the pickup.

When I first arrived in Boquete I got a few quotes from local pharmacies on these two generic drugs and the prices were very high compared to what I pay to get them from the U.S.

Hope this helps.

Dennis

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Ok.  Now according to customs here's what is said:

Medications must be accompanied by a valid medical prescription made to the person on the container label. 

I guess the meds you get are labeled to you as prescribed by you physician with his name on the label. 

Some medications that are over the counter in the USA are not here.  That may present a problem for me. I hate to spend a lot of money and have the item tossed in the can at customs.

Thanks Dennis

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As usual, "it all depends". Yes, there are laws and regulations, and then there are bureaucracies. Everyone's mileage varies, depending on the phase of the moon and other unknown factors. What was true last week turns out to be less true this week. For what it's worth, here is my experience:

I dropped Medicare part D (pharmaceuticals) when I move to Panama. I have one prescription drug that I continue to use, but the pharmacies in Boquete and David sell it to me without prescription. With the jubilado discount, I certainly pay less for the drug than the Medicare premiums and co-pay would cost me in the USA.

I have been ordering and receiving supplements from the US for years, no problem. It recently has become a bit more sticky, and things that look like cosmetics (i.e. lotions and topical creams) get held up in customs until you send in a letter saying the product is for personal use and won't be resold. An agency that goes by the acronym AUPSA (Panama's FDA, basically) now also has to pass on supplements, and wants to see the details of invoices. I am presently waiting on two small shipments that are sitting at Tocumen.

Depending on whether you use Mailboxes Etc., Airbox, eShop, or Servitechnics, the experience also varies.

One issue I wrestle with is the order quantity. Place a big order so that the shipment hassle happens with less frequency but take the chance that it attracts unfavorable attention, or go for small, frequent orders and put up with the customs.AUPSA rigamarole more frequently, or perhaps avoid it entirely... who knows...

I am given to understand that if you are VA qualified, there are special pharmacies that you can access in David.

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I received the following last night from MBE:

Good Evening
 
There is a package for you at Customs. The description is CREMA  and we will need you to send to us the order confirmation or the commercial invoice, a copy of your ID and you will need to sign a letter (we have a copy of it) that we will address to the Panamanian Health Department in order to let them know that you are bringing that for personal use. 
 
This kind of procedure can take 2-4 weeks and it is applicable to packages that contain MEDICINES, SKIN CREAMS, MAKEUP, SHAMPOO, COSMETICS, FOOD
 

Regards

MBE Boquete,

The following package for a client of yours has been put on Hold at
MBE Panama Operations due to MINSA customs clearance Requirement(s).

MINSA HOLD - Requires Clearance from MINSA
V99  Boquete  PTY13115  WILLIAMS , BONNIE J.
  310381129 0.16 kgs  CREMA
miami in transit manifest panama mawb bag_number type
     23-May  24-May 14:19  40603821171 EBL827402  MBV
value shipper carrier location area requires status
 15  TRUELY  UPS  Panama  BODEGA  M2  PT
 

 

Notification History for 310381129 - CREMA
date location login status notes
24-May 16:39 Panama Ricardo REQ MINSA Requirements Change to 2=REQUIREMENT OFFICIAL
24-May 16:39 Panama Ricardo LOC Location changed to BODEGA
24-May 14:25 Panama cmService PT Transit to Customs
24-May 14:19 Panama Ricardo PE Panama Arrival Scan
24-May 08:57 Panama Omar PF Final Customs Document Preparation
24-May 08:50 Panama Ricardo PC Official Customs Documents Created
23-May 17:17 Panama Cristian PP Preliminary Customs Processing

Please reply with the appropriate documentation or necessary process to meet this Requirement.

 

Thank You,
cmService
MBE Panama Operations

 
Edited by Bonnie
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2 hours ago, Bonnie said:

I received the following last night from MBE:

Good Evening
 
There is a package for you at Customs. The description is CREMA  and we will need you to send to us the order confirmation or the commercial invoice, a copy of your ID and you will need to sign a letter (we have a copy of it) that we will address to the Panamanian Health Department in order to let them know that you are bringing that for personal use. 
 
This kind of procedure can take 2-4 weeks and it is applicable to packages that contain MEDICINES, SKIN CREAMS, MAKEUP, SHAMPOO, COSMETICS, FOOD
 

Regards

MBE Boquete,

I'm going to go off on a rant in a minute, but before I do: I have received this notice previously from MBE, and after supplying the requested documentation, the medicines were eventually delivered 3 or 4 weeks later.  Like Bonnie, I received another notice yesterday.

So, on to the rant.  First, my medications come with an invoice and a prescription number inside the package.  Second, most people know that many medications are not available in Panama, and even if they are available, they may not be available when you need a refill.  The doctors in Panama have had their own protests concerning problems with availability of pharmaceuticals.  Most of us have found alternative ways to stay alive.

So, this is just more bs where stamps, process, and bureaucratic laziness trump common sense.  Rant done.

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  • Moderator_02 changed the title to Importation (versus Local Availability) of Prescriptions and Health Care Items

One single tube of lipstick is still in customs...It arrived there April 20th.  They have had my official "I'm not selling this item but it is strictly for my personal use" letter now for 2 weeks.  They have my ID, my affidavit, a letter from Maiboxes Etc.  Only thing missing is FBI clearance ( joking, sorta )    Consider one tube of Mabelline lipstick ! 

Ok I also received a machine from Czechoslovakia for beauty care.  With it was a bag of a type of white chlorine powder in a plastic bag used for disinfection of the machine.  Customs passed that box right on through.  Try figure.  

What's it about holding my tube of lipstick ?  There are many items such as this held and it is causing MBE a royal pain in the neck and costing them time and energy. 

Alison

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  • Moderator_02 changed the title to Importation of Prescriptions, Health Care Items, and Cosmetics
  • 4 weeks later...

In my role as U.S. Warden, I met with Velkys Munoz of Mailboxes, Etc. at her request on Tuesday. She sought my help in relaying to the expat community that customs is now requiring for certain things, including medications, very burdensome paperwork which includes a prescription from the doctor in the originating country, a doctor in Panama, and a signed statement by the recipient that the products are for personal use. Supplements require the signed statement of the recipient, too, as do other items like creams, makeup, etc. The delay time for receiving such items in Boquete therefore is approximately one month after the required paperwork is submitted.

I contacted the U.S. Embassy to see if they could obtain a more official account of exactly what is required. The Embassy agreed to contact the Panamanian authorities and, once they have this information, will issue a Message to U.S. Citizens which I will post here. In the meantime, those of you who depend on imported medications need to start well ahead of time on your order if you cannot find the drug(s) in Panama.

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2 hours ago, Whskyman said:

We are "guests" here .... it's pretty simple - we must adapt to the culture and play by the rules.  If that is too much for folks, then go elsewhere.  I, myself, love it here!

Whysky, most of us try to abide by the laws of Panama.  But, the problem here is that these rules seem to be invented by a bureaucrat based on his daily whims.  As near as I can tell, all of the mail forwarding services were surprised by these new requirements.

On any given day, you may or may not be able to obtain needed pharmaceuticals in Panama.  These bureaucratic "whims" have a callous disregard for the health of people who are receiving prescriptions by mail.  

Your premise of adapting to and accepting the culture is quite similar to some comments that were made in a discussion last month regarding driving safety.  When something is clearly screwed up, the right thing to do is to try to fix it.  Death or departure are two alternatives that I prefer to avoid.  

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Woody - if people are dependent upon obtaining their medications from the US or wherever ..... and then needing a shipping service to deliver those drugs to them here in Panama ... then I say, they are not adapting very well.  My wife has 21 medications and I have 14 - that we take every day.  Some of them have been modified because they aren't available here in Panama.  Sure, we could get them from the US, but we chose to get them from here..... we adapted.  

For those who will say they must get their medications from the States or whatever, then I question why they are living here in the first place. Healthcare and prescriptions were issues that we considered BEFORE we moved here and became residents.

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In any number of situations here, periods of enforcing regulations to the letter generally only take place after abuse is caught. Other examples might be recent crackdowns on perpetual tourism, and parking at the BCP.

Concerning medications and pharmaceuticals, there have been recent busts of both real and fake medications entering the country for resale, so my guess is that authorities are tightening up on enforcement of procedures in response.

 

Edited by Keith Woolford
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6 hours ago, Keith Woolford said:

In any number of situations here, periods of enforcing regulations to the letter generally only take place after abuse is caught. Other examples might be recent crackdowns on perpetual tourism, and parking at the BCP.

Concerning medications and pharmaceuticals, there have been recent busts of both real and fake medications entering the country for resale, so my guess is that authorities are tightening up on enforcement of procedures in response.

 

This is totally understandable. But I and many others don't understand the shotgun approach to the immigration and medication problems. The lack of notice too causes hardship.

I've never subscribed to the cliche that we expats are "guests" of Panama; no one is putting us up. We're paying our way and paying taxes. But an important element of being a guest is the acceptance of hospitality. So even if you accept the proposition that we're guests, Panama is no longer hospitable in the way it once was. I am hopeful that this will run its course and that more level heads will prevail.

Edited by Bonnie
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On 6/22/2017 at 2:49 PM, Keith Woolford said:

In any number of situations here, periods of enforcing regulations to the letter generally only take place after abuse is caught. Other examples might be recent crackdowns on perpetual tourism, and parking at the BCP.

Concerning medications and pharmaceuticals, there have been recent busts of both real and fake medications entering the country for resale, so my guess is that authorities are tightening up on enforcement of procedures in response.

 

On the surface, it would seem like a reasonable explanation Keith.  But, when your meds arrive with an invoice from a reputable pharmacy with Rx # and doctors name you would think it would be a good start in verification that the meds weren't knock off.  But, that's not enough.  So, the customs agent asks for a letter from you verifying your identity, cedula, and intent to be the sole user of the meds.  You give it, and that's not enough.  So, then the customs agent asks for the prescription to be verified by a Panamanian doctor.  I don't know yet if that will be enough, but I do know b.s. when I see it.

 

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10 hours ago, MarieElaine said:

Just another reason to move elsewhere.  I see postings about how upset the Panamanian government is about the fact that expats are leaving in droves but they continue to make it more and more difficult for us to stay.

Where have you seen such postings, Marie? This is the first I've heard about expats leaving in droves and the first I've heard about the Panamanian government being concerned about it.

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It's been my personal experience that folks who have made up their mind to leave an area, or are preparing to do so, are more apt to find fault or express displeasure with the place.

It doesn't seem to be unusual for us to find more than ample justification for moving to or from somewhere when the right time comes.

Edited by Keith Woolford
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5 hours ago, Keith Woolford said:

It's been my personal experience that folks who have made up their mind to leave an area, or are preparing to do so, are more apt to find fault or express displeasure with the place.

It doesn't seem to be unusual for us to find more than ample justification for moving to or from somewhere when the right time comes.

I think it is just human nature for one to find ways to justify difficult decisions and then vent to relieve the stress and frustration.   I am one that is leaving Panama and while I could easily list a number of things I dislike or seemed senseless here in Panama, I am sure I could just as easily find faults in my new destination once I have lived there for an equal amount of time.   All my life I have made a major move about once every 10 years and I could easily list faults and express frustration with each location.   My personal decision to move on is based on what appears a better option both personally and financially.   While Panama finally tipped the scale for me in a different direction and while some past experiences here in Panama played a part in predicting the future, I can't say I have any great displeasure with Panama as a whole.  I could probably list just as many pros as cons.  There are certainly things I will miss here and will likely be back to visit clients and friends. 

It does feels like there are a larger number of expats leaving at this time or at least a bit more than the normal turnover we have seen each year.   I am very skeptical about how concerned Panama is about the number leaving the country.   I am sure they are more concerned with other issues and the expats leaving is probably just a side effect of other policy decisions.

If Panama teaches you anything, it is that everything changes constantly (both good & bad).  It can change at a moments notice...  or even with no notice at all.   Rules and laws here seem to be only enforced when a situation becomes untenable.   Typically enforcement is done for a short time and then, as with everything here, it changes again.  Seemingly random and sometimes without good reason to those of us that are used to laws and regulations being hard and fast.    

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Panama also teaches patience.  If you can't learn to be patient about many things, you won't survive here, and you will leave.  Amazingly, a lot of things that you need to be patient and wait for eventually get done (like patching potholes in the roads, maybe even paving the roads in town - it will get done, eventually.)

Dan, I'm so sorry you're leaving.  I never met you, but you provided great service fixing my  computer problems. You did that remotely, so maybe you can also do it from Spain, or wherever you're going.  Good luck on your new adventure.

Off topic:  Why are so many people moving to Spain?  What is the attraction?  The power stays on?  What?

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