Use of prescription medications obtained from nonmedical sources among immigrant Latinos in the rural southeastern US

Background: Given multi-level barriers that limit access to formal medical care and prior experiences with healthcare systems outside of the US that may provide easier access to prescription medications, some immigrant Latinos in the US have reported obtaining medications from tiendas (grocers), botánicas (stores selling folk or alternative medicine), flea markets, and other businesses marketing to immigrant Latinos. We explored the relationships between behavioral, socio-cultural, and psychological characteristics and the use of prescription medications obtained from nonmedical sources among predominantly Spanish-speaking Latinos in the rural southeastern US.

Methods: Respondent-driven sampling (RDS) was used to identify, recruit, and enroll Latino men and women to participate in an interviewer-administered behavioral assessment. Data collection occurred in 2009. RDS-weighted prevalence of risk behaviors was estimated using the RDS Analysis Tool.

Results: A total of 164 respondents were interviewed. Average age was 34 years old, 64% of respondents were female and nearly 85% reported being from Mexico. Unweighted and RDS-weighted prevalence estimates of any non-medical source of prescription drugs were 22.6% and 15.1%, respectively. In the multivariable analysis, participants who reported barriers to seeking health care due to their documentation status and those with higher educational attainment were significantly more likely to report use of nonmedical sources.

Conclusions: Findings suggest that some immigrant Latinos obtain medications from nonmedical sources. Interventions that target immigrant Latinos within their communities and rely on existing structures may be effective in reducing barriers to medical and healthcare services and the proper use of medications to reduce potential harm.