Mystery Shopper: Antibiotics for sale at flea markets in a Mexican urban area.

Introduction: The inappropriate use of antibiotics through excessive and unjustified prescription favors the increase in bacterial resistance. Resistance to antibiotics is one of the most important challenges today, with serious implications for human health, due to self-medication and lack of regulation of their sale. Article 226 of the General Health Law establishes that no medicine can be sold in semi-fixed or mobile stalls, because it can contribute to public health problems such as antibiotic resistance. Purpose: To explore whether there is informal sale of antibiotics in street markets in an urban area of Mexico. Methods: A qualitative investigation with a descriptive and exploratory scope was carried out in eight markets in the city through the mystery shopper technique and to detect and evaluate whether there is informal sale of antibiotics in the markets. Results: The indiscriminate and non-prescription sale of medications was confirmed in the area's street markets. Hypoglycemic agents, antipyretics, analgesics, and various types of antibiotics were prominent in five of the eight markets studied. It was observed that people purchase medications in these markets as a habitual practice for specific illnesses they are experiencing. Conclusions: There is an informal sale of medications in the street markets of the studied area, including antibiotics, which are sold indiscriminately and without a prescription.