Taking Prescription Medicenes Abroad

[Booldawg]

whats the regulation on travelling with prescribed meds?

I'm taking tablets for type 2 diabetes (metformin, gliczacide) and also simvastation.

[sunny-dave]

Unless they are controlled drugs (eg morphine) you don't need to tell anyone.

Liquids should be in the 'little plastic bag', tablets in your hand luggage.

I tend to take a copy of my latest prescription repeat form - but that is mainly to explain what an EpiPen is when I show it to the luggage scanning people.

[Booldawg]

thanks Dave. will get a copy of the repeat form next time I collect!

[sunny-dave]

For any essential meds, I'd make up to full sets (each capable of covering the entire hols) and put them in separate bags.

Possibly doing a swap with any travelling companion - so that (in the event of one bag going missing) you'd both still be OK for the holiday.

[sunny-dave]

"two full sets"

[cupid04]

I seem to remember having to fill in some kind of form to say what drugs you were taking.

[Milvus]

Depending on how long your holiday is, it may be worth checking country specific info. I have come across countries where no more than 1 month's supply can be taken in. I can't remember which countries though :(

[Booldawg]

only a week in the canaries. Mate at work told me to chuck them in my wash-bag and stick it in the suitcase as the sniffer dogs that work the baggage handling area are only seeking out illegal drugs. Sounds a bit blasé to me!

[wolf63]

Maybe the sniffer dogs are more intelligent than your mate at work.

Enjoy your holiday.

[boxtops]

Booldawg, when I travel, including the Canaries, I take a sufficient supply of the medication I need, and pack it in the original box, so the prescription label is showing. All the tablets and sprays (under 100ml) go in my hand luggage in case of query. OH has a nasal spray which we pack likewise and put in his Liquids bag for display at security. No problem, you don't need to take a repeat script form unless you want to.

(The only place I had difficulty was flying into Saudi where you were not allowed to take Codeine into the country - I took my co-codamol in its original pack, along with a letter from the GP explaining why I needed to carry it with me.)

[Trotbot]

I'm Type 1 and fly every week for work, mainly around Asia but also in Europe. I carry pens and pills and have only once had a problem (jumped up security at Heathrow suggesting I couldn't be on two different types of insulin and asking me to inject in front of him, which I politely refused and his supervisor agreed with me). I always hand carry everything, no-one has ever questioned the pills.

[jno]

Dubai has some odd restrictions but everywhere else should be no problem. Sniffer dogs aren't interested in statins and nobody has any interest in keeping diabetics from boosting their tourist industry.