Nathalie Martin
Summer has been good to us in England however, it is nothing like going aboard and enjoying the rays from another country, it is a chance to leave everything behind and take a well-deserved break – well don’t leave everything, especially medicine! As it is a little more complex than chucking it in your bag, I thought it would be helpful to put together a list of things to consider when travelling with medication!
Other than the pills or liquid medicine, it is super important that you take any documentation like doctors note and prescription *with you. Ensure you *pack extra in case if an emergency like a flight cancellation, to ensure you don’t miss a dose which you may need to ask your GP to alter your prescription amount for. You may need a personal license, if carrying controlled medicines, which you will need to apply to your Home Office for, but talk to your GP beforehand.
Furthermore, write down all the medication you have to take with you and the translation as this will help you in the event that you do run out or loose your prescription. If you take this with you, you will be able to make communication easier with the pharmacist in the local pharmacy.
It is recommended that you keep your prescription in your hand luggage along with documentation. Firstly, this is suggested because if you pack it in check-in luggage and it gets lost or delayed, you would be in a little bit of a sticky situation! You should check out the government hand luggage restrictions if you are worried about taking any tablets or liquid medicines on board a plane. If you are taking unlicensed medicine abroad, it is key that you have documentation proving that you are allowed to have this medication outside of its original license.
Even if you have a weekly or daily medication organiser, keep your medication in the original packaging. This will make going through security a lot easier as the medicine will be easily identifiable. You can pack the organisers and sort the dosages once you have reached your destination, but for flying purposes it should be kept in the original containers.
This is when you need to be prepared with planning. Before you leave, ensure you research the rules and regulations around carrying prescribed medicine to your destination. For example, Spain will let you enter if you just have the prescription and documentation readily available however it does differ from country to country.
If the medication you are taking is not allowed in your destination, for example codeine is banned in Hong Kong and Greece due to it containing opiates. In this case, foreign embassies may recommend an alternative for you to take whilst on your stay.
Obviously, the climate in every country differs it could be really hot or cold and this can be tricky for medicines that need to be in controlled temperatures. For example, if you are going on a road trip in a hot country, keep medication in the glove compartment or the boot as the interior of a car can get super warm.
If it need to be kept cool, double check with your accommodation that they have a fridge of AC to help store your prescription in a suitable climate.
Ensure you talk to your GP well in advance of your holiday, they will be able to advise you on any travel and changes to medication if needs be. Also, if you are travelling to a place which has a different time zone, you will need to be prepared for this and talking to your GP will help. You may be advised to purchased either a multiple time zone watch, or an alarm clock to help you keep to your dosage schedule.
"Nathalie Martin is a young woman from Brighton who has a strong interest in education, family, shopping and childcare after growing up as a part of a large family on the South Coast. When she's no...
