Travel Tips About Carrying Medicines When Traveling
These could be cough medicines, drugs to relieve headaches or muscle pain, and other sorts of over-the-counter medication that may be needed by a person who’s going on a trip.
Nevertheless, those who take trips to other countries should be aware of the drug regulations of their country of destination to avoid being detained or being sent to jail for possession of drugs that may be considered as illegal in certain parts of the world.
1. Know what sort of drugs or substances are banned in your country of destination.
Each country has their own laws that list down the kinds of drugs that are classified as dangerous or controlled substances. Possession of such types of drugs could mean jail time. So, if you want to make sure that you’ll be vacationing in a nice and relaxing spot instead of spending time in a foreign prison, do some research about the place where you’re going and determine what types of drugs are prohibited there. When traveling to the UAE for instance, you might not want to carry non-prescription pain killers, anti-depressants or hormone replacement drugs. Therefore, check the embassy of the place where you’re going to get a comprehensive list of banned substances.
2. Carry a valid prescription from your doctor for needed meds.
In case you need maintenance medicines for a certain condition, then make sure that you also have with you a valid and unmistakable doctor’s prescription. Make sure that the name on the medicine bottle matches your name as well.
3. Have a note or prescription from your doctor in case you need refills.
If you are going to spend some time in another place and you think you may need to refill your meds, make sure that you also carry with you a prescription or a note from your doctor indicating the specific name of the medicine, dosage, administration, as well as the reason why you need the drug. In countries in the Middle East, be aware that you might not be able to readily get drugs even with a prescription. Thus, it may be best to have enough for the entire duration of your stay. But remember not to bring too much as you may arouse suspicions or be accused of dealing drugs.
4. Keep your meds in their original containers.
Keep medicines in their original bottles or containers even though this means that it may take up more space. Avoid putting these in unlabeled plastic containers. Also, do not mix different types of pills in one large bottle in efforts to save space.
5. Put liquid meds in the baggage instead of your carry-on.
For liquid medicines, it’s best to check them in rather than having these in your carry-on baggage. If you need to have them with you, purchase smaller bottles and make sure to keep them in their original bottles.
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