Prescription medicines

[judybo57]

Both my husband and myself have to take prescription medicines, we will be carrying them in our hand luggage. Will we need a letter from our GP to say that we are taking them.

 

Thanks

[MasterPoo]

As far as I know you need to ensure your meds are in the original packaging with the prescription lable made out to you/taker of the medication.

[davecttr]

I take mine in their original packing/boxes and also take my repeat prescription form. I have never had any drugs questioned or even had to open my carry on but it best to adopt the belt and braces approach. Apparently in some destinations you also need a certificate for innoculations against certain diseases and I will check this out well before my Caribbean cruise next winter.

[perthorchid]

on the last cruise i did with my dear husband just 3 weeks before he died i had some serious drugs with us. I took them in the hand luggage (it would have been catastrophy if we had lost them with missing luggage) They were in original packaging. I had a letter from the gp detailing what everything was (generic name, not brand) especially the controlled drugs i had , ie morphine etc. I had a lot of morphine both tablet and liquid. Thought the liquid would be a prob as it is in a brown bottle (not clear) and in 300ml or 500ml amounts (not 100ml as reccommended) At the customs in the airport i spoke to the man, showed him my letter and the bag of drugs. Someone else came over and i was passed through. Coming home from italy i forgot to say and the bag just went through the xray no probs. No sniffer dogs or alarms. But i think you should tell them

[Cymro1953]

I too have controlled prescription drugs, and always take in packaging with a copy of the prescription. Never had a problem yet. They're the 1st thing to go in the hand luggage and stay with me.

 

Berwyn

[UKBayern]

I am diabetic and take needles and everything on holiday and never have had any problems. Nobody, either at airports or at the ships security ever looked at it or asked questions. I never tell anybody I have it on me. When the liquids-in-handluggage-rule was first introduced, I dutifully put my syringe through the X-rax in a special plastic bag, only to be told at 3 different airports that it was not necessary and could just leave it in my handbag next time. You obviously have to be a little bit more careful with morphine and other medication that is clearly regarded as "drugs" in some countries. It is also a good idea to know what you medicines you need in case you lose them, so the letter from your GP could come in handy.

 

Daveontheroad: this is only the case for countries that demand a yellow fever shot. Most Caribbean countries will not be interested in the slightest in your yellow booklet, there will not even be anybody on the quay to look at the red one :D.

[Jim The Scot]

I too have controlled prescription drugs, and always take in packaging with a copy of the prescription. Never had a problem yet. They're the 1st thing to go in the hand luggage and stay with me.

 

Berwyn

 

I also have controlled prescription drugs and have never taken them in their packaging(just take enough in the blister pack)and have never carried a copy of my repeat prescription.It something that never crossed my mind

 

Never had a problem if stopped

[its,only,me]

I am like you Jim never take the boxes just take the blister packs and never had a problem

 

mrs.c

[perthorchid]

jim the scot and its only me. I have taken some drugs in blister packs in the past, but only stuff i could buy at any chemist shop if they were taken off me. Can you imagine the distaster if a customs officer decided you were not allowed to take your morphine/cancer med/heart med or any of the other really life saving/pain controlling stuff. If it was us then, we simply would have had to come home. So a little bit of trouble with the drug organisation and packing was worth it. Some of the controlled stuff we would have had real problems getting replacements even if we did visit a doctor or hospital overseas

s

[Jim The Scot]

jim the scot and its only me. I have taken some drugs in blister packs in the past, but only stuff i could buy at any chemist shop if they were taken off me. Can you imagine the distaster if a customs officer decided you were not allowed to take your morphine/cancer med/heart med or any of the other really life saving/pain controlling stuff. If it was us then, we simply would have had to come home. So a little bit of trouble with the drug organisation and packing was worth it. Some of the controlled stuff we would have had real problems getting replacements even if we did visit a doctor or hospital overseas

s

 

I totally understand what your saying as my prescription drugs are something I cannot do without but as I said its something that had never crossed my mind in many years of travelling.

 

However this thread will change how and the way I carry precription drugs in future

[its,only,me]

I am the very same :o but will take the repeat prescription letter with me in future

 

mrs.c :)

[capasamari]

One lesson my parents learned the hard way is to take a week or two's more medication than you will need for the holiday. Years ago my dad suffered a heart attack on Corsica and ended up in hospital in France for ten days before flying home in an air ambulance. Mum stayed on in the hotel and flew back with him but hadn't got enough of her own tablets with her for the extra time away.

 

Carol x

[UKBayern]

One lesson my parents learned the hard way is to take a week or two's more medication than you will need for the holiday. Years ago my dad suffered a heart attack on Corsica and ended up in hospital in France for ten days before flying home in an air ambulance. Mum stayed on in the hotel and flew back with him but hadn't got enough of her own tablets with her for the extra time away.

 

Carol x

 

Think about what happens if somebody snatched your handbag....

We always have a double or triple amount of insuline with us, it get divided over my handluggage and that of the DH, and once we are in the cabin, we leave some of it there on our port days.