Daunting ... getting through customs with prescription drugs can prove scary if you're caught unawares.
It is not a good feeling, standing in front of a stern-faced customs official who has just found a bag of unidentified pills in your luggage. As a backpacker trying to lighten the load, I had the "clever" idea of emptying a bottle of multivitamins into a snap-lock bag to save taking the heavy glass bottle with me.
It turned out to be a rather big, and rather scary, mistake.
I found myself surrounded by armed personnel in the airport in Bangkok – and there are few places where drugs are treated more seriously.
They eventually let me go after I convinced them the pills were only vitamins but the experience was enough to ensure I never did it again.
Travelling overseas with medication, prescription or otherwise, can be tricky and requires a bit of forethought and planning.
How do you get hold of your regular medications if you're away for a long time? How do you know if you're allowed to take a certain medication into a country? And what else do you need to take with you to avoid a run-in with the authorities?
The first thing you should do if you are planning an overseas trip and need to carry medications – particularly strong painkillers or other drugs open to abuse or sale on the black market – is to contact the embassy or consulate for the country or countries you are visiting to make sure the medication is legal in that country.
Certain classes of prescription medicines are regarded as illegal substances in some countries and the consequences of carrying them can be dire.
Assuming your medications are legal to take, you should visit your doctor and, if possible, get a prescription to cover the entire time you are going to be away.
Fill the prescription before you leave – a prescription from Australia has no validity in other countries.
If you are unable to carry enough medication for your entire trip, make sure you take a letter from your doctor detailing the medication, dosage and what it is for, especially if it is a painkiller or another drug a doctor may be wary of prescribing.
A letter from your doctor explaining that your drugs are medically prescribed and are for personal use can also ease your way through customs checkpoints.
Likewise, if you need to carry needles and syringes (it is best to take your own unless you are travelling to a developed country), a letter from your doctor is vital.
And, as the Bangkok scenario demonstrates, all medications and vitamins should be kept in their original packaging (plastic bottles are now available in most cases).
Medications should also be carried in your hand luggage – let the airline know in advance if you will be carrying syringes – in case your luggage is lost.
It is also a good idea to keep a doctor's letter or list of medications and dosages separate to the actual drugs, in case you lose your bag in your travels.
One issue travellers struggle with is medications that need to be kept refrigerated. Some airlines will put them in the fridge during the flight but others won't let you do it because of hygiene reasons. You need to check with the carrier in advance.
If you need to keep medications cold during your flight, gel-based ice packs stay cold for a long time, or you can take some snap-lock bags and ask the flight attendants for ice.
If you choose to take ice packs, they should be exempt from rules about carrying liquids on flights but make sure you declare them as you go through the screening point.
Once at your destination, a small insulated bag with gel-based cold packs is the best option if you have access to a freezer each night.
You can buy purpose-made medicine cooler bags at travel stores and over the internet. These are good if you need to carry a range of vials or containers or have very temperature-sensitive medicine.
Finally, make sure that you declare any drugs that you are bringing back to Australia, as certain classes of drugs are subject to import restrictions.
Counter culture
You might be surprised to find the medication you get on prescription in Australia is readily available over the counter in other countries, although it could have another brand name.
Unfortunately, the situation can also be reversed — something you normally buy over the counter at the chemist may require a prescription.
If you are buying any medication overseas, check the dosage — it may be more or less than the amount you normally take.
The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade gives an example of an Australian traveller who suffered a mild heart attack after taking the wrong dose of medication while overseas.
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